Florida Study Finds School Phone Bans Cut Use, Show Modest Academic Gains in Year Two

Overview

• Researchers analyzing Florida’s statewide ban report daily phone use fell by more than 80%, with one large district seeing reading and math scores rise about 3.5 percentage points in the second year.
• Suspensions increased 25% in the first year after the ban took effect, then returned to pre-ban levels in year two, according to the Florida analysis.
• Equity concerns surfaced as in-school suspensions for Black students rose about 30% at high phone-use schools, while rates for white and Hispanic students held steady.
• A separate national working paper using Yondr lockable-pouch data found phone use dropped from roughly 61% to 13%, with near-zero short-term academic gains, small improvements by year three, and initial dips in student well-being that later improved.
• Enforcement approach appears decisive, as Florida districts mostly used bell-to-bell “off-and-away” rules and only some schools used pouches, and both research teams stress that bans are not a quick fix and results depend on how schools implement them.