Story perspectives

Florida Study: Cellphone Ban Boosts Scores, Raises Concerns

11/8/2025

Summary

Story summary

In Florida, a study by David Figlio and Umut Özek (co-authors) finds that school cellphone bans reduced student cellphone use by about two-thirds within two months.
The study finds that overall academic scores rose by 1.1 percentile in high-cellphone-activity schools.
Disciplinary incidents initially increased, particularly among Black students.
The researchers urge careful enforcement monitoring to avoid bias and say robust data collection is essential as more schools adopt similar policies.

History

Historical Context

In 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act aimed to improve educational outcomes through strict regulations. By 2012, 98% of UK schools had banned mobile phones, reflecting growing concerns about their impact on student focus and performance. A 2019 study found that cellphone bans led to a 66% reduction in usage and a 1.1 percentile increase in academic scores, underscoring the importance of effective policy implementation.

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Story summary

In Florida, a study by David Figlio and Umut Özek (co-authors) finds that school cellphone bans reduced student cellphone use by about two-thirds within two months.
The study finds that overall academic scores rose by 1.1 percentile in high-cellphone-activity schools.
Disciplinary incidents initially increased, particularly among Black students.
The researchers urge careful enforcement monitoring to avoid bias and say robust data collection is essential as more schools adopt similar policies.

1 / 2