Stricter Cell Phone Policies Associated with Reductions in Student Phone Use

RAND study finds half of students still check their phones during class

Stricter school cell phone policies are associated with less student phone use during class, but even the most restrictive policies do not stop phone checking entirely, according to a new RAND report.

Even in relatively restrictive policy environments where students are not allowed to use their phones at all at school, half of students reported checking their phones during their classes at least once per day. Roughly one-sixth said they did so more than five times per day. In the most lenient environments, roughly 8 in 10 students reported checking their phones during class at least once per day, including about one-third who did so frequently, according to the report.

“School cell phone policies and enforcement levels vary widely between schools, and this study gives us a clearer picture of how those differences relate to student behavior,” said Melissa Diliberti, lead author of the study and an associate policy researcher at RAND. “While restrictive policies do appear to reduce cell phone use, what also matters is how strictly students perceive their teachers are enforcing the rules.”

More than half of students (56%) reported trying at least one tactic to get around cell phone rules—from keeping phones in their pockets to using smartwatches as substitutes—but their perception of enforcement played a key role in their use of evasive tactics. Only 17% of students with very strict teachers reported keeping their phone in their pocket versus 50% of those who said their teacher was only a little strict.

Students indicated that cell phone policies are more restrictive and tightly enforced in middle school than in high school. Grade level also plays a role in both students' responsiveness to school policies and their participation in evasive tactics to hide their phone use.

According to the report, about 20% of 7th graders in schools with the most restrictive policy reported checking their phones during class, compared with about 80% of high school seniors in the same environment. Similarly, only 13% of middle schoolers reported trying to hide their phone in a hoodie or under their hair to get around cell phone rules versus 27% of juniors and seniors.

While the study identifies a relationship between policy restrictiveness and student phone use, it doesn't prove that stricter policies directly cause less phone checking. All findings are based on student self-reports.

“Restrictive policies probably won't eliminate students' cell phone use, but they might reduce it, especially when paired with firm enforcement,” said Diliberti. “The challenge for schools and administrators is that the policies that students say work best also demand the most from educators who have to enforce them.”

The study, How School Cell Phone Policy Strictness Shapes Student Phone Use, examines the association between common cell phone policies, their enforcement and student cell phone use. It draws on survey data from the RAND American Youth Panel, a nationally representative panel of middle and high school students, collected in December 2025. Based on research funded by Gates Foundation, it was conducted in the Education and Employment program of RAND Education, Employment, and Infrastructure.

Other authors of the report, How School Cell Phone Policy Strictness Shapes Student Phone Use, are Jonathan H. Cantor and Ryan K. McBain.

About RAND Education, Employment and Infrastructure

The RAND Education, Employment, and Infrastructure division aims to improve educational opportunity, economic prosperity, and civic life for all. For more information, visit www.rand.org/eei.