Maria de Jesus fills out paperwork with her son, Joshua Garcia (center) and his friend Pablo Carrillo (right), both sixth graders at Burbank Elementary School in Hayward, Calif., before they pick up laptops. About 150 of the laptops were made available for students to participate in their school studies while sheltering at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

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.

Search & Filter within this Topic

Filter by Grade Level

Filter by Article Type

Search by Keywords

EdSource in your inbox!

Stay ahead of the latest developments on education in California and nationally from early childhood to college and beyond. Sign up for EdSource’s no-cost daily email.

Subscribe