Latest news with #DCPS
Axios
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
D.C. schools are banning cellphones, joining almost half of the nation
D.C.'s public schools will enforce a cell phone ban starting next school year, the district said on Friday. Why it matters: D.C. joins nearly half the country in the bipartisan push to limit students' cellphone use in the classroom. D.C. middle schools and several of its high schools already implemented the ban, the district said. Catch up quick: Phone bans have gained momentum across Democratic and Republican state legislatures in recent years. Arizona, Arkansas and New York 's governors signed bills into law this year to implement bans. By the numbers: As of April, 11 statewide phone bans or restrictions were implemented and seven states issued policy recommendations, according to health nonprofit KFF. An additional 17 states introduced legislation to ban or restrict cellphone use in schools. State of play: The phone bans are aimed at boosting students' attention during class as they struggle to recover from COVID learning loss. Screen time is also partially at fault for a youth mental health crisis, research has found. What they're saying: "Piloting a phone-free program in our middle schools demonstrated that storing students' personal devices throughout the school day enriches academic, social, and emotional learning," Lewis Ferebee, D.C. schools chancellor, said in a statement. "From increased classroom engagement to reduced anxiety and stronger student relationships — DCPS is ready to scale the program so we can keep driving outcomes that positively impact our students." What we're watching: Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) reintroduced a bipartisan bill in February to study the effects of cellphones in schools, but the legislation has not seen movement since. The bill proposes $5 million annually for five years for a pilot program to provide schools with secure containers for the phones. It would allow exceptions for students with health conditions, disabilities and non-English speakers.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DC Public Schools to ban cell phone use starting in 2025-26 school year
WASHINGTON () — District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) is continuing to take steps toward banning phones inside its schools. The school division announced Friday that all phones and mobile devices will no longer be allowed in the classroom. The policy will go into effect during the fall of the 2025-26 school year. This means that all phones must be turned off and stored away throughout the school day. All middle schools and several high schools have already begun implementing the policy, and DCPS noted they are seeing positive changes. 'Piloting a phone-free program in our middle schools demonstrated that storing students' personal devices throughout the school day enriches academic, social, and emotional learning,' said DCPS Chancellor, Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee. 'From increased classroom engagement to reduced anxiety and stronger student relationships — DCPS is ready to scale the program so we can keep driving outcomes that positively impact our students.' Fairfax County Public Schools defends new cell phone policy as some question whether it complies with law Despite the new policy, the school district will continue to utilize school-issued devices to integrate technology into a learning experience, and engage students in lessons related to digital literacy. DCPS said that while technology provides learning opportunities, significant challenges arise when it comes to cell phones being present in classrooms. School officials noted that growing research revealed that an increase in smartphones has fueled youth mental health concerns, negatively affected concentration and worsened bullying to include cyber interactions. At least eight states have imposed bans on cell phone use in the classroom, including Florida, New York, Ohio and Virginia. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed the Bell to Bell law, stating that there should be no phone usage from 'bell to bell,' as in 'after the first bell rings at the start of the school day to begin instructional time until the dismissal [bell] rings at the end of the school day.' It also includes 'lunch and time in between class periods.' Check for updates. To keep up with the latest news and weather updates, download our Mobile App on iPhone or Android. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
County schools challenge young learners at 'Insight Academy' camp
Tuesday morning, students in Sara Appleby's 'Mind Maze' class were working in pairs to solve 'Murdle' mimi detective puzzles at Deer Park Elementary School. 'We're using memory skills, language skills, deduction skills, process of elimination,' Appleby said. 'It's trying to get them to think differently,' Appleby said. 'They have to figure out a solution to a problem that's not obvious. They all solve it differently. They all have different strategies.' Although schools are out for the summer, the fourth and fifth graders in Appleby's class and others were busy trying out the Scientific Method by experimenting with food, building their skills with integers and learning about history by sticking their hands in water similar to the the icy ocean that surrounded the Titanic when the behemoth ocean liner met its fate in 1912. The classes were a hands-on collaborative learning experience that was anything but routine, which was intentional by Angie Gunter, Daviess County Public Schools' gifted and talented coordinator. Tuesday was the second day of DCPS' 'Insight Academy' summer day camp for gifted and talented students at Deer Park. The 24 students, who came from elementary schools across the district, were invited to participate based on their high scores in math and language arts assessment tests. While each of the elementary schools has a gifted and talented team that augments the traditional curriculum for promising students, the idea behind the camp is to challenge the students beyond what they traditionally receive in the classroom, Gunter said. 