Witnesses: Limiting personal devices during instructional time improves focus, discipline and classroom climate

The subcommittee on early childhood, elementary, and secondary education heard testimony that schools can reduce distractions and improve learning by restricting student access to personal smartphones during instructional time. Chairman Kiley opened the hearing noting that "screens are now pervasive, mostly in the form of student cell phones" and said the panel would examine state and district approaches.

Members of the panel and witnesses described multiple approaches and reported early results. Rich Nye, senior adviser for education policy to Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox, told the committee that Utah urged schools to remove cell phones from classrooms and that a follow-up bill passed with bipartisan support. "Students will not have unfettered access to smartphones while they are under the care of an educator," Nye said, summarizing Utah's statewide expectation for a bell-to-bell restriction and noting exemptions for individualized education programs, Section 504 plans, or medical necessity.

Matthew Givens, assistant superintendent for Richardson Independent School District in Texas, described a local pilot that used a secure magnetic pouch (the "Yonder Pouch") to store phones, smartwatches and earbuds during the school day. Givens said the district's pilot returned instructional minutes to teachers and reduced disciplinary incidents: "It's not just about phones, it's about restoring focus, improving relationships, and reclaiming the joy of teaching." He said teachers at pilot campuses reported regaining more than 10 minutes of instruction per class period and that one high school with about 3,000 students expanded the approach after the pilot.

Researchers who testified pointed to studies linking phone access to declines in attention and academic performance. Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, said experiments and international comparisons show the mere presence of a smartphone can reduce attention and cognitive performance; she cited experiments in which students without phone access scored higher on tests and a Norwegian study showing improved outcomes after bans.

Panel members and witnesses emphasized that policy design and implementation matter. Nye and Givens described permissive or locally tailored language that allows districts and school communities to set specific rules while keeping the statewide expectation. Several witnesses and members noted emergency-access considerations and described exemptions for safety or medical reasons. Representative Bonamici and others highlighted parental concerns about emergency contact but also cited guidance from school-safety experts that personal phone access can complicate responses to active threats and impede first responders.

The session included parent survey figures and usage statistics cited by witnesses: panelists referenced research saying adolescents spend an average of 8.5 hours daily on screen-based media and that students receive hundreds of notifications per day. A parent survey cited in testimony reported roughly 40 percent favoring device use only for academic work, about 34 percent supporting structured device periods, and fewer than 3 percent favoring full access through the school day.

Witnesses and members repeatedly framed the device question as balancing educational uses of technology with the harms of noninstructional use. Panelists recommended time-limited, instructional uses for school-issued devices, local engagement with parents and teachers during policy development, and clear administrative supports so teachers do not bear enforcement alone. Representative Wahlberg in closing said the evidence supports an expectation of no personal-device use during instructional time while allowing districts flexibility in implementation.

The hearing did not include formal votes or policy mandates from the panel; members presented testimony and asked questions to inform oversight and potential legislative or guidance actions.