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DERBY – Members of the city’s board of education are tweaking the rules on cell phone use at the high school.
Cell phones are allowed at Derby High School, and can be used in common areas such as hallways and the cafeteria.
They’re also currently allowed in classrooms for educational purposes under the supervision of a teacher.
The changes to the high school’s written policy would require students to place their phones into cubbies when entering a classroom – instead of holding onto the turned off devices during instruction.
Another formal change – the students are expected to enter classrooms with their phones off.
“The expectation is that all phones are off, not in use, and out of sight unless a teacher gives a permission for a specific purpose,” according to a draft copy of the new rules.
A teacher has the discretion to allow the use of cell phones in a class by displaying a green-colored card. A red card means cell phones can’t be used.
The photo below shows the policy. The words in red are the changes members of the school board want to implement. Anything crossed out is being eliminated from the current policy.
Image made with Canva.com
The district’s cell phone policy has been under review by a school board subcommittee called the “school community relations and policy committee.”
Its members met on Jan. 14 and voted to send the recommended changes to the full school board for approval.
Five classes have been using the cubbies in a pilot program, Derby High School Principal Jennifer Olson said at the meeting (a Q&A with Olson is published at the end of this article).
While students aren’t necessarily happy about giving up their phones in class, both students and teachers acknowledge there’s less distractions.
Olson said cell phones – with the constant pinging from social media notifications – can be a huge distraction, and, at times, a disciplinary issue.
Jessica Yanes, an English teacher, runs one of the classrooms participating in the pilot program. She praised the program, saying it cuts down on distraction and the constant need to say ‘put your phones away.’
The subcommittee voted to send the policy to the full Derby Board of Education, where it could be approved in the next few weeks. If that happens, it’ll be in place for the second half of the current school year.
The use of cell phones is a big issue in high schools across the U.S.
In August 2024 the Connecticut Board of Education approved a set of guidelines on cell phone use in schools. Derby’s policy is similar to what the state suggests: no cell phones for the youngest students, limited use in the higher grades.
Click here for a story summarizing the issue from The CT Mirror. Click here to read the specific guidance from the state.
The state specifically warned about the negative impact social media can have on the minds of young people – while also acknowledging that modern tech can help young learners.
The current rules on cell phone use (generally called “electronic devices” in the written rules) at the Bradley & Irving elementary schools are not changing (no cell phones). The policy at Derby Middle School is also not changing (no using cell phones for sixth graders, limited use for seventh and eighth graders).
New Haven schools just voted to approve a $371,000 contract that will provide middle and high school students with Yondr pouches. The locked pouches can only be unlocked at specific unlocking locations within the school. Click here for a FAQ.
The Derby school subcommittee had looked into something like that, meeting minutes show, but members balked at the price tag.
The storage cubbies used to house the phones in Derby cost $30 each.
FYI: every school board meeting has a public portion during which members of the public can share thoughts and opinions on agenda items.
Click here to learn when the Derby school board meets and what they’ll talk about.
Q & A: DERBY HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL JENNIFER OLSON
Valley Indy: It looks to me like a minor change — a storage box will be provided at the high school during classes?
Olson: We began piloting a new cell phone policy in five classrooms: art, science, social studies, English, and freshman seminar. Each classroom was provided a tiered storage container (cubby) which was placed at the front of the room. At the beginning of class, students were expected to place their phones in an empty slot as they entered the classroom. Their phones were inaccessible during class time but visible to the students. The shift to using the cubby sets clear expectations from the beginning: we are here to focus on our work, and phones need to be set aside.
Valley Indy: What’s the thought behind the modification?
Olson: We wanted to help reduce disruptions to teaching and learning and minimize distractions for students, particularly social media, text messaging, etc. The storage cubby is a cost-effective and a less restrictive alternative to options like magnetic locking pouches, which we explored earlier this year. Each cubby is about $30.
While phones are not permitted during class, this change still allows students to use their phones during non-instructional times such as hallway transitions, lunch, and study halls. We believe this also helps teach students how to manage their technology use, which they will have to do in a work setting as well.
Valley Indy: As an outsider, it seems cell phone bans are no longer fashionable in school districts?
Olson: Enforcing a total ban on cell phones is challenging. The proposed revision to the cell phone policy strikes a balance by eliminating distractions in the classroom while also teaching students there are appropriate times and places to use personal technology.
Valley Indy: Is there a positive role the devices play in a learning environment?
Olson: Students have access to their school-issued laptops and regularly use technology to support teaching and learning. In some classes, there are circumstances in which cell phones might play a positive role in the learning environment, for example our digital photography class or math classes (calculators). The policy would allow for teacher discretion to “permit the use of electronic devices for educational purposes” but the expectation on a day-to-day basis would be phones would be placed in the storage container at the start of class.
Olson: Feedback on the Pilot
Feedback from teachers in the five pilot classrooms has been overwhelmingly positive. Teachers report noticeable improvements in peer interactions, on-task behavior, and overall student engagement during class.
Students have also shared their thoughts on the policy. While many express a preference for having their phones with them, they acknowledge being less distracted and more focused when their phones are put away during class. Some students initially found the policy challenging, many reported adapting to it and recognizing its benefits over time. Some general themes emerged from their comments such as:
Reduced distractions (particularly from social media)
Increased focus in class
Positive changes to classroom interactions between students
Less use of technology
Teachers can focus on teaching
