As school gets underway in many districts this week, some students, teachers, and parents will experience new personal communication device procedures enacted in response to the statewide bell-to-bell ban signed into law this summer.
Though the law created a blanket restriction on the devices from the start of the school day until the end, it provided little guidance on exactly how schools should implement the ban.
Last week, the Concord Monitor surveyed principals at the 27 K-8, middle, and high schools in our coverage area on their specific approaches to phone, computer, headphone and smartwatch use. Thirteen of them responded.
Here are some takeaways:
- Level of restriction: Five of 13 schools will require that students store their phones in a specific, inaccessible location, such as their locker. Two schools will allow students to store them in their backpacks, and four will allow them to choose where their phone is stored. Two schools haven’t decided yet.
- High schools versus middle schools: High schools have adopted more lenient policies than middle and K-8 schools. Only one high school will require that students store their phones in their lockers during the school day.
- Degree of change: The law will likely have a much bigger effect on high schools than on middle and K-8 schools. In many cases, the ban has not required the latter to change their policies much – if at all – because many already banned personal communication devices frm bell-to-bell.
- While much of the focus has been on phone use, the law arguably bars other device use, as well.
- Personal computers/tablets: Many schools already have a one-to-one Chromebook program that most students rely upon. However, some schools have previously allowed students to use their personal laptops, as well, which certain students favor. Two school principals have said they will continue allowing students to do so, despite the new law.
- Headphones: Most schools have drawn a distinction between wireless and wired headphones, barring the former but allowing the latter.
- Smartwatches: Most schools have said that students can continue using their smartwatches as long as they disable its internet connection and it communication capabilities.