'We have middle school teachers who are teaching these kids,' Gunter said. The teachers proposed their own topics and crafted the classes. Having middle school instructors working with the students at the camp both lets the teachers get to know kids who will one day be in their classes, while also giving the students an idea of 'what's expected in middle school,' academically, Gunter said. The classes were designed to be hands-on and fun, Gunter said. 'These kids signed up to do math in the summer, and they love it,' she said. Brad Goodall, who was teaching the 'Math with a Twist' class, said the fourth and fifth graders would move through a curriculum during the week that would include some of the pre-algebra they will encounter in middle school. 'Because I teach middle school math, I know what they are going to need,' Goodall said, as they students busily played a competitive card game based on integers. 'We've had a good time working together. If you notice, they are not quiet.' The game was designed to be active and energetic for the gifted students. 'If they are not challenged, they get bored,' Goodall said. 'I'm trying to keep them as challenged as I can.' There was also a social element to the camp, Gunter said, as the students learned cooperation and collaboration by working together. 'Some of these kids are the ones that tend to dominate' their traditional classes, Gunter said. Part of the camp process is teaching 'all these dominant (students) to take turns,' Gunter said. 'Next year, we are going to expand to middle school' and have students from the middle schools as well, who will be taught by high school teachers. While already gifted students might not seem to need much help with school, providing hands-on and engaging content furthers the district's goals, Gunter said. 'By law, we are supposed to serve and help every kid grow,' Gunter said. Even a student already considered to be gifted can achieve more, she said. 'If we are not allowing the kids to reach their potential, we are not serving the students,' Gunter said.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
DCPS urges families to register for buses as registration opens for the 2025-26 school year
Duval County Public Schools bus registration is now open for students for the 2025-26 school year. Each year, all students have to be registered for transportation before they are able to ride a bus. Starting this year, it will also include students in self contained Exceptional Student Education (ESE) programs. The first day of school is August 11, and DCPS urges families to register as soon as they can to ensure their child has a bus stop, according to DCPS. For more help, DCPS has a step-by-step tutorial to guide families through the process. Click here for help with registration. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Daviess County Public Schools Summer feeding program kicks off
OWENSBORO, Ky. (WRHT) — School may be out for the summer, but Daviess County Public Schools are still showing up for kids and families with meals they can count on. DCPS officials are hoping to continue the fight against food insecurity through their summer feeding program. It offers free meals to kids 18-years-old and under. Officials say the effort is more than just convenience, it's a lifeline. Boat tour sheds light on Pigeon Creek debris The district's kick-off event aims to get families excited and acclimated to one new important change. State regulations now require meals be eaten on site to make sure one meal is served per child. 'They're all congregated sites. You at least have to start eating your meal inside. Like, we'll go on probably before you finish, and you can take it or go. We have to stay on site for the duration,' says Connie Beth Fillman, the food service director for DCPS. Statistics show more than 3,000 children face food insecurity and that number spikes when school cafeterias close. Daviess County High School's assistant principal has worked in the district for 22 years and says one of its biggest benefits is nutrition. '…the availability of whole grains, nutritional breakfast [and] lunch that these kids can get their hands on… something that's going to be nutritious. It's going to fill them up, and it's going to give them energy to want to get out and and do more,' says Paul Howard, the assistant principal of DCHS and a parent of two DCHS students. From now until August 1, the district's food service vans will make pit stops at over a dozen locations like spray parks and neighborhoods. With the exception of holidays like Fourth of July and Memorial Day, three vans will make their way across the county. 75,0000 meals were served last summer and 1,000 kids were served each day.'Hamburgers. And we got apples and chips. Carrots and their milk. And then we're also sampling our fruit slushies. We serve these at high school and have a cup of fruit. So we're letting the kids see those, too.' One rising eighth grader attended the event with his family and says the program makes his battle with celiac disease easier during and outside of school hours. 'I think it definitely helps instead of having to pack my lunch every day. I really like how they made me a gluten free sub sandwich,' says Jack Tichenor, a rising 8th grader at Daviess County Middle School. The school program's second annual kick off at the county high school's football field aims to give families a taste of the new protocol with games and vendors offering free items occupying their time while they eat. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
