Florida’s tough stance on cell phones in classrooms is already paying dividends—unless you’re in the business of making excuses for poor academic performance. According to a new working paper by researchers from the University of Rochester and RAND Corporation, test scores rose and unexcused absences dropped after schools implemented a cell phone ban.
Of course, the media will be quick to tell you that suspensions spiked early on. But here’s the kicker: that was temporary. By the second year of enforcing the ban, student behavior stabilized and academic performance improved—clearly showing that order and discipline still work, even in 2020s America.
“We show that the enforcement of cellphone bans in schools led to a significant increase in student suspensions in the short-term, especially among Black students, but disciplinary actions began to dissipate after the first year, potentially suggesting a new steady state after an initial adjustment period,” the study’s authors wrote.
Translation? If you actually expect kids to follow rules and hold them accountable, it works—eventually. The growing pains are real, but so are the results.
Test scores climbed 2 to 3 percentile points by the second year, and more importantly, students were actually showing up. Researchers directly linked the decline in unexcused absences to the improvement in academic achievement.
“Overall, our findings reveal that cellphone bans could improve student outcomes, yet these benefits come at the cost of elevated suspension rates in the short term,” the study concluded. “The challenge that educators face then is to minimize these short-term adverse effects until a new status quo without cellphones is established in schools.”
This common-sense approach to education reform comes as more than half of U.S. states have passed some form of legislation restricting mobile phone use in schools. It’s almost as if allowing teenagers unlimited access to TikTok during math class isn’t great for learning.
The study, which has not yet undergone peer review, observed that disciplinary incidents—namely suspensions—doubled in the first month after schools began enforcing the ban. That initial turbulence persisted through the first year but normalized by year two.
So yes, cracking down on distractions created some temporary tension. But ask yourself: would you rather have uncomfortable discipline or long-term failure?
Florida, once again, is showing the rest of the country what can happen when leaders prioritize education over feelings. And in case you’re wondering—yes, Governor DeSantis has been an outspoken advocate for restoring order in schools. Maybe the rest of the country should take notes.
