Instructional-Time Phone Restriction
An instructional-time phone restriction prohibits cell phone use during class but may permit it during passing periods, lunch, or free periods — a narrower scope than a bell-to-bell ban.
Also called class-time phone ban, during-instruction restriction
Instructional-time policies aim to protect learning while giving students some phone access during the day. The trade-off is enforcement complexity: staff must track when phones are and are not permitted.
Some state laws set instructional-time restrictions as a floor, leaving districts free to adopt stricter bell-to-bell rules locally.
Related terms
Bell-to-Bell Phone Ban
A bell-to-bell phone ban prohibits student cell phone use for the entire school day — from the first bell to the last — including passing periods, lunch, and study halls, not just during class.
Phone-Free School
A phone-free school is a campus where students cannot use personal cell phones during the school day, enforced through policy and a storage or locking method rather than relying on teacher-by-teacher discretion.
State Phone-Free School Law
A state phone-free school law is legislation or an executive order that requires or directs public schools in a state to restrict student cell phone use, ranging from full bell-to-bell bans to guidance for local boards.