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

Jared Cooney Horvath and Andrea Davis, Oregon Live

As the Oregon Legislature wrestles with increasing education costs, accountability issues and poor student outcomes, there is a proven, low-cost solution to improve student achievement and teacher effectiveness: Keep smartphones away from students from the first bell to the last.

School districts in Oregon and across the country have discovered that when students are freed from their personal devices for the entire school day – not just during class time – kids’ test scores go up, social lives thrive, behavior improves and teachers are happier,based on wide ranging research from the London School of Economics, National Education Association and others.

Schools that have adopted “away for the day” policies, including those in Colorado, Ohio, Portland and elsewhere, say that the lunchroom is loud again – a needed antidote to the growing epidemic of loneliness and mental health issues faced by teens.

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