Board Policy JCAA: Cell Phones and Electronic Devices Guidance
Protecting Instructional Time in the Lawrence Public Schools
Policy JCAA: Cell Phones and Electronic Devices
November - December 2024
Background Information and Guidance
Policy Change Supports Student Learning
Lawrence Public Schools will implement a Cell Phone-Free Instructional Day beginning January 6, 2025, to prioritize and enhance focus on teaching and learning.
The Lawrence Board of Education and Superintendent are taking clear action on this issue for one reason: to prioritize the work of the classroom, minimize distractions in the learning environment, and support our students and teachers in maximizing the learning, creativity, and growth of our students.
With the implementation of Board Policy JCAA: Cell Phones and Electronic Devices and associated district guidance, the Board and Superintendent will support teachers with a districtwide expectation rather than leaving decisions about student use of cell phones to individual teachers’ discretion. The ‘phones away’ approach is the district’s clear expectation, reiterated in policy and supported in guidance and our practice across classrooms and schools to enable teachers to teach and students to learn.
Science supports an ‘Away For The Day’ policy. Research demonstrates that when students are not free to access their phones during school hours, they are more engaged socially and academically.
Why implement a cell phone-free instructional day?
- Improved Academic Focus: Studies show that reducing distractions, like cell phones, improves student focus and academic performance.
- Social-Emotional Learning: Removing phones encourages students to engage more deeply in in-person social interactions and makes space for building face-to-face communication skills.
- Mental Health Considerations: Reducing screen time can help diminish stress, anxiety, and pressures resulting from the overuse of social media, supporting overall student well-being.
- Minimizing Disruptions: Phones are a significant source of distraction in the classroom, distracting from the work of the teacher, interrupting the student using them, and potentially diverting the attention of others in the classroom. Keeping phones stored during instructional time supports and optimizes an environment for learning.
The Research
Research supports the implementation of a school cell phone-free policy, highlighting its positive effects on student focus and academic performance. Key findings include:
Distraction and Academic Performance
The Pew Research Center (2024) reported that 72% of U.S. high school teachers consider cell phone distraction a major problem in classrooms. Research published in Computers in Human Behavior demonstrated that college students who used cell phones during class scored lower on tests and had overall poorer grades than those who did not use phones during instructional time (Kuznekoff et al., 2015).
Impact on Learning and Comprehension
A Rutgers University (2018) study revealed that students permitted to use electronic devices during lectures scored lower on exams than their peers, indicating that device usage can impair learning.
Mental Health Considerations
The U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory highlighting the adverse effects of excessive social media use on youth mental health (Financial Times, 2024). Excessive smartphone use has been associated with increased anxiety and depression among adolescents, reinforcing the benefits of limiting phone use during school hours (Twenge & Campbell, 2018).
"Away for the Day" Policies are Working in Schools - Hear the Stories.
Policies encouraging students to keep their phones "Away for the Day" have improved concentration, classroom behavior, academic results, and social development (Screenagers, 2016). Schools adopting these policies report positive changes, with increased focus and healthier social interactions among students.
Learn more by viewing these voices of change and submit your "Away for the Day" story to info@screenagersmovie.com.