Michigan School Cellphone Policy Study

Mounting research indicates associations between smartphone and social media use and disengagement from school, poor mental health, and safety. In response, school districts across the state and country have implemented various policies that regulate student cellphone use. However, little is known about whether such policies improve student outcomes, let alone how the effects vary across student and school contexts, or how challenges associated with policy implementation affect efficacy.

Michigan is part of a broader movement of states regulating school phone use. A new state law was enacted in February 2026, requiring publicly funded districts to prohibit smartphone use during instructional time starting in the 2026-7 school year. While the law set a statewide baseline, it allowed districts to have a say in how phones are restricted (i.e., kept in lockers, pouches, out of sight, etc), as well as the option to adopt additional measures. The patchwork of district and school policies presents a compelling context to study the impacts of this diverse set of policies, implementation, and district and student populations.

This project includes:

• Conducting a digital landscape analysis to identify the status and characteristics of district cellphone policies across the state
• Facilitating Interviews with district and school administrators and focus groups with parents and students
• Administering statewide surveys of teachers and administrators
• Analyzing administrative data to explore a variety of violence, academic, mental health, and well-being outcomes

This study seeks to achieve the following research aims:

• Describe variation in district-level cellphone policies as well as facilitators and barriers to implementation of policies that districts use to regulate student cellphone use.
• Examine which student- and district-level factors predict whether districts adopt cellphone policies as well as the implementation fidelity of the policies.
• Estimate the impact of school cellphone policies on school and community violence, including variation in effects by race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status
• Test whether student mental health and academic outcomes mediate the effect of cellphone policies on school and community violence.
• Test whether implementation fidelity moderates the effect of cellphone policies on school and community violence.

This projects aims to:

• Identify the types of restrictions that are most effective for different types of students and school populations as well as the best means to implement these policies.
• Deliver data-driven insights and recommendations to decision makers in Michigan and elsewhere for cell phone restriction policies that will positively impact students, schools, and communities.

Our statewide advisory board includes representatives from state departments, professional education and parent associations, advocacy groups, and local school districts. The board provides critical insights and guidance, facilitates connections, and supports dissemination efforts.

Our advisory board members include:

• Diane Golzynski, Deputy Superintendent, Division of Business, Health, and Library Services, Michigan Department of Education
• Mary Drew, Department Specialist, Office of School Safety (OSS)/OK2SAY, Michigan State Police
• Peter Hoffman, Program Specialist, OK2SAYIntelligence Operations Division, Michigan State Police
• Shawn Bishop, Deputy Executive Director, Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators
• Beth Hulett, Michigan PTA Vice President for Communications, Michigan Parent-Teacher Association
• Abbey Clements, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Teachers Unify
• Erik Edoff, Senior Executive Director, Michigan Education Association
• TaShaune Sparks, PreK-12 Constituency Coordinator, American Federation of Teachers Michigan
• Jenna Bacolor, Executive Director, Community Division - Rec & Ed, Strategic Partnerships and District Health & Well-Being Programs, Ann Arbor Public Schools
• Khalid Abdulla, Assistant Principal, Fordson High School, Dearborn Public Schools

This project is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control and The Spencer Foundation.