Overview
- The NBER working paper released Monday analyzes thousands of schools that adopted lockable Yondr pouches, which keep phones sealed during the school day.
- Teacher reports show in‑class, nonacademic phone use fell from about 61% to 13%, and GPS data indicate roughly a 30% drop in device pings on campuses by year three.
- Average standardized test scores stayed close to flat over the first three years, with small gains in high school math and slight declines in middle school, and there were no clear gains in attendance, attention, or perceived online bullying.
- Disruption was front‑loaded as suspensions rose about 16% in the first year and student well‑being dipped, then discipline returned to baseline and well‑being improved in later years.
- Teachers reported much higher satisfaction with phone policies after adoption, two‑thirds of states now restrict student phone use, and researchers urge longer follow‑up and attention to how policies are designed and enforced.