Ed-Tech Policy Video

Cellphone Policies in Schools, Explained

By Lauraine Langreo & Kaylee Domzalski — May 21, 2024 2:04
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Schools and districts are using a wide range of approaches to tackle challenges brought on by students’ cellphones.

Here, Education Week reporter Lauraine Langreo explains the different ways schools are addressing cellphone use, and the factors educators must weigh before adopting or changing the rules.

See Also

A cell phone sits on a student's desk during a 9th grade honors English class at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on Jan. 25, 2024.
A cellphone sits on a student's desk during a 9th grade honors English class at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on Jan. 25, 2024. The policies that districts and schools use to manage the use of cellphones during the school day vary widely.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Ed-Tech Policy 6 Ways Schools Are Managing Students’ Cellphone Use
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Laura Baker/Education Week via canva

Lauraine Langreo is an Education Week staff writer, covering education technology and learning environments.
Kaylee Domzalski is a video producer for Education Week.

Video

Ed-Tech Policy Video What Makes an Effective School Cellphone Policy? An Overview
EdWeek reporter Lauraine Langreo looks at how school cellphone policies are being addressed at the school, district, and state level.
A ninth grader places her cellphone in to a phone holder as she enters class at Delta High School, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in Delta, Utah. At the rural Utah school, there is a strict policy requiring students to check their phones at the door when entering every class. Each classroom has a cellphone storage unit that looks like an over-the-door shoe bag with three dozen smartphone-sized slots.
A ninth grader places her cellphone in to a phone holder as she enters class at Delta High School, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in Delta, Utah. At the rural Utah school, there is a strict policy requiring students to check their phones at the door when entering every class. Each classroom has a cellphone storage unit that looks like an over-the-door shoe bag with three dozen smartphone-sized slots.
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