New York Educators Calling First Phone-Free School Year A Success

Governor Kathy Hochul proclaims first phone-free school year a success.

New York educators are calling the first phone-free school year a success.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the results of a survey to collect feedback from nearly 600 educators statewide. Teachers overwhelmingly report that without smartphone distractions their students are more active in class discussion, more engaged with their peers, and more focused on their assignments. Schools across New York State implemented one of the nation’s strongest phone-free policies at the start of the school year in September 2025, in line with the requirements of the distraction-free schools law that was enacted by Hochul in May 2025.

The Governor’s Office received 585 total responses, representing all regions across the state, grade levels, and roles in schools, to its end-of-year survey on distraction-free learning.

Some key takeaways from the results included:

Overwhelmingly positive reception: 80% said that implementing a phone-free policy has delivered positive results for their school.

Classroom behavior and engagement: 76% reported positive changes in classroom behavior, such as improved attention, respect for peers, and following directions, and 76% said student engagement increased. The most commonly observed forms of engagement were more active participation in discussions (311 respondents), improved peer collaboration (282), and better focus on assignments (273).

Educators reported improved effectiveness: 75% said their ability to teach effectively improved.

Social connections improved, bullying declined: 80% saw student social connections improve. 60% reported a decline in bullying and cyberbullying incidents.

These results are in keeping with the positive feedback the Governor’s office received from its mid-year survey of more than 350 school administrators statewide on distraction-free learning. More than 90% of administrators reported a smooth transition to phone-free classrooms and greater than 80% reported better student engagement.