The state Board of Education unanimously approved a set of guidelines Wednesday for how local districts should handle personal technology in schools.
The recommendations suggest heavy restrictions on the use of cellphones at the elementary and middle school levels, with more flexibility for high school students.
“Technology, when used purposefully, can enhance learning and connection, but we must also protect our students from the potential negative impacts of excessive and unrestricted use,” said Erin Benham, acting chair of the state Board of Education. “This policy can help schools strike that balance, supporting students in a way that prepares them for success in learning and in life.”
Elementary schools should “focus on removing cell phones from the classroom to maximize academic, social and emotional development,” with the possibility of “specific procedures for collecting and isolating cell phones upon arrival at school,” according to the guidance.
Similarly, the guidance says the policy for middle schools should also focus on removing cellphones throughout the school day because the age group is “particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of excessive personal technology use and has a difficult time controlling their impulses,” but does not explicitly recommend the collection of cellphones.
“Possession of cell phones in this age group is likely to be viewed as a rite of passage into adulthood, so communication and application of policies that restrict use must be developed in consideration of the specific challenges of middle school students,” the guidance said.
At the high school level, the guidance also recommends restrictive cellphone use, but says students should be able to keep their technology and that it instead should just be turned off and kept out of sight.
“By removing the distraction caused by smartphone use during the school day and fostering a healthy balance with the positive use of technology, we create schools and classrooms that maximize peer-to-peer and student-to-educator interaction, develop social skills in interpersonal communication, and positively impact academic growth and success, all while supporting student mental health,” said state Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker.
The state recommendations come on the heels of months of debate around the country about how to tackle technology in the classroom, as studies show unrestricted phone usage can lead to mental health issues in youth and have a negative impact on brain development.
It’s a distraction issue in the classroom as well, as 33% of K-12 teachers surveyed in a Pew Research Center study in fall 2023 said cellphones were a major problem in the classroom.
“Teachers are increasingly competing with cellphones for attention from their students and are seeing more students experiencing mental health crises triggered by their interaction with social media,” said Kate Dias, president of the Connecticut Education Association, the state’s largest teacher union.
Some states like Florida and Indiana have implemented cellphone bans, as others like Washington, Utah, Kansas, Maine and even Connecticut have considered legislation to limit or ban the use of personal technology in classrooms.
Toward the end of his annual State of the State address in February, Gov. Ned Lamont suggested that kids lock away their smartphones during the school day. The sentiment later prompted the passage of Senate Bill 14, which required the state Department of Education to develop a model policy on the use of cellphones in schools.
“All too often, our young people find themselves too distracted by their smartphones and disconnected from the reality of what is happening around them, including while in their classrooms, and it’s having negative impacts on their learning and mental well-being. It is crucial that we adopt stronger policies to address this issue head-on,” Lamont said in a news release Wednesday morning. “The state’s guidance provides a clear framework, but it is up to each school district to shape their own policies that meet the needs of their students and communities.”
Districts across the state have already gotten a head start on their policies, with some adopting more conservative measures than others.
In Torrington, all students are allowed to bring technology into their schools, but at the middle and high school levels it will be locked in district-issued cellphone pouches throughout the entire school day. Elementary school students can keep their phones, but it must “remain completely out of view.”
In Lisbon, meanwhile, cellphones will not be allowed on school grounds for pre-K through fourth grade students. For students in fifth through eighth grades, they’ll be able to store their cellphones and smartwatches in their lockers.
The Connecticut Association of Boards of Education has also expanded an ongoing sample policy and guidance document for districts to use and tweak as they develop technology policies that fit their needs.
State board members said at the meeting Wednesday that they expect some pushback from parents and students, but they’re hopeful that the guidance is a framework for ongoing conversations with all stakeholders.
This story was originally published by the Connecticut Mirror.
