Kids without computers are being left behind with schools closed by the coronavirus
Since 2014, the Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research, located at the University of Southern California, has been tracking trends in health economic well-being, attitudes and behaviors through a nationwide survey for its , asking the same individuals questions over time.
The nationally representative survey is now assessing how . This includes their health, economic status and, for the first time, educational experiences. With two other education researchers , we analyzed the educational experience data that have recently been added to the study.
What we did
We worked with the broader Understanding America Study team to ask Americans about the effects the pandemic is having on students and their families.
About 1,450 families with children answered these questions between April 1 and April 15.
We found that nearly all鈥攁bout 85% 鈥� of families with at least one child between kindergarten and their senior year of high school have internet access and a computer they can use for distance learning while .
However, we found large disparities in technology access based on family income. Among the 20% of American households who make , just 63% of schoolchildren have access to a computer and the internet. In comparison, essentially all students from the most affluent families鈥攖hose whose parents make $150,000 annually or more鈥攄o.
To be sure, that doesn't mean a third of poor kids are being locked out of getting an online education. Many of those students are also using tablets and smartphones to participate in educational activities. However, the types of educational activities a student can easily engage in with a computer and wireless internet 鈥搒uch as writing long essays鈥攁re broader than the types possible on a tablet or an even smaller screen and with just a cellular connection.
These inequities can leave low-income families . Some of the limited options available can include include working from a car parked outside a local library or a McDonald's parking lot.
Why it matters
There's a big gap between how much access rich and poor children have to technology. This is known as the "."
This to the between students based largely on their economic status.
These findings show that the digital divide is playing out in real time during this pandemic in ways that are sure to lead to unequal negative effects on already disadvantaged students.
What's next?
in the country are likely to 鈥� long after we collected this initial data. We believe that it's possible that this divide will narrow once more districts , more communities take steps to expand and teachers get better at educating kids online.
There's a chance that federal help could arrive, should Congress pass the , a measure authored and backed by aimed at narrowing the digital divide. It would normally be states鈥攚hich provide the largest share of funding for public schools鈥攖hat would address issues like technology in schools, but with states facing mounting that's going to be a big challenge. A .
In our view, without federal intervention, these gaps will not meaningfully narrow.
Provided by The Conversation
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