Superior High School To Debut New Cell Phone Policy For 2023-2024 School Year

With cell phones, tablets, and smartwatches more prevalent than ever before, the Superior School District is unveiling a new policy for their high school students to combat the distractions these technologies can create in the classroom.

The effort is being implemented for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year at Superior High School to try to reengage students and reduce learning barriers created by technology distractions.

In a post to the district's website, they explain that the reason for the policy was the result of a task force that determined not only do a vast majority of middle and high school students have a cell phone that they bring to school. While students prefer to be able to carry devices with them, both students and teachers agree they can be a distraction. Also adding in the desire of parents being able to contact their children during the day, the following play was developed:

What is Superior High School's new cell phone policy in the classroom?

The district's website explains that each classroom will have a sign similar to a stoplight, with a red, yellow, and green options. The "default" status for each class will be red, which means phones and other personal technology must be silent and kept out of sight.

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Teachers will have the option to change the status to yellow or green, indicating a certain level of permissible personal technology use. Yellow means that personal electronics can be used "to meet learning goals" while green means devices can be used for non-educational purposes.

Yellow uses would allow for usage of things like pre-designated websites or apps, such as a calculator.

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The district notes that the green status will be a rarely-used status. This will allow students to use their phones in a non-disruptive and appropriate way.

What about out of the classroom in the school?

Hallways and the lunchroom will be "green" areas during passing time and during lunchtime, but will be redesignated as red areas during class time.

Bathrooms and locker rooms will always be classified as red areas.

What else is there to know?

Our news partners at WDIO report that the school's principal, Aaron Fezzey, explained that this new policy is not meant to be a punishment. It is rather designed to create a positive learning environment without the distraction of these devices.

The same policy was enacted at Superior Middle School last year, and reactions were reportedly overall positive with better engagement and fewer distractions.