Across the United States, there are local, state, and federal movements to ban or significantly limit the use of cell phones and similar devices in K–12 classrooms. Adopting phone-free policies can be an effective way to improve student learning, behavior, and overall well-being, but The Jed Foundation (JED) recognizes that phone use on school campuses is a complex problem and that all schools and communities have unique needs. As you adopt a cell phone policy for your school or district, effective implementation will involve more than just providing the details of the policy to parents, caregivers, students, and staff.
JED’s Recommendations for a Balanced Approach
JED strongly recommends taking a balanced and strategic approach, engaging stakeholders in collaborative, meaningful, and productive conversations to center the specific needs of each school and district. Having the community’s support is essential to ensure a smooth rollout, effectively support student well-being, and monitor and refine policy. JED recommends that schools:
Engage a team of stakeholders and survey them for their input. Your team should include administrators, educators, caregivers, and students. Each group contributes a unique perspective and expertise, all of which are essential for developing an effective policy, ensuring successful implementation, and providing ongoing support and feedback.
Know the special considerations. There are also exceptions and special considerations for certain populations of students around cell phones use.
- In public schools (district or charter), cell phones may be used to meet medical or accessibility needs through IEPs and 504 plans, providing necessary accommodations. As with any other accommodation, the need should be documented in students’ plans. Students, however, can still be held accountable to the elements of a cell phone policy that aren’t related to those accommodations.
- Boarding schools will need to have additional policies for having traditional phone lines or structured after-hours times designated for cell phone use.
Implement clear and consistent policies. Collaborate with your stakeholder group to create clear, unified policies and provide professional development so they’re known and can be reinforced by all staff. Before communicating to the larger school community about a ban or restriction, have conversations with teachers about how your school will handle phone storage in a way that is easy to enforce on a schoolwide level.
Create a clear communication plan. When communicating with stakeholders, emphasize the reasons for the policy. That may include:
- The increasing use of mobile devices for nonacademic purposes by students during classes
- Distractions that come from social media and entertainment
- Intensifying cyberbullying
- Difficulty learning
- Cheating on tests and assignments
- Staff and student privacy rights
- Declining mental health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, and social isolation
Share evidence-based practices or case studies from schools or districts that have successfully implemented cell phone policies. By sharing evidence, you can demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed policy, anticipate potential obstacles, and show how successful strategies can be adapted to fit the unique needs of your school or district. That can increase confidence in the policy and, in turn, its success.
Provide a reasonable timeline for implementation. Give enough time for stakeholders to prepare for and react to the policy. Any questions that arise will allow you to adjust your plans as needed.
Integrate digital and social media literacy into the curriculum. Teach ethical, responsible, and positive technology use across disciplines.
Hold open discussion forums. Make time available to hear questions and concerns, perhaps at an assembly for students or a parent-teacher organization board meeting for teachers and families.
Provide community and caregiver training and engagement. Set aside time for regular training for educators and caregivers on technology advancements and balanced use.
Run schoolwide information campaigns. Educate the school community on technology use to remove shame and empower informed decisions.
Use innovative and realistic classroom strategies. Provide staff with the practical tools and incentives needed to implement phone policies effectively.
Reasons for Enacting Policies for Limited Cell Phone Use
Both educators and caregivers are concerned about students increasingly using phones for non-school activities during class and the impact it has on academic performance. Statistics back up their concerns, and they can be used in your conversations with stakeholders.
- A poll by the National Education Association found that 83% of teachers surveyed support all-day phone-free policies.
- In 2023, Common Sense Media’s comprehensive report on teen smartphone usage noted that more than half of kids with a smartphone receive an average of 237 notifications a day, 23% of which occur during the school day.
- A McAfee survey showed that 21% of high school students admit to using their phones to cheat in school.
- A study conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health showed that middle-school girls whose schools enacted a full-time smartphone ban for three years reported a 46% reduction in bullying incidents, while boys experienced a 43% reduction.
- The American Psychological Association reported that 41% of teens who spend the most time on social media rate their overall mental health as poor or very poor, compared to 23% of teens who spend the least amount of time on social media.
Various Approaches to Reducing Phone Use
It’s important to know the types of cell phone use policies, even if you already have a drafted policy that’s ready to implement. It can help you provide the appropriate support and have informed conversations about how your district’s policy compares to others. The main types of policies are:
Full cell phone bans. Students’ phones are locked away for the entire day, whether it’s in:
- Students’ lockers
- Storage pouches that can be unlocked at the end of the day (somewhat like the mechanism used to secure items in stores)
- Secure boxes located in the main office
- Storage pouches in homeroom or the end-of-day classroom
Partial bans. Students are allowed to use phones during certain periods of the day. That may be during lunchtime, study halls, or a designated schoolwide time for device use. A partial ban can be more complicated to enforce, because it requires having a place for students to store phones that is also easily accessible during the day.
Teacher discretion around phone use in their classrooms. This type of policy is not a cell phone ban as much as a limited-use policy. It allows teachers to decide under what circumstances students may use phones in their classrooms. A math teacher, for instance, may allow students to use the calculator function on their phones. These policies can be stressful to both teachers and students. Teachers need to articulate a detailed system around phone storage and usage, and consistently enforce that system. Students may find it difficult to keep track of each teacher’s system, which can cause anxiety around meeting differing expectations.
Education Week maintains a tracker of which states have enacted cell phone bans or restrictions.
Pros and Cons of Cell Phone Bans
Just like with any conversation about teens and the use of online platforms, there are benefits and disadvantages to having access to cell phones during the day. Acknowledging that the benefits can exist can foster nuanced conversations with parents, caregivers, students, staff, and other community stakeholders. Below are just a few benefits of each:
Benefits of allowing cell phone use in schools
- Allows for use of educational apps and polling apps to increase engagement
- Provides access to stress-reduction apps and other tools to support mental well-being
- Gives students and teachers quick access to crisis-management tools, including 988, the Crisis Text Line, and Sandy Hook Promise’s Say Something program
- Allows for the use of collaborative tools for projects
Benefits to banning cell phone use in schools
- Improves focus and attention, and reduces distractions
- Provides opportunity for increased face-to-face engagement and interactions
- Removes responsibility from teachers for policing phone use and enforcing policies, allowing more time for classroom instruction and reducing inconsistent enforcement from teacher to teacher
- Decreases the likelihood of cyberbullying during school hours
Support for Implementing Cell Phone Policies
There will likely be a wide range of reactions from students, teachers, parents, and caregivers to any newly enacted phone restrictions. Many are likely to welcome the change, but some — especially students — may feel upset, anxious, angry, or other negative emotions.
If you are part of a JED school program, your School or District Mental Health Specialist can help you craft policies and communication and connect you with other schools that have implemented restrictions. If your school is not a member of one of our school programs, please reach out to talk about ways JED can support you.
More JED Resources About Cell Phone Policies
For students: Cell Phone Ban in School? Here’s How to Cope
For educators: Poster to display in your classroom or school about screen time habits
For school and district leaders: Templated communications to share with your school community
- Cell Phone Policy Overview for Parents and Caregivers
- Tips for Talking to Your Teen about School Cell Phone Policies
- Frequently Asked Questions About Cell Phone Policies
Created August 2025