Away For The Day | Latest News - Can Banning Cellphones Save Student Learning?

David Figlio and Umut Özek, Education Next

Schoolwide cellphone limits are quickly becoming the norm across the United States. In the past few years, 22 states and the District of Columbia have passed “bell-to-bell” laws, which prohibit students from accessing cellphones throughout the entire school day (see Figure 1). Another 19 states have passed more flexible laws, which leave the rulemaking up to local districts or allow cellphones during noninstructional time. Legislation banning or restricting phone use is currently under consideration in Illinois, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.

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