A nationwide study of cellphone bans at thousands of American schools showed notable improvements in student wellbeing – but few of the testing gains proponents hoped for.

The May study amassed data from about 40,000 schools between 2019 and 2026, and found student wellbeing notably improved within just two years of phones being completely banned from the day’s first bell to last.

Wellbeing declined in the first year of bans, but rebounded and broke even by the end of the second, the study found.

“I think it’s reasonable to view these results as sobering,” said economist Thomas Dee, who co-led the study carried out by researchers from Stanford University, Duke, and the Universities of Pennsylvania and Michigan.

“Students’ well-being is actually above what it was at baseline,” he told the Associated Press.

The study looked at schools requiring students to keep their phones in lockable Yondr pouches throughout the day, and used data from the company to track phone usage against the likes of test scores, student wellbeing and bullying incidents over three year periods.

It was the largest such study to date, and came as teachers have overwhelmingly complained of student phone usage in their classrooms – with about 75% calling it a “major problem” in a 2024 Pew Research Study.

Lawmakers have also increasingly backed calls for bans at public schools, with many predicting student test scores would increase without the distractions phones bring.

But the study did not yield the testing teachers lawmakers touting the bans hoped they would, as scores over the first three years of bans were “consistently close to zero.”

Dee admitted the testing results were “somewhat disappointing,” but urged skeptics to let a few more years pass for scores improvements to show.

“I firmly believe that getting student phone use down, recapturing their attention in classrooms within schools, is a critical antecedent to realizing their academic potential,” he said.

Phone usage also predictably plummeted under the bans – with an 80% overall decrease in phone use in the classroom showing over three years.

And part of the temporary wellbeing decline mirrored a 16% spike in disciplinary actions like suspensions during the first year, which then declined in later years as wellbeing increased.

Bullying incidents saw little change during the study.

It comes as New York released similar results in a comprehensive survey of its own “bell to bell” phone ban at public schools, with about 75% of 600 teachers surveyed saying their classrooms had significantly improved since the rule was rolled out statewide in September.

New York wasn’t able to look at test results as the year’s marks won’t be in until the end of June, but 60% of teachers said they’ve seen a decline in bullying.

Another 80% reported seeing social connections flourish between students.

“They’re participating in class discussions, and teachers can finally teach,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday while revealing the study findings. “We have finally kids talking to each other.”