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In this research, 112 high school principals from throughout the country responded to a structured questionnaire. Results offer a snapshot of current practices. Most schools (84%) have adopted a written cell phone policy. Generally, they either completely ban or conditionally permit cell phone use by students. Violations result in disciplinary actions ranging from a mild reprimand to confiscation. But do students have a right, legally or constitutionally, to carry their cell phones with them in school? No. Is there a rational and measurable educational benefit to student cell phone use in school? No. Do the potential negatives (disrupting others, taking embarrassing pictures, cheating on tests, inappropriate text messaging) clearly outweigh the benefits? Yes. Ironically, however, 24% of schools permit cell phone use by students.

Technology by its very nature will stop working at some point and this often creates an atmosphere of distrust. As the Director of Information and Communication Technologies I very often only hear the complaints and rarely a thank you. My staff works hard every day, which includes typical upgrades, day-to-day fixes, and emergencies. Decisions are made daily that impact how our teachers, staff, administrators, and students use the technology resources that are available in the schools. I think it is in our best interest to be proactive and share the good news and the challenges that are presented through the integration of technology throughout academic and organizational use throughout the school district.

Urging the presidential candidates to make K-12 student access to education technology and modern learning environments a top national priority, leading education association have launched a public service announcement campaign titled One Giant Leap for Kids. The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), the National Education Association (NEA) and the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) designed the PSA to drive home the message that making investments in technology today is critical to ensuring the ability of U.S. students to compete and succeed in the 21st century global workforce.