A new law makes Ohio schools limit student phone use. Are central Ohio districts ready?

Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill Wednesday requiring districts to make policies reducing student phone use. Are central Ohio districts prepared?

The new law, which passed the Ohio House last week, requires K-12 school districts to create a policy to reduce cellphone distractions and limit cellphone use as much as possible during school hours, The Dispatch previously reported. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce would create a model policy for schools that don't choose to create their own.

DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted have made student cellphone and social media use a priority. On Wednesday, DeWine said at Karrer Middle School in the Dublin City Schools district that the bill he was signing ensures every school has a discussion about cellphone distractions in schools.“Cellphones in classrooms pose a significant challenge to learning, undermines instruction and exposes our kids to potential harmful content,” DeWine said.

John Marschhausen, Dublin City Schools superintendent, thanked the governor and lieutenant governor Wednesday for their work on cellphones, saying that they had taken action just a few months after holding a town hall with educators at Dublin City Schools in March.

"We know that cellphones in our schools are a distraction," Marschhausen said. "We know that cellphones in our school and the proliferation of social media have a negative impact on the students that we serve.”

Central Ohio districts feel OK under new state law

Some of the region's largest districts say they are confident that their policies address student cellphone use during the school day.

In the South-Western City School District, the fifth largest in the state, the board of education was actively working on updating their cellphone policy before the state gained an interest on the topic, according to spokesperson Evan Debo. On Monday, the board heard a first reading of a proposed policy that reduces cellphone use and limits use during school hours to when permission is given by a teacher or administrator.

"While the district has had existing policy that restricted student cellphone use, the amended policy brought forward on Monday enhances expectations and understanding regarding their limited use in schools," Debo said.

The board plans to go through a second public reading on the initiative vote June 10 before the new policy is fully adopted.

Olentangy Local Schools, the state's fourth-largest district, said that it does not believe legislation will have an impact on its district. While phones are not banned on school property, the policy for use is strict, according to spokesperson Amanda Beeman.

In elementary school, for example, cellphones can't be used on the playground and use is at the discretion of building administrators. At the high school and middle school levels, there may be more leniency at lunch or during downtime. Outside of the specific places and times when a phone is allowed to be used, it must be away or there may be discipline.

More: Ohio school cellphone ban? Here's how Columbus area districts handle student phones.

Columbus City Schools, the state's largest with over 45,000 students, told The Dispatch that the district "has policy in place that speaks clearly to personal communication devices." Under CCS policy, cellphones should be stowed during the instruction day, unless they are being used as part of the instruction.

Westerville City Schools said it contracts with a third-party group, Neola, to ensure all policies are compliant with state law. The district will review the new law, compare it to its policy and provide necessary updates, spokesperson Greg Viebranz said.

"The bottom line is that we're going to make sure we're compliant, whether that's possible through current policy or if we need to make necessary updates," Viebranz said.

Experts: Emerging science shows student phone use bad for learning

Many existing studies give evidence that allowing phones in the classroom negatively impacts test scores and long-term learning retention, according to Harvard University. However, the research also notes that many bans are repealed due to student and parent unpopularity, and in urban districts, often because cell service remains the only method of connectivity for some students.

A 2021 U.S. Department of Education study of existing research found that while some studies have shown that cellphone use in a classroom can help prepare students for work and inspire innovation, others demonstrate a detrimental effect of being distracting from education, as well as a rise in problems like cheating and teen sexting.

Heather Hill, a professor in teacher learning at The Harvard Graduate School of Education and expert on education policy, said the literature that exists on cellphone usage in classrooms shows it has a negative effect on learning outcomes.

She said it is probably a good move by the state to increase student engagement and give teachers one less thing to manage while teaching.

“This is also backed up by what we hear from teachers, which is, when kids have their cell phones or they have their computers enabled to do texting, they’re just not fully engaged in class,” Hill said. “Classroom engagement is probably the number one predictor of actual learning.”

USA Today Ohio Bureau reporter Erin Glynn contributed to this report.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Will central Ohio schools be ready for new student cellphone use law?