Survey data at Evanston Township High School shows promising results with the first semester of the school’s ban on cell phones in class, including reported higher engagement and more relationships between students and teachers.
ETHS Principal Taya Kinzie presented these survey results at the joint District 202 and District 65 meeting on Feb. 24, held at the high school.
It’s “so critical to have that engaging, lively environment,” Kinzie said of the current state of classrooms.
Students surrender phones during class time, but are permitted to use them between classes or during lunch periods.
The data so far
In a massive jump, teachers surveyed reported that 91% of students have been engaged in class this year with the new cell phone policy – up from 53% in 2022.
Teachers also reported a jump in back-and-forth dialogue between students, with 82% reporting this behavior this school year, an increase from 71% in 2022.
Surveyed teachers are establishing connections with students, too – 89% of teachers reported they are effectively building relationships with students.
On the students’ side, 82% of surveyed students reported building relationships with teachers.
Students also reported that 86% of them feel they’re building relationships with other students around them.
Instituting ‘bell to bell, no cell‘
The school rolled out these cell phone policies during 2024 summer courses, and officially took them schoolwide in the fall.
Leadership at ETHS based the policy on research indicating the positive effects on learning and mental health of removing phones from the classroom. Keeping phones and earbuds or headphones out of class aims to limit disruptions, keep students present and prevent cheating.
Students keep their phones in assigned storage units available in every classroom during class time. They’re allowed to use wired headphones with school Chromebooks for music during appropriate times, but must disconnect and put away Bluetooth devices connected to their phones.
A student not in compliance with the policy might face consequences, according to the ETHS handbook.
Teachers will first give a verbal reminder of the policy. If a second transgression occurs, the student’s parent or guardian will be contacted. After three transgressions, the teacher will submit a conduct referral to the student’s dean. The dean can apply further disciplinary actions based on the student behavior code.
