Latest news with #DigitalLearningSurvey
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Are cellphones banned in Wisconsin schools? District policies vary across the state
Most Wisconsin school districts have already restricted cell phone usage in the classroom in the fight for students' attention against digital distractions, says a new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum. Districts across the nation are moving to restrict the use of cell phones in classrooms, although not all students and parents support that decision. In Wisconsin, about 90% of districts surveyed "already have some sort of restrictive cellphone policy in place," according to a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction survey. Wisconsin school districts have implemented various cell phone usage policies, although most districts allow students to use cell phones in common areas, like cafeterias or hallways. Other districts are adopting much more restrictive policies and fully banning students from using their phone on school grounds. In a separate Pew Research survey, nearly three quarters of teachers surveyed said students being distracted by their cell phones is a "major problem in their classroom." Cell phone bans are mostly popular, depending on the level restriction, according to the Wisconsin Policy Forum report, which sited another Pew Research survey that found 68% of U.S. adults support a ban on middle and high school students using cell phones during instruction hours. Here's a breakdown of the latest report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum. RELATED: Republicans want to ban cell phones in classrooms. Do 90% of districts already do that? Researchers at the Wisconsin Policy Forum analyzed the results of a Digital Learning Survey by the state Department of Instruction. Among the more than 300 districts surveyed, about 43% of them said their policies permit cell phone use only in middle and high school common areas. Another 26% reported their polices only permit cell phones in high school common areas. About 20% of Wisconsin districts surveyed reported a full cell phone ban, and only about 10% had a non-restrictions policy. Smaller districts were more likely to report the strictest cell phone restrictions. About 36% of districts with 500 or fewer students had full cell phone bans. Districts in which students of color are a majority also reported more strict cell phone bans, according to the report. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 19 states already have a statewide ban or restriction of cell phone use in K-12 schools, according to the report. Wisconsin law makers are currently under debate for a law that would adopt a policy prohibiting the use of cell phones during instructional time. The bill has moved quickly. The Assembly passed it in mid-February, just weeks after lawmakers returned to the Capitol. Nearly every Republican voted for the bill and all Democrats voted against it. The bill now awaits a vote on the Senate floor before it heads to Gov. Tony Evers. Other Midwest states, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a law to ban cell phones for students during instructional time. Also, Illinois Gov. J.B. Prizker supports a ban of student cell phone usage in school. Hope Karnopp contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Cellphone bans in Wisconsin schools: What are district policies?
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republicans want to ban cell phones in classrooms. Do 90% of districts already do that?
When the state Legislature kicked off a new session in 2025, one of the first areas of focus for Republicans was education. Bills recently passed by the state Assembly — one step toward reaching the governor's desk — included reversing changes to test score benchmarks and requiring cursive and civics to be taught in schools. Another bill would require school boards to adopt a policy by July 2026 that prohibits students from using cellphones during instructional time. At a Feb. 19, 2025 press conference before his bill passed the Assembly, state Rep. Joel Kitchens, a Republican from Sturgeon Bay, said '90% of the (school) districts in Wisconsin already have a policy' like the one the bill requires. During floor debate on the bill, Democrats argued the bill would take away local control from school boards. Kitchens has pushed back on that idea. 'What we really need here is a unified approach,' Kitchens said at the press conference. 'We are saying to the school districts that we're standing with you on this, because everyone agrees this is a problem.' The 90% figure caught our attention, especially when there's so much debate over a policy that might already be par for the course in most school districts. Is it true that the vast majority of Wisconsin school districts already ban cellphones during class time? Let's take a look. PolitiFact Wisconsin reached out to Kitchens' office to ask where the 90% number came from. They pointed us to the Department of Public Instruction's testimony during a Feb. 11 public hearing for the bill. The department referenced its annual Digital Learning Survey. About 320 of the 421 public school districts in Wisconsin participated in the voluntary survey for the 2024-25 school year, officials said. Approximately 90% of districts that took part in the survey 'already have some sort of restrictive cellphone policy in place,' according to the department. Fewer than 10% of districts did not have a cellphone policy and left it up to teachers to decide how to manage cellphone use in their classrooms, the survey found. While about a quarter of school districts did not participate in the survey, the 75% who did respond still represent the vast majority of districts in Wisconsin. While the 90% number is solid, it's quite vague when referring to school districts having 'some sort of restrictive cell phone policy.' The results of the Digital Learning Survey drills down into that 90% number. Of that 90% total, about 26% of districts allow high school students to use cellphones in common areas but not classrooms. About 44% of districts apply that policy for middle schoolers, along with high school students. And around 21% of districts have a full cellphone ban at all schools. In its testimony, DPI noted cellphone policies 'vary significantly.' 'In general, middle and high schools tend to have some form of restriction, while elementary schools usually enforce a 'no phones during the day' policy,' DPI said. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also reported a sampling of districts' cellphone policies at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year. Some schools require students to place cellphones in caddies before the start of class. Many districts allow students to use devices outside of class, like during passing time and lunch. The bill also requires cellphone policies to have exceptions, allowing students to use phones during emergencies and threats, for example, or to manage their health care. Kitchens, in his own testimony, said the bill was written 'as open as possible' and that each district will determine how to best restrict phones and enforce it. Kitchens said '90% of the (school) districts in Wisconsin already have a policy' that bans cellphones during instructional time. The Department of Public Instruction cited that 90% figure when testifying about Kitchens' bill that would require districts to have that policy. While specific policies vary by district, that 90% figure includes districts that either fully ban cellphones in schools or prohibit them in classrooms. We rate his claim True. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Assembly lawmakers vote to reverse state report card changes, Feb. 19, 2025. WisEye, Assembly News Conference: Republicans Pre-Session, Feb. 19, 2025. Email exchange, Bob Delaporte, spokesman for Rep. Joel Kitchens, Feb. 25, 2025. Department of Public Instruction, 2025 AB2 Testimony, Feb. 11, 2025. Department of Public Instruction, 2024-25 WI Digital Learning Survey Results. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Students in Wisconsin schools might want to think twice before pulling out their cellphones. Some districts are limiting their use., Sept. 10, 2024. Rep. Joel Kitchens, AB2 Testimony, Feb. 11, 2025. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Do 90% of Wisconsin school districts ban cell phones during class?
