Some research suggests that the measurable effects of cell phone bans change over time. And with many Rhode Island schools at different stages of implementation – with some new adopters forced by state law, while others are years into phone ban policies – some communities may be finding themselves with different results.
"There's a negative shock, then kids get used to it," said Brian Jacob, a professor of education policy at the University of Michigan.
Especially with disciplinary data, Jacob's research has found that in the first year after a cell phone ban, schools often see an increase in suspensions – potentially from students breaking the new policy – before the suspension rate settles down years later.
Full article by Colin Hogan in The Providence Journal, and reprinted in the Detroit News