(The Sentinel) — A survey in Education Week lists the efforts in 31 states and the District of Columbia to either restrict or outright ban cell phone use in schools, in an effort to improve student achievement, classroom discipline and teacher satisfaction.

But is the regulation of electronic devices effective in achieving those goals?

An ambitious research study, “Phones in Focus” plans to survey 100,000 educators by the end of the school year. The nonpartisan effort, supported by the National Governors Association, and led by University of Pennsylvania professor Angela Duckworth, is about 20% toward its goal. Some preliminary findings:

• Stricter policies are associated with better teacher-reported outcomes. Strict storage rules, such as requiring students to leave phones in hallway lockers or using Yondr pouches, are associated with better coutcomes.
• Bell-to-bell bans are more common in elementary and middle schools than in high schools. Only 1 in 4 high schools opted for the outright bans as opposed to 3 in 4 elementary and middle schools
• The most common storage policy is the “no-show” policy. Nearly half of the schools in the survey have the no-show policy, in which students are allowed to carry their phones in their backpacks or back pockets, but must keep them out of sight. However, results show this policy does not perform as well as more restrictive rules.

Duckworth says two patterns are emerging from early returns:

“The stricter the policy, the happier the teacher and the less likely the students are to be using their cell phones when they aren’t supposed to. For example, “bell-to-bell” (also called away for the day) policies are linked to more focused classrooms. We’re also finding that focus on academics is higher in schools that do not permit students to keep their phones nearby, including in their backpacks or back pockets. Our team looks forward to diving deeper and in longitudinal analysis, establishing how changes in policies over time predict changes in outcomes like attendance and academic performance.”

Earlier this year, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law the “Bell to Bell, No Cell Act”:

“We all know the statistics that show why overexposure to screens is bad for our kids, but I was also compelled as a mom of three to protect kids from the harms of constant phone use. Arkansas classrooms are now bell-to-bell, no cell so students can have fewer distractions, better learning opportunities, and less worries in the classroom—and the testimonials from our teachers show why this initiative is so important. This isn’t a red state or a blue state issue; it’s about putting our kids first.”

Speaking recently before an event sponsored by the  Kansas School Board Resource Center (KSBRC), like The Sentinel, owned by the Kansas Policy Institute,  Kansas State Senator Scott Hill vowed a renewed effort to add The Sunflower State to the list of 31:

“I remember back in 1996 when I was on the State Board of Education. We had this great idea that if we could incorporate electronics into education, it would be entertaining, and kids would learn, not even know they were learning. ?You know, it would be so much fun. That hasn’t been the case. It hasn’t played out. In fact, most of us believe that the closer to electronic devices, in addition to cell phones, personal devices, but smart pads and those types of things at too early of an age, it’s really detrimental; it’s doing exactly the opposite of what we thought was going to happen in ’96.

“We have centered ourselves around the wrong goal, but we also have taken away discipline in the classroom. We’ve taken away the responsibility of students, and I’m sponsoring a bill this year to get electronic devices out of schools. If any of you have read Mr. (Jonathan) Haidt’s book (The Anxious Generation), it shows the same thing that we’re seeing in Kansas. A very steady and consistent decline in academic performance since the advent of the smartphone.”

“Phones in Focus” will report its findings to the nation at the completion of the survey.