Student chatter filled the lunchroom at Warner High School on a recent Wednesday as students downed chicken sandwiches, guzzled chocolate milk and caught up with friends. Outside, middle schoolers tossed around footballs and basketballs. A group of preteen girls gathered around a picnic table; some talked, others drew. There wasn’t a cell phone in sight.While schools everywhere struggle to wrest students’ attention away from smartphones, Warner Public Schools has held steadfast to its total bell-to-bell ban since 2013. The year before the ban, Warner’s student test scores were average. Both the elementary and high school received a C on the state school report card, and of all the required state tests, half were at or above the state average.In 2013, the district hired David Vinson as superintendent. Vinson accepted the job on the condition he could implement a cell phone ban, mirroring a policy they had in Vian, where he was a principal.“I knew how well it worked,” Vinson said.The next school year, Warner Elementary earned a B- and the high school got an A. On 90% of the state tests, Warner students scored above the state average, according to data provided by the district. the latest Is birth control a form of abortion? by Sue Bin Park November 21, 2024November 21, 2024 This year, the district expects to notch two As on the school report cards for the fourth year in a row. And they’re above the state average on every test.Warner’s cell phone policy can’t claim all the credit, but educators in the 800-student district described many benefits. Students had fewer distractions and less drama. When students finished classwork early, they pulled out a library book instead of a smartphone. Warner School Superintendent David Vinson (Rip Stell/Oklahoma Watch)But the biggest benefit, said Warner High School Principal Brian Hummingbird, is that teachers aren’t competing for students’ attention anymore. “Teachers are here to teach,” Hummingbird said. “They love to teach. They’re passionate. And here, they actually get to.”Significant ConsequencesIf a student’s phone is seen or heard, even stowed away in a backpack, it violates Warner’s policy. Some students said they stow their phones in their cars or leave them at home to eliminate the temptation. Consequences are significant. On a first offense, the student faces a three-day suspension or their phone is confiscated for a week. A subsequent violation results in a five-day suspension or confiscation for two weeks. Beyond that, the student is suspended.There are no free passes, Vinson said, but across the district, there are no more than 20 violations each year.“When students realize you’re serious about the policy, they’ll follow it the majority of the time,” he said. School policies reviewed by Oklahoma Watch found a wide range of consequences. Under Jennings’ policy, phones are confiscated but the student can collect it after school the first time; on a second offense, a parent must pick it up; if there’s a third time the device is kept until the last day of school, unless the student completes Saturday school to earn it back. In Silo, a student receives five days of detention for a first offense, according to the policy, and a parent has to pick up the phone.National TrendAcross the country, as more studies show cell phones harm student learning and mental health, more schools are moving to restrict the devices during the school day. In 2009, 91% of public schools prohibited cell phones during school hours, but by 2015, it had dropped to 66%, according to U.S. Department of Education data. A steady uptick has been underway since. Eight states have implemented statewide policies, and Oklahoma may join them next year. The Senate Education Committee flagged the issue as a priority for the upcoming legislative session. In September, Gov. Kevin Stitt challenged schools to implement “commonsense, cost-neutral, phone-free classroom policies.” Policies will be compiled in a best practices report early next year.One of the major policy distinctions will be whether to pursue a ban for the entire school day, including passing periods and lunch, or prohibit phones during class time only. What works in a small district might not succeed in a large urban or suburban district.Warner middle school students spend their spare time after lunch outside chatting or playing sports. Emila was drawing as Winry looks on. (Rip Stell/Oklahoma Watch)Bixby, with 8,000 students, is 10 times that of Warner. Before this year, Bixby’s practice was to leave phone policies up to each teacher. Some allowed phones, some didn’t. Some used phone time as a reward for finishing assignments early or for good behavior.  This year, the district implemented a bell-to-bell ban for all students through 9th grade (the district has a separate school site for 9th graders.) Like in Warner, Bixby students are expected to keep phones off and stowed away throughout the school day, but the school doesn’t collect every student’s phone. Teachers can call an administrator to handle a cell phone violation.“Really, all we’re trying to do is regain the best possible learning environment for kids and for teachers,” Bixby Superintendent Rob Miller said.  Even students at Warner said there are benefits beyond academics.  Warner students Francisco Diaz, Dee Antwine, and Memphis Swimmer agreed phones should be banned from classes, but they were split on whether they should get access during lunch. “If we had phones during lunch, we wouldn’t talk to each other,” said Memphis, a sophomore. In the years after Vinson left Vian, 20 miles from Warner, the district’s policy loosened. Students were allowed to have cell phones except during class time. But the devices had again become too much of a distraction, said Superintendent John Brockman. This school year, the district is back to a bell-to-bell ban. A student receives three lunch detentions for a first offense, but they can retrieve confiscated phones at the end of the day. Three months into the school year, Brockman said he’s seen a difference. Students are interacting more, and they are more focused.“I think it’s helped,” Brockman said.Jennifer Palmer has been a reporter with Oklahoma Watch since 2016 and covers education. Contact her at (405) 761-0093 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @jpalmerOKC. MORE FROM jennifer palmer Education Department Abruptly Cancels Search for Bible Vendor November 8, 2024November 7, 2024 Families and Teachers Ask Supreme Court to Stop Superintendent’s Push for Bibles in Public Schools October 17, 2024October 21, 2024 Grand Jury: State’s Handling of GEER Programs Troubling, But Not Criminal October 15, 2024October 17, 2024 The post Lesson Learned: Warner Student Phone Ban Could Be a Statewide Model appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.