HOWARD COUNTY, Md. — See no cellphones, hear no cellphones, even during lunch.
That's the new device policy now permanently in place when students return to the classroom in Howard County on Monday.
Watch as officials describe the cell phone policy
The district soft launched Policy 8080 in March after eight months of research, development and discussions adding teeth to its existing cellphone policy. A work group convened to continually review the policy was in favor of keeping it the same this fall.
It also extends to wireless headphones and earbuds. Smart watches may be worn, but only used to check the time.
“Some students, not the majority of students, have reported favorable outcomes of this policy. They comment on how much more fun lunchtime is. They didn't realize they weren't connecting with their peers,” Superintendent Bill Barnes said.
Not only was disengagement a concern but so was safety, he explained.
“They were organizing meet ups and sometimes we'd see large congregations of kids come together and there'd be a fight and everybody knew about it except school teachers and administrators,” he said.
Now, students are allowed to have their devices on them but once the first bell rings, if they're caught using them it's an immediate confiscation, by principals, assistant principals, and security assistants only.
The first time, students can pick it up at the end of the day themselves.
Any continuing violations, and it's up to a family member instead.
“We saw confiscations decline throughout the spring. It is a big deterrent to have a family member come and pick up your cell phone during school hours,” Barnes said.
In March, there were 2,565 confiscations, which dropped to 783 in April and 675 in May.
“All of my friends, all of my classmates were very much against it,” rising HCPSS senior Sara Karachiwalla said. “I remember the first day it was a huge outrage. Teachers seemed excited about it."
Karachiwalla thinks though the policy is unpopular, it did show how much some students were addicted to their phones.
She supports it for younger students, to help them connect and socialize. But for the older students on the cusp of adulthood like herself, she wishes there was some slack.
“It’s kind of like they're grounded or like their parents are taking away their phones,” she said. “No [college] professor is going to tell you to put your phone away. You learn the hard way that if you don't pay attention in class, you will fail that class.”
The Board of Education found the policy was best to be consistent across all grades, and throughout the day.
In surveys taken in mid-April, where students accounted for more than half of the total responses, they overwhelming reported that they were "not satisfied at all" and found it made no difference. But parent and teacher responses were the opposite, a majority in both categories responded that they were "extremely satisfied".
Karachiwalla says her and other students learned to leave their devices at the bottom of their bag or in their cars to avoid the strict consequences and possibly blemishes on their record.
There are some exceptions like for students on individualized learning plans and in rare situations when urgent communication might be needed, a major concern for both parents and the school district alike.
“For the vast majority of emergencies that occur in schools, students can take their phones out and send a note to families,” Barnes said.
