Across the country, states are passing legislation in attempt to reduce digital distraction during the school day.
While these policies establish expectations for student phone use, districts and schools are responsible for translating these requirements into daily practice across classrooms, teachers, and students.
The Commons created this resouce to help make it easier to:
Understand what your state policy does and does not mandate
State authorized academic, medical and emergency use cases for phones
How The Commons aligns and supports your state-specific mandate
Provide state specific sample policy templates for districts and schools (click your state below to access)
These short informational 1-pagers will help guide you in navigating your statewide student cellphone policy mandate:
Don't see your state - request it by emailing support@the-commons.app
Subject: state policy guideance
Research published in JAMA pediatrics shows that "phone-free" policies don't work on their own. Students still find ways to spend '1.5 hrs of every school day on their cellphones' (that's one-month of classtime gone each school year).
97% of that 1.5hrs is spent on social media, gaming and YouTube (Common Sense Media, 2023 Report)
At the same time, districts and schools are struggling with an all-or-nothing approach, and are looking for a way to reduce operational burden and improve policy consistency.
The Commons is one example of a policy-aligned approach designed to:
Block the loudest digital distractions during the school day, making it easier for students to stay off their phone
Support consistent expectations across classrooms
Allow permitted instructional or safety apps defined by school policy
Reduce the need for constant device monitoring by staff
Provide visibility into how policies are functioning over time
Think of it as airplane mode for schools — supporting distraction-free environments while aligning with each district’s existing policy framework.
Learn more: https://www.the-commons.app/