Application: Context of Education Policy and Development

Application: Education Policy and Development Author’s Name The Institutional Affiliation Course Number and Name The Instructor Assignment Due Date Section I: Background Information School policies in the United States of America (USA) are being reformed to improve learning outcomes and establish discipline within the vicinity. Recently, Texas reported significant risks of bullying and harassment in school premises due to the rising use of personal communication devices. The digital age empowered youth to raise their voice, practice liberalism, and emphasize preferences about people, the environment, and the system. However, youth overlook the dilemma of violating fundamental rights of integrity, confidentiality, and consent of subjects when practicing liberalism (Cantu & Chen, 2021). Hence, Governor Greg Abbott announced the ‘Texas House Bill 1481 (HB-1481)’ in the 89th Legislature to address the rising episodes of bullying and harassment practices in public schools. HB-1481 is a recent mandate to minimize malpractices and maladaptive behaviors among students in public schools to improve the learning environment and prevent unethical practices. Governor Abbott explained that limiting personal communication devices, such as smartphones, smart watches, tablets, and other consumer electronics during school hours would increase harmony, integrity, and focus in academic activities. Besides, HB-1481 would facilitate students to prevent indulgence in liberal toxicity and respect the code of conduct that public schools follow to respect the human rights of other learners. Public schools in Texas received a deadline of 18th September 2025, to implement the policy as a mandate (TEA, 2025). Section II: Contextual Factors Historical Antecedents Arguably, HB-1481 is not a sudden mandate in Texas public schools. The policy reform has historic significance and rationale to support school climate and strengthen learning outcomes for students. Hornbeck and Duncheon (2022) argued that Texas is one of the progressive states in the USA to support gender diversity and liberalism in academic settings. However, the increased accessibility of digital technologies and personal communication devices encouraged cyber-bullying and passive harassment among students. For instance, the LGBTQ community in secondary public schools in Texas reported ethnic violations by peers based on gender discrimination. The community explained that students target gender identities, sexual orientation choices, and violate integrity in classrooms through digital posts (Hornbeck & Duncheon, 2022). This action encouraged liberal toxicity and influenced the mental wellness of children. Critics argue that students have the right to practice free speech in a liberal society. School administration and regulatory bodies are not allowed to impose restrictions on freedom of sharing ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. However, public school representatives explain that students must respect discipline, codes, and inclusivity as core values, requiring restrictions on personal communication devices to reinforce actions (Chavez, 2021). Hence, HB-1481 has a historical relevance of liberal toxicity, technological misuse, and cyber-bullying in public schools, resulting in immediate policy reform. Economic Factors Furthermore, Zhu et al. (2021) identified economic factors as sensitive in promoting cyber-bullying and other maladaptive behaviors in public schools. The research argued that personal communication devices are wealth metrics for students enrolled in high schools and colleges. Students exhibit the ability to discriminate between the socioeconomic classes and practice uncalled supremacy over others. This factor increases cyber-bullying episodes in public schools, causing mental and physical harm to students from vulnerable communities (Zhu et al., 2021). As a result, imposing mandated restrictions on displaying personal communication devices in school premises will reduce economic differences and increase harmony, equality, and integrity among peers. According to Edison (2025), Governor Abbott invested $8.5 billion to improve public education outcomes through robust reforms and systematic developments in di...