Two student representatives addressed the State Board of Education on Aug. 21 about classroom cell-phone policies and access to Advanced Placement courses.

Crosby Parker, the board's senior representative, said his district's first-year policy of keeping phones out of reach during class has improved engagement. "I believe that this system strikes the right balance between restrictions and autonomy," Parker said, adding that the policy removed the distraction without eliminating students27 access to phones between classes.

Parker described operational details: students place phones in a wall pouch or assigned slot and are allowed two minutes before the bell to retrieve them. He also cited a Rutgers study that, he said, found open-phone classrooms underperformed more restrictive classrooms by about 5 percent on average — a statistic he used to underscore the policy's potential academic impact.

Michelle Shea, the student representative reporting for a second student, told the board that many students want AP courses that are not offered at their school and encouraged districts to support self-study options. Shea recommended posting information sessions about how to self-study, creating resource databases, assigning a staff contact for check-ins, and providing quiet spaces for study groups so students who choose self-study do not work alone.

Why it matters: student testimony gives the board direct classroom perspective on discipline, engagement and access to advanced coursework. Board members said some statewide efforts under way — such as the department27s synchronous learning and shared-course conversations — could help expand access to AP courses without requiring each district to staff every subject.

Discussion: board members asked procedural questions (How does the two-minute retrieval period work? Does it create hallway congestion?), which Parker answered with examples of pouches, teacher-managed timing and the use of phones for attendance in some classrooms.

Outcome: students27 remarks were received during the student-report portion of the agenda; no board action was taken.