The Virginia Department of Education has unveiled its final guidance on removing cell phones from classrooms across the Commonwealth.
The department has recommended a “bell-to-bell” policy, congruent with what it initially proposed in its draft guidance last month. Essentially with a “bell-to-bell” policy, students will be required to turn off their phones and put them away from the moment the initial bell rings to start the school day to the moment the dismissal bell rings at the end of the academic school day. This includes both lunch and time in between class periods.
This comes after the department received close to 6,000 public comments about the rule, with most concerns falling into three themes:
- Medical needs, specifically students who used phone-based apps for health monitoring. Some exceptions will be allowed, but those must be approved by a school nurse, director of student services or superintendent’s designee. Viable alternatives to using cell phones or electronic devices should also be explored.
- The use of phones during school lunch periods was a concern that came from students. Many school divisions currently allow this even if they ban it during other parts of the day.
- Communication during emergencies and non-emergencies. The report found gaps in parent, teacher and school communication that left parents feeling like they must directly communicate with their children during school hours
What does the VDOE final guidance look like?
- A student’s cell phone will need to be turned off and stored away during the school day, or from the first bell to the last bell for elementary, middle and high schools.
- What about in emergency scenarios?
- The guidance directs school divisions to develop and share policies about staff training to deal with crisises, reunification policies and family notification policies during crisis situations.
- Family-based emergencies should be communicated directly with a school’s front office.
- Shoulds should set up non-emergency communications protocols for things like changes in schedules or forgotten items. A suggestion is a dedicated, monitored email for families.
Are there exemptions?
- Yes, let’s take a look at some of the exemptions that were included:
- Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan: Students with disabilities may be required to use a cell phone or personal electronic device during the school day to accommodate their needs. This will need to be written into 504, IEP and/or individualized health care plans.
- Limited English Proficiency Plan: When adopting policies, schools should consider EL students with a documented language barrier who may need access to electronic devices to support their learning.
So, what’s next?
Now, school divisions will need to revisit and review the policies they currently have in place and adopt and implement cell phone-free education and bell-to-bell cell phone policies by Jan. 1, 2025.
As we’ve reported, cell phones in schools have been a big issue across the Commonwealth since Gov. Youngkin’s executive order. School systems in our region vary greatly when it comes to what’s allowed. You can find a full list of those current policies here.
The VDOE and its partner agencies said it will conduct a review process at the end of this school year to measure the guidance’s impact and consider opportunities for refinement and improvement.
Click here to see the Virginia Department of Education’s final cell phone-free education guidance.