Cell Phones in American High Schools: A National Survey 41

1 TheJournalofTechnologyStudies41 AbstractA Survey instrument to determine schoolpolicy and practice regarding cell phone use byteachers and students was developed using a literature review, a panel of experts, and then apilot study with typical respondents. The surveywas mailed out randomly to 200 high schoolprincipals representing all 50 states. The returnrate was 56 percent with responses coming fromall regions of the country. The findings include:(1) A majority of high schools (districts) hadpolicies in place, (2) parents generally supportedthe school s cell phone use policy , (3) classroomteachers used cell Phones at school for non- school -related business, (4) disciplinary actionfor inappropriate cell phone use by studentsranged from a mild reprimand to confiscation of the cell phone , and (5) the potential misusesof camera Phones in high schools has not beenfully addressed by many schools. Because cellphone use has become a part of American cul-ture, and this technology is constantly beingupgraded, school or district policies should berevamped periodically to stay abreast of thisphenomenon.

2 Specific recommendations are put and PolicyThe expansion of cell Phones during the pastdecade has made it commonplace for studentsand teachers to have cell Phones in the schoolsetting. Data from 2004 indicated that 58 percentof 6th 12th graders have a cell phone and 68percent of students regularly bring cell Phones toschool ( NetDay s 2004, 2005). The number ofcell Phones in the United States rose from in 1987 to 145 million in 2002(Danforth, 2003). No reliable estimate has beenfound for teachers, but anecdotal data indicatethat a majority of classroom teachers have accessto a cell , administrators, and school boardsare concerned about many issues related to theuse of cell Phones at school : distractions to thelearning environment (Gilroy, 2003), cheating ontests and quizzes through text messaging (Meer,2004), cyber bullying students by sending nastymessages ( Bullying shoots, 2005), phoning inbomb threats (Danforth, 2003), using calculatorfunctions to cheat on math tests (Hurst, 2004),and jamming phone lines in the event of an actu-al emergency ( Calling cell, 2002).

3 Many par-ents believe that cell Phones would be especiallyuseful in an emergency situation. However, 68percent of police officers assigned to schoolsbelieve that cell phone use would actually ham-per school safety in a crisis ( National SchoolSafety and Security Services, 2005).In addition, 21 percent of students whobring cell Phones to school have video/photocapabilities on their Phones (Carroll, 2004).These video/photo capabilities present additionalconcerns. One issue is that camera Phones can beused to take photographs of quizzes or examsand transmit them to classmates (Hurst, 2004).An especially egregious problem is the use ofcamera Phones to take embarrassing photographsof classmates in private areas ( , restrooms orlocker rooms) and share them with others elec-tronically. This technology raises legal issues ofprivacy, sexual harassment, and theft of propri-etary information (Carroll, 2004). This rapidlyevolving problem has led the Montana HighSchool Association to strongly recommend thatschools develop policies to prohibit the use ofcamera Phones , especially in locker rooms(Carroll, 2004).

4 Cell Phones also do offer want their children to have cell phonesdue to their involvement in activities ( , athlet-ics) or to assuage safety concerns (Dianis, 2004).They can be important for school supervisorswho are at crossings or playgrounds who mayneed to call for help quickly in case of an emer-gency (Galley, 2000), and a cell phone may facil-itate students in planning after- school work andother activities ( The right to ring, 2004).Additionally, the camera phone can have a num-ber of educational benefits. The camera capabili-ty can be used to record field trips or schoolevents, to enhance reports with visuals, and todevelop photo essays (Dyrli, 2004).The purpose of this study was to measure,through a National Survey , administrators per-ceptions of cell phone issues and related policiesfor students and teachers. Many administratorsCell Phones in American high Schools: A NationalSurveyS. John Obringer and Kent CoffeyTheJournalofTechnologyStudiesand school board members are familiar with thecell phone policies of their own districts as wellas surrounding districts.

5 This study also allowsthem to compare their policies with literature review was conducted to deter-mine the issues and controversies associated withthe use of cell Phones in school settings, result-ing in a large number of potential items identi-fied for possible inclusion. The investigators thendeveloped a draft of the Survey . A panel ofexperts (building principals) was assembled toreview the draft Survey . The panel consisted of11 principals who were selected to represent bothrural and suburban settings along with small andlarge schools. The panel of experts providedfeedback on the clarity, purpose, and comprehen-siveness of the Survey . Using their feedback, thesurvey was modified and a relatively small pilotstudy was conducted using an intact group of 15educators associated with the university. Thepilot study revealed no problems with the surveyinstrument. The Survey was then finalized with19 items, divided into three types of responses:yes/no, agree/disagree, and short Survey was mailed to high schooladministrators in all 50 states.

