November 5, 2020
Ensure equitable broadband access to secure California’s future
When the delivery of high-quality instruction depends on reliable, high-speed broadband connections for every student anyone lacking these resources gets left behind.
High-needs students
Topic
Digital Divide
California has long wrestled with a stark split between students and teachers who have access to internet and computers and home and those who don’t. This digital divide has created uneven access to completing homework, researching and applying for colleges or financial aid, and other important opportunities for students. As schools rely more on distance learning, this unequal access to technology threatens to widen gaps in academic achievement, especially among Black, Latino and low-income students in rural areas who are among the least likely in California to have internet subscriptions at home. State and district officials are pushing for a variety of solutions to help close the gap and provide access to the internet for all California students, however there is still a long road ahead.