PORTLAND, Ore. — School board members on Monday gave a progress report regarding a cell phone policy for Oregon's biggest school district. They talked through a draft of a district-wide cell phone use policy at Portland Public Schools (PPS) headquarters in North Portland.
Although the school board members didn't take any votes or formalize a plan, they whittled down the guidelines while taking into account the concerns and opinions from high school students.
Dr. Renard Adams, an administrator for PPS, presented a student survey about the hot button topic. Instead of asking students whether they'd support a cell phone policy or not — the district already made it clear they want to implement one — staff asked questions that would inform the policy making. Those questions included what students use their phones for, whether cell phone use should be allowed during class changes and lunch time, and whether their school already has a policy. More than 2,100 high school students responded to the survey.
Generally, the survey found that most students support putting phones away during class time because it helps them focus on the lesson. It also found that they'd like a consistently enforced policy that would encourage students to take it seriously. However, they pointed out there are some classes — like art, newspaper and robotics — where phones have academic value. Many of those surveyed want the option of listening to music during independent study as well, and the ability to access their phone during non-instructional time, mainly lunch.
One Lincoln High School student explained how having her phone during the day gives her and her parents a sense of security.
"We do walk around a lot and we're close to downtown, and we have a huge homeless problem. My mom doesn't let me go off campus because of that, but having my phone gives her a little extra security, and me too, to be able to walk off campus," the student said.
Several schools have some sort of policy already in place. For example, Grant High School uses what are called Yondr pouches that lock away phones for the entire day. One Grant High parent shared positive feedback from this specific policy.
"My daughter is experiencing much less anxiety and better focus, also, better relationships," she said during public comment. "My student tells me she is less distracted during class, and feels more connected to her friends because they are talking at lunch instead of looking at their phones."
Other schools currently use phone caddies, where students put their phones away in the front of the room at the beginning of each class. Then there's the "off and away" policy, where students can have their phones in they're backpacks and they're not allowed to use them.