Intuitively, most people would agree that cell phone usage during school hours is harmful to a student’s learning and social engagement.
And in actuality, the numbers are there to back up that claim:
On a typical day, teens pick up their phones over 100 times on average, according to a 2023 report from Common Sense Media. Many receive over 200 notifications per day. That level of bombardment can be distracting in a classroom. Another report by the National Education Association from 2024 found that 90% of educators support policies prohibiting cell phones during class time, and that same percentage feels that social media is a contributing factor to a recent increase in mental health concerns for students.
But, like it or not, in today’s world, technology plays an integral role in the education process.
So on a practical level, how does a school district implement a policy that reflects a gut feeling (and research), while recognizing the technology-forward society that we live in?
Schools around the nation are dealing with that question, and it is not an easy one to tackle.
We can see the complexities first hand by observing how our own school district, Coronado Unified, is dealing with reworking its current cell phone policy.
This is not the first time that the board has reviewed its mobile device guidelines. Just last May, after the Optimist Club of Coronado donated cell phone pockets to every middle and high school classroom, the policy was updated to require students to put their mobile devices in assigned slots during class. They can use their phones during breaks and at lunch.
But words on a page are irrelevant if the restrictions are not actually being enforced. Students are clever enough to find a way around any policy – a statement that has proven true for decades, cell phone restrictions or other.
Student board representative Haissam Kouli said so himself:
“Students use their phones in class all the time, at least at the high school. It’s not that the policy is not enforced, the policy is enforced by all the teachers that I know of… But students find a way to get around it. They try to sneak their phones in whatever way they can.”
Karl Mueller, the superintendent of CUSD, said the board is looking into best practices to “tighten restrictions on non-instructional time while students are on campus.”
And perhaps that is needed. Completely restricting cell phones during class times and at breaks would surely promote more human interaction.
But before even venturing into adding restrictions to break periods, CUSD needs to double-down on in-class phone usage. The current policy needs to be enforced on the same level across all classrooms. If our end goal is to encourage the best possible academic performance from our students, then every teacher, administrator and board leader needs to get on the same page about cell phone restrictions in class. If we demand excellence from our students, then we need to meet them with consistency.
School board leaders said they will bring comprehensive research, community input and data to a future board meeting before establishing a new policy.
Here are two examples of policies from other school districts nearby:
- San Diego Unified currently has a very similar policy to Coronado – phones must be turned off during instructional time, but can be used during lunch and passing periods.
- Los Angeles Unified went a step further and implemented a policy prohibiting students from using phones during the entire school day. The devices either need to be turned off and tucked away in backpacks or placed in a storage unit from opening bell to closing. (Each campus in the district has different rules.)
Other examples will be included in the report that CUSD will bring to a future meeting.
But, to help the community fully understand what the board is trying to accomplish, the report also must include data – to give us a north star beyond gut feelings – and a measure for success. What will success look like when this policy is implemented and how do we measure its effectiveness?
Maybe eventually a good solution would be to follow the lead of the LA school district and ban phones during the entire school day. But first, it is essential that the leaders in our classrooms enforce in-class phone restrictions in a uniform manner.
