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By India McCarty
One school reported higher test scores following its decision to ban smartphones from classrooms.
“We find significant improvements in student test scores in the second year of the ban after that initial adjustment period,” a study published in the National Bureau of Economic Research shared.
The study looked at the behavior and performance of kids at a Florida school, and, while test scores improved, there were some other side effects.
“The enforcement of cellphone bans in schools led to a significant increase in student suspensions in the short-term,” the study reported, but added, “But disciplinary actions began to dissipate after the first year, potentially suggesting a new steady state after an initial adjustment period.”
Related: Students Praise School Phone Ban: ‘My Attention Has Skyrocketed’
When one Florida school district banned cellphones, disciplinary issues initially spiked, but returned to normal within a year while test scores rose significantly. https://t.co/8jxXSjqNp9
— ABC News (@ABC) October 27, 2025
This study comes as more and more schools implemented phone bans. For example, New York City public schools banned not only smartphones but also tablets and smartwatches.
“We know that excessive cell phone use is harmful to our children’s concentration and mental health, and, with this new policy, we will finally reduce distractions as we help our students reach their full potential,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement about the ban.
New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos added in a separate statement, “As an educator and a parent, I have seen firsthand how constant access to cell phones in the classroom distracts from learning, divides attention, and significantly impacts our students’ mental health, inside schools and at home. I am proud to be introducing a policy that takes input from unions and advocacy groups, families, community members, and our students into account.”
While some parents and students have spoken out against these kinds of bans, Thomas Toch, the director of FutureEd, an education policy center at Georgetown University, told ABC News that phones in schools cause more harm than good.
“It’s a problem,” he explained. “We’re trying to get kids to engage, to immerse themselves in the subject at hand, to communicate with their peers, to be part of a learning community.”
Toch continued, “There’s lots of research to suggest that [phones] are very detrimental to students’ levels of concentration and undermine, for those reasons and others, their learning.”
So far, 20 states (including Washington D.C. and the Virgin Islands) have completely banned all wireless communication devices.
This new study shows that, while there is a bit of an adjustment period for kids, overall, banning phones from schools is beneficial for students in the long run.
Read Next: The Pros — and Cons — of This Middle School’s Cell Phone Ban
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