The first semester of the 2024-25 school year at Wylie High School brought change. This was the only sure thing students and teachers knew outrightly when Principal Reagan Berry placed a more focused directive regarding cell phone use and campus policy on the high school campus.
The policy, referred to as “No Cell, Bell to Bell” is exactly what it sounds like. Students are only allowed to use their cell phones if a teacher has given them approval within school hours. The results are in after one semester, and a task that may feel to be daunting seems to be well worth the challenge.
“I knew it would be a large task, but a task that would be incredibly impactful and valuable to our kids, making the challenges of implementation absolutely worth it,” said Berry.
She and her team of administrators collected data and surveyed teachers to confirm their observations throughout campus were accurate.
Based on data from the teacher survey from the first six weeks of school and end-of-semester survey, Berry said teachers shared positive outcomes in the classroom overall but are encountering some challenges as the policy still settles across campus.
“While most teachers see the benefits of students not accessing their phones during the school day, some find frustration with students still being able to access their phones and having to enforce the policy,” she said.
Here are what teachers shared:
“We have their attention; they are listening.”
“It has been fantastic. Students are more focused overall. I love that students use free time to do things like play hangman or card games as opposed to sitting alone on their phones.”
“This policy is amazing. The students are not used to it, and they go for games as soon as work is complete. Several of my classes even have tournaments going.”
“Love seeing the students interact more! Even when they mess up, they’re learning social skills they wouldn’t if they had their phones.”
End of First Six Weeks Survey Results*
My students tend to be more attentive and engaged in my classroom:
42.9% strongly agreed
46% agreed
I am able to spend more time on teaching and learning in my classroom:
42.9% strongly agreed
42.9% agree
I have seen positive changes in academic learning and engagement in the classroom:
45.3% strongly agree
46.9% agree
I have seen positive changes in students’ social interactions:
58.5% strongly agree
29.2% agree
I have seen positive changes in student’s behavior and choices:
36.9% strongly agree
41.5% agreed
*The above are summaries based on the data supplied by Wylie High School. To access data and policy, visit **.
First Semester Data
Have you seen an overall improvement in your classroom since WISD adopted the “No Cell, Bell to Bell” policy?
61.9% yes
14.3% mostly
19% somewhat
THE WHY
“As an administrator there was a common denominator to most issues that entered our office either as a disciplinary issue or a counseling situation…the student cell phone. I would never say that cell phones caused the issue, but they certainly were the tool by which the issue was created or exacerbated.
We witnessed students being disengaged from classroom discussions and learning, making the classroom even more difficult for teachers to manage. As teachers and administrators, this was a known fact, but it felt too big to take on.
After talking to other schools, looking at data and observing our own experiences, I felt confident that removing cell phones from the school environment would be best for kids socially, mentally and academically.”
-Reagan Berry
By Kristen Johnson
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