Vicksburg and Schoolcraft Community Schools started the new school year with new cell phone policies. Vicksburg students are required to place their cell phones in sealed pouches during class time; Schoolcraft administration instructs students to store phones in bags and lockers until lunch or passing periods. Community reactions to these policies have been mixed, but the research shows that there are several benefits to students being off their phones during class.
“The universal report from all staff is that our ‘No Cell, Bell to Bell’ expectation is going well,” said Schoolcraft Junior-Senior High School Principal Matthew Dailey. “My assistant principal [Katelin Lopez] and I have noticed an increase in peer-to-peer communication and collaboration during instructional periods. We value kids problem-solving and communicating with one another during class since there is such a strong synergy between sharing thoughts and ideas for understanding class content. It is great to see that with the elimination of cell phone access during class, our kids are engaging with one another more while our teachers are providing more opportunities for collaboration.”
“Teachers at Vicksburg High School have already noticed students are more engaged in class since the launch of the new cell phone policy,” said Vicksburg Principal Adam Brush. “The change has also supported the school’s ‘Get Caught Reading’ program, which encourages students to pick up a book during free time instead of a phone.”
Local schools aren’t the only ones noticing the benefits of a cell phone ban.
A study recorded by the National Library of Medicine depicts four classes of students divided into two categories: a control group, which had no regulations on cell phone use during class, and a quasi-experimental group, which was instructed to leave cell phones on the front desk of the classroom during class time. After class, students from both groups filled out a survey. “Results indicated that students whose smart phones were physically removed during class had higher levels of course comprehension, lower levels of anxiety, and higher levels of mindfulness than the control group” (Huey & Giguere).
A study from Central Michigan University relates excessive cell phone use with low grades and test scores. The study was conducted by Sarah Domoff, a clinical psychologist and faculty member in the psychology department, who concludes, “Higher addictive phone use scores associated with poorer academic achievement, such as lower grades.” Results were examined from more than 600 students.
But won’t limiting access to cell phones put students at risk in emergency situations? Schoolcraft principal Dailey doesn’t think so.
“The best thing we can have in support of our kids is a listening ear,” said Dailey. Students who stay off their phones in class engage not only in the curriculum, but with their peers and teachers. This openness between students and faculty allows Schoolcraft’s Student Support Team to know when to step in and guide struggling students back to academic standards.
Furthermore, Dailey explained Schoolcraft’s “robust” risk and threat assessment protocol “based on Secret Service protocols.” Dailey said the protocol will “point us in the direction to prevent mass violence from happening,” while Superintendent Nate Ledlow adds, ““We take [safety] seriously and devote a lot of time and energy to it.”
Students are also encouraged to report anything concerning they see on social media to a trusted adult and given resources such as “OK2SAY,” a government-run program where students can anonymously reach out to a professional about “criminal activities or potential harm directed at students, school employees, or schools.”
