Richardson Independent School District (RISD) is expanding an experimental program that locks up students’ cell phones to minimize distractions in the classroom.
A one-year pilot was held at RISD’s Forest Meadow Junior High, during which students were required to keep their cell phones in a pouch provided by Yondr. The cost of the program was $17 per student.
Catering to educators looking to create a cell phone-free environment since 2014, Yondr’s pouch locks once a phone is placed inside and then opens once being swept on an unlocking hub. In the case of schools, students swipe their pouch to unlock it as they exit the building.
“It was one of the smoothest rollouts I’ve ever seen,” explained Jennie Bates, area superintendent, according to Fox 4.
The teaching staff also gave top marks to the product, reporting fewer discipline issues, less cyberbullying, and more student social interaction.
“Based on teacher feedback, cell phones were a major distraction,” RISD superintendent Tabitha Branum said, according to Fox 4. “85% of teachers said they got more instructional time back with cell phone-free environment.”
The program’s success prompted principals at Lake Highlands High School and three more junior highs to express their interest in using Yondr pouches at their schools next year.
Noting that confiscating students’ cell phones took up a great deal of time each day, Lake Highlands High Principal Kerri Jones said that they would sound off all day long in her office if she kept them on, according to Fox 4.
“It was unbelievable, and these kids were not ignoring that in class. They are distractions,” Jones explained.
“I believe Yondr will help give us consistency,” Jones added.
Student achievement scores at RISD are slightly above the state average. For instance, 50% of students scored at grade level on last year’s STAAR exam compared to the 48% state average and the dismal 41% logged at Dallas ISD. RISD also has an on-time graduate rate of 92.6% compared to Dallas ISD’s 81.1%.
As The Dallas Express reported, the school board of Dallas ISD came under fire at a recent meeting, with parents, employees, and community members pointing to poor student achievement outcomes, school safety concerns, and budget issues.
Data has not yet been released by the Texas Education Agency that would allow seeing how student achievement scores might have been impacted by the cell phone free pilot at RISD.
Prior to the program, student achievement scores at RISD’s Forest Meadow Junior High were lower than the district average for the 2021-2022 school year. For instance, 43% of students scored at grade level on the STAAR exam.