Data suggests improved test scores, attendance
Over the last several years, school districts around the country have begun to enact cell phone bans or cell phone restrictive policies.
The thinking is that decreasing use of phones during the school day decreases distractions and increases student focus.
But, does it work?
Data from one district in Florida suggests positive results.
“Interestingly, we observe significantly improved student test scores in the second year of the ban (about 2-3 percentiles higher than the year before the ban) when suspensions revert to pre-ban levels.”
The study, which is not peer-reviewed, also noted a decline in unexcused absences, which researchers say may have contributed to the higher academic performance.
The data indicate that a ban may initially cause disciplinary challenges as students and families adjust. However, the study notes that those issues resolve in a second year – Researchers did suggest that as much as half of the improvement in student scores may be the result of improved attendance.
It will be interesting to see results in other districts to see if similar results are shown – and what, if any, negative impacts occur.
