A new analysis of phone bans in schools found test-score effects are close to zero, with some variation by school level. Based on data from 4,600 schools, researchers reported virtually no net change in test scores and limited movement on bullying, attendance, and self-reported attention. The findings complicate the rationale behind widespread spending on phone-storage systems and device restrictions, which have grown across dozens of states. The study noted slight positives in high schools and small negative impacts in middle schools. Higher education leaders who oversee K-12 partnerships and feeder ecosystems may view the result as a cautionary tale for technology-as-discipline policies—where device restrictions alone may not produce academic gains without broader instructional and assessment changes.