The Sequim School Board at its regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 6 received the results of the district’s Balancing Technology and Learning surveys. There were two: one for district staff, the other for families.
No action was taken.
The surveys were meant to examine the impact on classrooms and learning of students’ use of cell phones, smart watches and other personal devices.
A similar survey was distributed to students on Thursday, Oct. 9. The results of that questionnaire will be discussed at the next regular school board meeting, scheduled for Monday, Oct. 20.
Many school districts across the nation have been examining ways to address students’ use of cell phones and other electronic devices during school hours. Last year, Sequim superintendent Regan Nickels told school board members that her staff would be looking into the issue with an eye toward a more firm approach for addressing student cellphone use.
The district currently has Policy 3245 and Procedure 3245a, commonly known as “Off and Away,” that addresses phones and other telecommunication devices. According to the policy, “Telecommunication devices will be turned on and operated only before and after the regular school day and during the student’s lunch break, unless an emergency situation exists that involves imminent physical danger or a school administrator authorizes the student to use the device.”
The policy also states, “Students will not use telecommunication devices in a manner that poses a threat to academic integrity, disrupts the learning environment, or violates the privacy rights of others.”
Students who violate the policy may be subject to discipline, including possible expulsion.
When Nickels spoke of her plans to the board in September 2024, she recommended that the school district conduct a survey.
In kicking off the discussion of the recently completed surveys at the Oct. 6 meeting, Nickels noted that “there is nothing in the survey that’s meant to be necessarily decisive about our action. It’s supposed to be informative about what could come next.”
Among the key takeaways are that the majority of school district staff – more than 84% – said they are concerned that student device use is a distraction from learning. For their part, a majority of parents and guardians – almost 78% – indicated they would support a policy limiting or restricting device use at school.
Here are breakdowns from both surveys. Not every question is reflected here, but the full results can be found on the school district’s website, sequimschools.org.
Adobe Stock photo/ Last week, after the Sequim School Board reviewed results of staff and family surveys on student cell phone and personal device use at school, similar questionnaires were distributed to students. The school board will review those results at its meeting on Monday, Oct. 20, and a community forum on digital wellness in the school district will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
STAFF SURVEY
The breakdown of staff who filled out the survey was this: Elementary (PreK-5), 47.27%; middle school (grades 6-8), 32.73%; and high school (grades 9-12), 36.36%.
Answers were provided by staff at Greywolf Elementary, Helen Haller Elementary, Olympic Peninsula Academy, Dungeness Virtual School, Sequim Middle School and Sequim High School.
The survey applied to cell phones, smartwatches or other wearable devices, tablets, and personal laptops or chromebooks.
Of those surveyed, 67.50% indicated that students “often” bring cell phones to class.
Here are responses to most of the questions on the staff survey:
How effective is the current “Off and Away” policy in managing phone use in your classroom/area/bus?
Highly effective – 24.79%
Somewhat effective – 41.88%
Not effective – 12.82%
Unsure – 20.51%
Are you concerned about any of the following related to student device use? (Select all that apply)
Distraction from learning – 84.03%
Cyberbullying or social pressure – 68.91%
Safety and communication issues – 51.26%
Impact on social development – 78.99%
None of the above – 6.72%
In your experience, do personal devices benefit students in any of the following ways? (Select all that apply)
Staying organized – 26.05%
Social connections – 26.05%
Feeling safe – 21.01%
Communicating with family – 62.18%
Supporting learning activities – 33.61%
None of the above – 24.37%
Should students be allowed to use phones during class?
Yes – 11.57%
No – 71.90%
Unsure – 16.53%
Should students be allowed to use Smartwatches during class?
Yes – 5.88%
No – 73.95%
Unsure – 20.17%
Should elementary (K-5) students be allowed to use devices during lunch or recess?
Yes – 3.33%
No – 81.67%
Unsure – 15%
Should secondary (6-12) students be allowed to use devices during lunch or recess?
Yes – 47.11%
No – 34.71%
Unsure – 18.18%
Would you support a policy that limits or restricts student device use during the school day?
Yes – 86.78%
No – 3.31%
Unsure – 9.92%
Parts of the survey involved “themes” rather than respondent percentages. Here are some of those themes:
What are the most common distractions caused by phones in your classroom/area/bus?
Feedback themes:
Texting with friends and family members
Watching videos, scrolling social media and apps
Sharing content with other students
Sneaking games
Bathroom visits to go on phones
AirPod use
Phones and alarms ringing during class
Photos being taken
What does phone-related enforcement typically look like?
Feedback themes:
Constant reminders of Off and Away
Verbal warnings
Phones put away in pockets or backpack
Request to turn phones off
Reporting to office
Reminders to remove AirPods
What approach by administration helps you feel supported when enforcing the ‘Off and Away’ phone policy?
Feedback themes:
Being willing to confiscate phones
Communication with parents
Holding of phones to end of day
Family education and communication of policy
Monitor bathrooms for out of class use
Prompt follow-up
Do you think students understand and exercise digital safety and responsible phone use? Why or why not?
Feedback themes:
Developmentally dependent
Too young to recognize or be aware of safety pitfalls
Addiction to screens overcomes the knowledge of safety
FAMILY SURVEY
Parents or guardians who participated in the family survey have students at Greywolf Elementary (13.19%), Helen Haller Elementary (19.61%), Olympic Peninsula Academy (8.56%), Sequim Middle School (23.71%) and Sequim High School (34.94%). Here are some of the questions that were asked, along with the breakdown of responses:
Does your child bring any of the following to school?
Cell phone – 50.27%
Smartwatch or wearable device – 5.17%
Both – 4.99%
Neither – 39.47%
To your knowledge, how often does your child use devices during the day?
Never – 40.29%
Rarely – 25.67%
Sometimes – 18.72%
Often – 9.98%
I’m not sure – 5.35%
Are you concerned about any of the following related to your child’s device use? (Select all that apply)
Distraction from learning – 53.08%
Cyberbullying or social pressure – 41.15%
Safety and communication – 37.77%
None – 34.39%
Do you believe phones or smartwatches help your child in any of the following ways? (Select all that apply)
Staying organized – 18.09%
Feeling safe – 42.35%
Communicating with family – 75.15%
None of the above – 23.66%
Should your child be allowed to use phones during class for educational purposes?
Yes – 27.63%
No – 56.26%
Unsure – 16.10%
Should your child be allowed to use phones during class for communication?
Yes – 19.80%
No – 67.40%
Unsure – 12.72%
Should your child be allowed to use smartwatches during class for communication?
Yes – 18.09%
No – 68.59%
Unsure – 13.32%
Should secondary (6th-12th) students be allowed to use devices during lunch or recess?
Yes – 56.06%
No – 33.60%
Unsure – 10.34%
Would you support a policy that limits or restricts device use during the school day?
Yes – 77.73%
No – 9.15%
Unsure – 13.12%
In response to the survey’s question about what they would like the school district to consider when updating its device policy, the following themes emerged:
Consider the research
Limit cell phones use in schools
Use modes: airplane or school modes
Allow parent contact for emergencies
Tiered policy by age group
Help teachers not have to police this alone
In concluding the discussion about the surveys, Nickels stated that a community forum on digital wellness in the school district will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 4. She said the forum will include, among other things, an address and a panel made up of students and staff.
