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More than 200 Arkansas school districts have expressed interest in a new pilot program to reduce cell phone access with the goal of improving students’ mental health, according to the Arkansas Department of Education.
In early July, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Education Secretary Jacob Oliva issued a letter to superintendents inviting them to participate in the program, which grew out of a meeting with school leaders in June centered on mental health.
As part of the pilot program, the University of Arkansas’ Office for Education Policy will examine how students’ mental health may be impacted by reduced access to cell phones and social media. A smaller group of districts from the pilot program will participate in the UA study.
Cell phone policies at Arkansas schools vary among districts and individual classrooms. While some teachers collect phones at the start of instructional time, others allow students to access their devices after completing assignments.