Ohio joins a small but growing number of states cracking down on students' cell phone use in schools. Typically, when problems are handled at the district, school or classroom level, state officials are becoming increasingly involved.
Florida last year became the first state to ban cellphone use in K-12 classrooms. Indiana passed a law in April banning cellphone use in K-12 classrooms starting next school year. And as many as eight other state legislatures, from Kansas to Vermont, have considered bills this year that would ban students from using cellphones in class.
Ohio's new law signed by Governor Mike DeWine on May 15, but does not go as far as banning cell phones. However, according to the state Department of Education, every school district in the state must establish a policy governing student cell phone use in schools that “works to minimize student cell phone use.”
Earlier this year, the Alabama State Board of Education passed a resolution strongly encouraging school districts to limit cell phone use in schools. Meanwhile, Utah's governor said he would support legislation this spring to ban cellphone use in schools, sending a letter to the state Board of Education detailing concerns about students having access to cellphones in class.
Even federal lawmakers, albeit on a smaller scale, are tackling the issue: Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). And Rep. Tim Kaine, D-Va., filed a bill in November that would require federal research into how cellphone use in schools affects students' academic performance and mental health. (Experts do not predict this will lead to a federal ban on school cell phones. Because these decisions are typically left to the state or local governments.)
Could it be effective for a state to ban cell phones in schools?
Trent Bowers, superintendent of the Worthington district in the Columbus metro area, said he believes Ohio law strikes the right balance by giving each district final say on exactly what its cell phone policy will look like.
“You actually have local control. Certainly our state government has instilled what they think and has put out a statement saying they think our schools should be cell phone-free,” he said. But the law doesn't necessarily mean big changes for Washington schools. “The official policy is [required by the new law] “We could codify what we have.”
Worthington schools' current cell phone policy requires elementary school students to keep their phones in their backpacks and middle school students to keep their phones in their lockers. High school students are allowed to carry cell phones as long as they follow individual classroom rules regarding devices.
These rules are not official board policy, but are outlined in the district's student handbook, Bowers said.
The policy appears to meet the standards of the new Ohio law, but could still trigger changes by local school boards.
“I think we need to re-engage teachers and families before we create policy, and our board is committed to doing that,” he said. “I don’t know what changes the law will make to our practices. But I think this is an opportunity for us to take a step back and say, ‘Let’s re-engage and see where it takes us.’”
Why are cell phones a problem at school?
The almost constant distractions and drama they can create through cell phones and 24/7 access to messaging apps, social media, and games have become a major thorn in the side of educators. Studies have shown that students receive hundreds of notifications on their phones per day. The same is often true during class time. And many experts have raised warnings about how mobile phone use is harming children's mental health and wellbeing.
Teachers frequently criticize how disruptive cell phones are in the classroom, according to an Education Week Research Center survey., naming this as the biggest behavior-related problem they deal with. Some teachers describe their students' relationship with their phones as addictive.
But the counterpoint revealed in a survey of teachers, principals and district leaders conducted by the EdWeek Research Center is that it is schools' job to teach students healthy cell phone habits.
While some schools have been successful in curbing student use and leveraging cell phones as an educational tool, others have struggled.—Sometimes there are situations that sound like they're straight out of a teen movie.
In Dothan, Alabama, for example, Instagram gossip accounts became a cesspool of shaming, name-calling, and rumor-mongering among middle school students until school leaders enacted a cell phone ban.
School cell phone policies vary by grade level.
By 2020, 77% of schools had banned cellphone use for non-academic purposes during school hours, according to federal data.
Latest EdWeek Research Center Survey from last October We found that many high schools allow cell phone use in certain places and times on campus, such as lunchtime, transit times, hallways, and outside on school grounds. 50% of schools allow cell phones in classrooms as long as teachers allow them, and 10% allow cell phones in classrooms whether teachers want them or not. Only 9% of high schools completely banned cell phones on campus.
In Worthington schools, the district has placed greater restrictions on cell phone use in elementary and middle schools than in high school students, Bowers said. That's because we found that young students lack the self-control needed to use their phones responsibly at school.
“Mobile phones are the challenge of our time. Yes? And how we deal with our phones,” Bowers said. “We spent a significant amount of time feeling strongly that we needed to help kids learn how to utilize these tools appropriately. But a few years ago we rotated in middle school and had cell phones for free.”
The results were positive, Bowers said. Most parents are supportive if students are allowed to have cell phones on their way to and from school.
Bowers says teachers have varying opinions about whether students should be allowed to have cell phones in class. This is why every teacher at the high school level uses the traffic light system. As students enter each class, a red, yellow, or green dot will appear on the display to indicate whether cell phone use is permitted in that class.
Although his high school students don't have as much trouble managing their phones as middle school students, Bowers said there are still older students who still struggle with their phones.
“Obviously this is working well for some of our students, but for some of our students, it’s a struggle,” he said. “Some students are more drawn to the device and have more trouble detaching from it.”