General Discussion

New Survey Shows Governor Hochul’s Distraction-Free Schools Law is Delivering Outstanding Results for New York Students and Teachers
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced new survey results showing that her nation-leading distraction-free schools law is already having a transformative impact for students and teachers at schools throughout New York State. The Governor’s Office distributed the survey in November and received over 350 responses from school administrators statewide that implemented bell-to-bell smartphone restrictions following Governor Hochul’s distraction-free schools law.

“Our kids are finding greater success in the classroom when they’re focused on learning, not scrolling,” Governor Hochul said. “This year, I was proud to champion a statewide distraction-free schools initiative, working hand-in-hand with New York teachers, students, and parents to create a policy that works for each community across our state. These survey results are indicative of that effort, illustrating the effectiveness of our tailored approach to phone-free schools, and offer a glimpse of the success to come for our students.”

-92 Percent reported that their transition to a distraction-free policy went smoothly.
-83 percent reported that their schools are experiencing more positive classroom environments and better student engagement since implementing a distraction-free policy.
-75 percent reported that implementing a distraction-free policy is improving their ability to teach effectively.