Away For The Day | Latest News - In a districtwide survey, most students and teachers agreed that mobile devices are a big distraction.

The Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) amended its proposed cell phone ban policy to include stricter “bell-to-bell” enforcement in middle schools, meaning that mobile devices would be prohibited for tweens in grades 6-8 during the entire school day, including passing periods and lunch.

A previous version of the draft policy had allowed middle-schoolers to use their devices on campus outside of instruction time.

The school board provided the update during a second reading of the policy at their meeting on Wednesday. Elementary school students would also still need to have phones shut off completely during the school day. High school youth would be allowed to use mobile devices, but only outside of instructional time. Exceptions will be made for emergencies and to accommodate specialized learning plans.

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Oelke said that she had previously worked at a school with a zero-tolerance cell phone policy. “It was absolutely one of the best teaching years that I have had in over a decade,” Oelke said.

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Schools that have adopted “away for the day” policies, including those in Colorado, Ohio, Portland and elsewhere, say that the lunchroom is loud again.

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Anchor Bay Schools calls it the “Away-for-the-Day” device policy, and some parents have told Local 4 that they have safety concerns about it.

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In a districtwide survey, most students and teachers agreed that mobile devices are a big distraction.

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New state law will require every public elementary and middle school in the state to lock up students’ phones and other personal devices starting next fall

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According to the researchers, student scores in the school district notably increased by "about 2-3 percentiles" in the second year of ban compared to year before the ban

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Middletown schools actually implemented a cellphone-free environment in 2022 and reaffirmed it last year, saying the policy had "significantly enhanced classroom learning experiences across our district.

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As the first day of school approaches, Jefferson County Public Schools is gearing up for a complete cellphone ban districtwide.

A big change is coming to New York City public schools beginning this September, aimed at eliminating distractions in the classroom.

Oelke said that she had previously worked at a school with a zero-tolerance cell phone policy. “It was absolutely one of the best teaching years that I have had in over a decade,” Oelke said.

Officials with the Phoenix Elementary School District said they follow "away for the day" guidelines, where students have to turn their phones off once they get to campus.

Anchor Bay schools are going cellphone-free this fall. The district is planning to roll out a new “Away-for-the-Day” device policy at the start of the 2025-26 school year.

Schools that have adopted “away for the day” policies, including those in Colorado, Ohio, Portland and elsewhere, say that the lunchroom is loud again.

Cellphones, watches, earbuds restricted in Alabama schools this fall: What you need to know

Wenatchee Schools to Enforce Cell Phone-Free Policy Starting Fall 2025

Last year, Poughkeepsie City School District implemented an ‘away for the day’ policy at the middle and high school.

The new “away for the day” policy was approved by the district’s governing board Tuesday night.

Anchor Bay Schools calls it the “Away-for-the-Day” device policy, and some parents have told Local 4 that they have safety concerns about it.

'Away for the day' cellphone rule to remain in place in Harrison County (West Virginia) schools

Every school district in Tennessee will have some form of a cellphone ban once school starts in a few weeks due to a new state law.

Ohio private schools don't have to follow the new student cell phone ban. Some are anyway

Under the new policy, Scotia-Glenville middle and high school students will be required to keep their phones in their lockers from the start to the end of the school day. The district has decided against using phone pouches.

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