6 Schools andadministrators were randomly selected fromPatterson s American Educationwhich listsevery school and its current address,grouped by state. Using a random number generator, four high schools from each statewere chosen, and a Survey was mailed to theprincipal of each chosen school . A follow-upsurvey was mailed to schools that didn t respondto the first statistic used for this study was a chi-square with a .01 level of significance. For questions 1-8, the chi-square tested goodnessof fit using the yes/no responses. For questions9-15, two items (strongly agree/agree) weregrouped together, and the other two items(strongly disagree/disagree) were groupedtogether. In this case, the chi-square tested goodness of fit using the agree/disagreeresponses. For questions 16-19, the open-endedresponses, these were tallied to determine anycommon themes or initial mailing yielded 77 valid respons-es. The follow-up mailing yielded 35 additionalresponses for a total of 112 responses.

7 This represents a response rate of 56 percent. Thereturned surveys represented 46 states (12southern states, 11 northern states, 11 midwest-ern states, 10 western states, and 2 noncontigu-ous states).Questions 1-8As shown in Table 1, four of the eightyes/no questions met the .01 level of statis-tical significance and are examined below:Question 1: Does your school /district have awritten policy regarding cell Phones ?42 Table 1. Responses of high school Principals to Information your school /district have a written policy 84 percent16 percent**regarding cell Phones ? your school permit cell phone 78 percent22 percent**use by teachers? your school permit cell phone 24 percent76 percent**use by students? your school allow students to leave47 percent53 percentcell Phones on silent mode? teachers have access to a hard-wired phone 56 percent44 percentin their classrooms? you believe that teachers who utilize cell phones6 percent94 percent**use them only for school -related business?

8 Your school district supply cell phones54 percent46 percentfor administrators? bus drivers have cell Phones supplied by 47 percent53 percentthe school /district for safety?**p < .01 TheJournalofTechnologyStudiesEighty-four percent of the responding prin-cipals indicated that their schools did have a written policy on the use of cell 2: Does your school permit cellphone use by teachers? Seventy-eight per-cent of the responding principals indicatedthat their schools allow teachers to use 3: Does your school permit cellphone use by students? Only 24 percent ofthe responding principals indicated thattheir schools allowed students to use 6: Do you believe that teacherswho use cell Phones use them only forschool-related business? Only 6 percent ofthe responding principals indicated that cellphones were used by teachers primarily forschool-related 9-15As shown in Table 2, all seven of theagree/disagree questions met the.

9 01 levelof statistical significance. The questions are examined below:Question 9: Direct instructional time is lostdue to cell phone use by teachers. Twenty-two percent of responding principals agreedwith this statement, whereas 78 percent dis-agreed with the 10: Teachers having cell phonesimproves school safety. Seventy-three percent of responding principals agreedwith this statement, whereas 27 percent disagreed with the 11: Teachers having cell phonesfacilitates prompt teacher-parent communi-cation. Thirty-three percent of respondingprincipals agreed with this statement where-as, 67 percent disagreed with the 12: Major incidents of violence( , Columbine high school ) influencedthis school s/district s policy on cell percent of responding princi-pals agreed with this statement while 79percent disagreed with the 13: Parents are supportive of theschool s overall cell phone policy . Eighty-two percent of responding principals agreedwith this statement, whereas 18 percent disagreed with the 14: Cell phone use by teachersadversely affects the sustained focus ofteachers on the classroom/students.

10 Thirty-one percent of responding principals agreedwith this statement while 69 percent disagreed with the 15: Text-messaging features are aproblem/potential problem during tests andexaminations. Eighty percent of respondingprincipals agreed with this statement while20 percent disagreed with the 2. Responses of high school Principals to Judgement instructional time is lost due to cell phone 22 percent78 percent**use by having cell Phones improves school percent27 percent** having cell Phones facilitates prompt 33 percent67 percent**teacher-parent incidents of violence ( Columbine high 21 percent79 percent** school ) influenced my school s/district s policy on cell are supportive of the school s overall 82 percent18 percent**cell phone phone use by teachers adversely affects the 31 percent69 percent**sustained focus of teachers on the features are a problem/potential 80 percent20 percent**problem during tests and examinations**p <.