Addressing Cell Phone Use in Schools: A National Landscape of Policies and Practices

Dash Barany, Claudia Cruz, Matthew Duca, Matthew Filosa, Naeemah Jones, Margaret Riley, and Genesis Vasquez-Peralta

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Carl Van Horn

Read Report

The purpose of this report is to provide data-driven findings to help inform the regulation of cellphone use in schools. This research was conducted from January to May 2025 by graduate students at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University as part of a semester-long practicum led by Dr. Carl Van Horn, Director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development.

In response to growing parental, educator, and government concerns about technology’s effect on the learning process and student well-being, policymakers are increasingly reexamining the role of cell phone usage in K-12 schools. Over the past 2 decades, the proliferation of smartphones and social media has raised concerns about their impact on student learning, mental health, and peer dynamics such as bullying. While the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted educational outcomes and intensified attention to student well-being, concerns about device-related distractions predate the pandemic. School districts across the US (and globally) have already adopted or are looking to adopt various strategies and policies to regulate school cell phone use, from responsible use guidelines to cell phone bans on school premises. In January 2025, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy used his final State of the State Address to call for a statewide restriction on student phone use during the school day. Shortly after, New Jersey legislators introduced a bill directing the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) to develop guidance for school districts on cell phone use policies and procedures.

This report presents a detailed overview of current cell phone use policies across New Jersey’s K-12 public school districts, including an original compendium that catalogs policy types, enforcement structures, and recent revisions. District approaches vary: some enforce full- day (bell-to-bell) bans, others apply restrictions by grade-level, and some maintain minimal or outdated guidance. Many older policies, particularly those adopted prior to 2016 focus on privacy concerns related to audio or video recordings rather than explicitly addressing academic or behavioral outcomes. However, in the past two years, dozens of districts have revised or adopted more comprehensive and restrictive cell phone policies in response to growing concerns. Academic and subject matter experts such as administrators, union representatives, board of education members, and teachers from the state have weighed in on the matter, offering their specific insights as they watched the issue unfold across their varied roles in education. In addition to New Jersey specific findings, this report analyzes policies from several other states; these examples provide comparative models that may inform future policymaking in New Jersey.

This report synthesizes findings from stakeholder interviews, a review of relevant academic research, an original analysis of New Jersey district policies, and a review of emerging legislation in other states. Our analysis identifies key trends in cell phone policy development, highlights common challenges with enforcement, and evaluates the effectiveness of existing restrictions on student learning outcomes and well-being. The final section of this report presents 3 recommendations for decision-makers, drawing upon the evidence compiled through these multiple sources of research. The graduate student research team is responsible for the findings and opinions presented in this report and do not represent the views or policy recommendations of the New Jersey Department of Education.