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State board urges districts to adopt clearer, equitable cell-phone policies after Phones & Focus findings
Summary
The State Board unanimously adopted a non-mandatory resolution urging local education agencies to define stakeholder-driven, emergency-ready, and disability‑accommodating phone policies. MSDE presented Phones & Focus survey data showing stricter storage/enforcement correlates with less in-class distraction and higher educator satisfaction.
After a presentation from Phones & Focus researcher Dr. Angela Duckworth, the Maryland State Board of Education on Tuesday voted unanimously to adopt a resolution encouraging local education agencies to develop clear, equitable school cell-phone policies.
Dr. Duckworth summarized national and Maryland educator survey responses collected by Phones & Focus and partners: more than 7,800 Maryland educators responded. She explained a policy axis that combines when phones may be used (bell-to-bell vs. schedule-based) and where they're kept (from office collection to "no-show" backpacks). "The farther the phone, the higher the GPA," Duckworth said when explaining experimental and survey evidence linking physical distance from devices to improved academic outcomes.
MSDE task-force staff (Laurel Cratsley and Hannah Oakley) told the board that 18 of 24 local education agencies reported some bell-to-bell restrictions for younger students, and that many LEAs differentiate grade-level rules and permit school-level choices for storage (lockers, pouches, classroom collection). MSDE emphasized the need for explicit exemptions for students with disabilities, clarity on emergency-preparedness protocols, and non-punitive discipline aligned with multi-tiered student supports.
Board members asked practical questions about enforcement, cost (yonder pouches vs. lockers), and parent concerns (safety and logistics). Duckworth said qualitative responses show parents most often cite safety and the need to contact children as drivers of resistance; MSDE said case studies of "Goldilocks" schools (where teachers and students are satisfied) will be developed.
The board adopted resolution 2.502, "Promoting equitable and effective student cell phone use policies in Maryland public schools," by voice vote. The resolution is advisory and does not mandate LEA action; MSDE will continue LEA surveys and make implementation resources available.
Next steps: MSDE and Phones & Focus will continue fall data collection (mid-October to mid-November), share school- and district-level snapshots where privacy thresholds are met, publish qualitative case studies from high-performing schools, and support LEA stakeholder engagement planning.
