How school cellphone bans are, and aren't, working : NPR
NPR • • general
Key Points:
- Over 30 U.S. states, including Kentucky, have implemented bans on cellphone use during the school day, with districts setting their own policies to enforce these restrictions.
- Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville adopted a strict "bell-to-bell" policy requiring students to keep phones away from arrival to dismissal, using locked Yondr pouches to manage compliance.
- School leaders report improved student engagement, more classroom discourse, and increased library visits and book checkouts, indicating positive educational impacts despite some student resistance.
- Students acknowledge the policy's benefits but express frustration, often finding ways to circumvent the rules by using decoy phones or keeping phones in pockets, highlighting challenges in enforcement.
- The overall atmosphere at the school shows a
