Pittsfield School Administrator Details Cell Policy Implementation
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There have been over 1,300 violations of the district's new cell phone policy this academic year with more middle schoolers issued lockable cell phone devices.
Lockable devices have been issued 70 times in Pittsfield's middle schools and 34 times in the high schools. A total of 38 secondary students received the penalty for repeat offenders and 22 were of middle school age.
"They are definitely having a little bit of the hardest time," Deputy Superintendent Marisa Mendonsa said to the School Committee on Wednesday.
"And in some cases, it's the first time they've had a phone so they are very excited about that or maybe it's the first time they've been able to access certain apps."
Mayor Linda Tyer was impressed that only 38 secondary students had to lock up their phones out of over 2,500. This is about 1.5 percent.
"That seems remarkably low considering the new policy and the adjustment period that comes along with it," she said.
Mendonsa plans to track the data monthly, hoping that entries will decrease when students are finished with testing the waters and have gotten used to the regulations.
In August, the School Committee accepted a cell phone response plan after administrators were tasked with reviewing Pittsfield Public School's policy on the devices.
Cell phones are not allowed in elementary schools including during lunch, recess, and field trips. In middle schools, phones are to be silenced and placed in classroom pocket charts during instruction time and can only be used during lunch and recess. Phones are to be silenced and placed in bags in high schools and can be used during transitions, lunch, and before and after school.
There are three tiers of intervention for each school division that utilize log entries for tracking higher-level violations. Yondr cases, which lock phones for a designated amount of time, are among the consequences for repeat offenders.
Through Oct. 6, the middle schools had 571 log entries and the high schools had 753. Mendonsa emphasized that this is the number of violations, not the number of students who violated.
In middle school, a student with three to four logs entered is used a pouch for one to three days, and for five to ten logs, is issued a pouch for one to two weeks. The phone is held in the office when ten or more logs are entered and there are possible additional consequences such as detention or restorative in-school education (RISE.)
In high school, three to four logs result in a verbal reprimand, a call home from administration, and the phone placed in a pocket chart. For five logs a pouch will be issued for the day and for six to ten logs it will be issued for a week. The phone is held in a pouch in the office for ten or more logs and there are possible additional consequences such as detention or restorative in-school education (RISE.)
Accommodations are in place for students with disabilities and or medical needs who require cell phone access and when the educator determines that, based on the learning activity, students may use phones to complete an assignment.
Students, teachers, and administrators were surveyed on the new policy. When asked if their focus has improved without cell phones, a majority of students, almost 53 percent, said that it depends on the class while almost 94 percent of teachers said that students are more focused.
"I honestly believe that, used for the right purposes, phones in any class could help many people learn at a higher level," a high school student wrote. "Phones are more accessible than Chromebooks and people are less likely to break their own phone. Truly I think cell phones could completely change how schools function and could potentially create a better learning environment, especially for students who struggle to pay attention or get work done in class."
About 56 percent of teachers reported a decrease in trying to access their phones and almost 64 percent of administrators reported a decrease in cell phone use in academic spaces.
"I think it has helped out and most students will keep their phones away, However, I think the students are getting a lot of chances before the phone is removed for a day," a high school teacher wrote.
"I have had students who I have to remind or write up each day and when their phone is taken away their engagement with the lesson increases. In the shops, it is a safety issue. I wish we could come up with a policy for the shops where students had over their phones when they enter the shop. This also would help with their employability. Many Co-Op employers have said in the past that cell phone usage is an issue. Over all this year's expectations are much better than in previous years."
A middle school teacher reported that they keep their phone in the hanging pocket with student phones and have been called out by students if they forget
Nearly 64 percent of administrators reported that caregivers are usually supportive when calls are made regarding cell phone use. A majority of administrators spend up to one hour a day processing log entries.
"The buy-in has been solid," a middle school administrator said. "I am hopeful this can continue while the district considers a long-term plan for balancing technology use from adolescents."
Another middle school administrator stressed the importance of consistency and said that they don't know if all students are being held accountable for phone usage as intervention levels suggest.
"I don't know that we are locking up phones for the high fliers as often as we should be doing," they wrote. "Parents have been very supportive in meetings- often offering to keep the phone at home."
Committee member Sara Hathaway felt strongly about leveraging students' social cravings and promoting in-person communication.
"I hope that this is a help to our educators," she said. "Because I know we have a lot of work to do to come back to good morale after the pandemic and I think this is one of our big steps in that direction to help restore the community and restore the relationship between the teachers and the students that was really disrupted by remote learning."
Committee member Alison McGee thought it was important to keep in mind that students may have a valid need for phones while it is not identified formally, citing listening to music as one of the ways that they self-accommodate.
One consideration is allowing middle school students to keep phones on their person rather than placing them in pocket holders. Vice Chair Daniel Elias said it would be a tough sell to lessen the restrictions.
There will be a full district survey and data will continue to be monitored.
