Seeking to curb classroom distractions and improve academic focus, The Upper Merion Area High School has implemented a new cell phone policy requiring students to place any non-school approved devices in caddies until the end of each class period.

Initial results already confirm a significant drop in classroom disruptions, a change welcomed by many staff and students who voiced their perspectives on the new policy.

Freshman, Maliyah Powell stated, ‘I’ve noticed that I’ve become less distracted and worried about my phone during class, because it’s still nearby rather than in a locker.’

Mr. Alex Delgiudice, an English teacher, anticipates a direct impact on performance, stating, ‘My hope is that the schoolwide average for test scores will increase because classroom attention and participation should increase.’

Principal Jonathan Bauer noted that while the policy affects him personally as a parent with children in the district, his primary focus is on his responsibility for ‘the education of all 1400 students.’

The policy was implemented with the stated long-term objective of increasing the schoolwide average for test scores.

However, Junior Lilly Hanna raised a potential complication, inferring, ‘I think it’s going to go down because people were cheating on their tests before,’ suggesting a temporary dip as students adjust to honest assessment.

Junior, Autumn Stennis stated, ‘Sometimes when I have to get into contact with someone important, I can’t.’

According to a study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, 53% of school leaders nationwide claim cell phones negatively impact student academic performance, citing distractions and the uptick in AI access for assignments. By implementing cell phone policies to decrease these issues, the long-term objective remains the same for many districts: to see an increase in a schoolwide average for test scores. 

Despite initial adjustments, cell phone policies are rapidly becoming the norm for school districts nationwide.