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Cell Phone Data

South Colonie Central School District’s Cell Phone Policy follows New York State’s Distraction-Free Schools law by putting a bell-to-bell ban on student cell phone and personal device use. Students in grades Pre-K through 12 are not allowed to use cell phones, smartwatches, earbuds, or other internet-connected devices during the school day, from the first bell to the last bell. Devices must be turned off and kept away during school hours, including in classrooms, hallways, bathrooms, and the cafeteria. This policy is designed to reduce distractions, support student learning, and help create a safe and respectful environment. 

The following data summarizes the enforcement of the district’s internet-enabled device policy during the 2025-26 school year: 

A bar chart of cell phone policy enforcement results in the 2025-26 school year.

A bar chart showing the percentage of grade level cell phone violations

A pie chart of the violations by grade level

Demographic Disparity Analysis

The district analyzed enforcement data by student gender and grade level to determine whether enforcement actions were disproportionately applied to any demographic group. A statistically significant disparity was identified by gender (Male students represented a larger proportion of students receiving enforcement actions than their representation in the overall student population). Statistically significant disparity was identified by grade. Grade-level data are reported descriptively to summarize where policy enforcement occurred. 

Mitigation Action Plan

  • Enhance school-to-home communication to ensure policy expectations are clearly understood and mutually reinforced by families and students prior to initiating formal enforcement actions.
  • Establish clear staff guidelines and calibration sessions to ensure consistent, equitable responses to policy violations; this shifts the focus away from punitive or exclusionary discipline and prioritizes corrective, instructional, and restorative practices.
  • Analyze chronic repeat-offender data to identify students requiring targeted intervention, problem-solving, and supportive resources, rather than relying on progressive disciplinary penalties.
  • Include data analysis on race in next year's report to determine if the enforcement actions are consistently applied without bias.