Research about the divide

Find helpful research and analyses below. These reports on the digital divide for K-12 students and teachers were developed by Boston Consulting Group in partnership with Common Sense Media, EducationSuperHighway, and Southern Education Foundation.

There is a persistent gap between students who have high-speed internet and adequate devices at home and those who do not, a gap that perpetuates educational and economic inequality at a time when accessing the internet at home is as important as having electricity and running water.

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This second report reveals the three key steps that states and school districts can take to close the K–12 digital divide. Solutions in this report are based on evidence from states and school districts across the country that have successfully addressed the divide during the pandemic.

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This third report tracks progress made during the pandemic toward closing the digital divide, while also exploring its root causes. While short-term approaches have eased the impact of the divide for some students and educators, 75% of these solutions are set to expire in the next one to three years.

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What is the digital divide?

It’s the uneven distribution of access to technology and internet between racial groups. That digital divide only further widens the opportunity gap we’re trying to close.

We rely on quality tech donations from corporate donors to support nonprofit partners in creating fully-equipped learning spaces for students, returning citizens and communities of color that can be harnessed for STEM, art, media and more.

While many people may already be familiar with income disparities, an urgent downstream impact of the widening wealth gap is the digital divide. The digital divide is the gulf between those who have ready access to technology and the internet, and those who do not.

Due to pandemic-related school facility closures, 50+ million K–12 public school students had to learn remotely. 15 MILLION TO 16 MILLION (30%) of these students lack adequate internet or devices to sustain effective remote learning (Source). Because the digital divide disproportionately affects students from lower-income families and students of color, failure to close the digital divide risks further undermining key student groups that already face greater obstacles to educational success.

This student digital divide has long been a challenge for many, fueling economic inequality and lost opportunity—with some students and families unable to complete homework assignments or gain experience with the tools essential for professional success later in life. Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this problem, causing an unprecedented disruption in the U.S. educational system. (Source)

Check out these amazing organizations
focused on bridging the digital divide.