Anthony Tosie, Executive Director of Communications for Northwest Independent School District (ISD), said that the district's new cell phone policy has contributed to improved educational outcomes across grade levels. Tosie made this statement to the Lone Star Standard last week.

"So far, we only have one semester under our new cell phone standards. While this means we have limited data, teachers have reported an increase in student attentiveness. We believe this change has been beneficial for education outcomes across grade levels," said Tosie.

The new policy restricts personal use of cell phones, earbuds, and smartwatches during class for all grade levels. Middle school students can earn the privilege of using devices during lunch, while high school students are allowed to use them during passing periods and lunch. Elementary students are prohibited from using devices throughout the school day. Violations of the policy may result in disciplinary actions.

In recent years, issues caused by cell phones on campus have become a growing concern at Northwest ISD schools, according to Tosie. To address these concerns, the district collaborated with the community to develop new policies aimed at creating a better learning environment, improving student attentiveness, and ensuring that students can still be reached by their parents and guardians in case of an emergency.

According to the school district, they have received overwhelming support for the new policy from teachers and parents since its implementation. School staff and teachers have reported a meaningful impact in both classrooms and hallways. The district also said that it will continue hosting Staff Learning Sessions to gather ongoing feedback on the policy.

According to its website, Northwest Independent School District serves 32,000 students across more than 30 schools in the northwest corridor of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The district includes 23 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, and 4 high schools.