Principal Investigator
Thomas Kane – Harvard University
Project Description
This study evaluates the impact of statewide and multi-state cell phone restriction policies on student engagement, attendance, and academic outcomes. In Ohio, the research uses a difference-in-differences design to assess the effects of district-level cell phone bans, leveraging variation in timing and implementation across districts to estimate causal impacts on attendance, disciplinary incidents, and academic performance. The study draws on longitudinal administrative data from hundreds of schools across the state. A complementary multi-state analysis extends this work by examining cell phone policies across multiple states, using variation in policy adoption and implementation to assess impacts on student outcomes, engagement, and school climate. Together, these analyses aim to generate rigorous, policy-relevant evidence on the effectiveness of restricting in-school phone use as a strategy to improve student engagement and attendance.
Research Questions
- What is the effect of cell phone bans on student engagement, attendance, and academic outcomes?
- How do impacts vary by implementation approach and student subgroup?
- What can be learned from cross-state comparisons about effective and scalable cell phone policies?
