A new working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research finds that phone bans show “virtually no net change” in test scores and limited impact on bullying, attendance, and self-reported attention. Analyzing data from 4,600 schools, the study reported only slight effects—positive in high schools and negative in middle schools—while noting results are essentially close to zero overall. Researchers also highlighted that high school math and reading performance has continued to decline to record lows in 2024 despite expanding bans. The findings land as districts invest tens of millions in enforcement tools and policies, shifting the debate from whether devices are harmful to what measurable instructional impact schools should expect from banning smartphones and other devices.