Connecting Kids to Technology: Challenges and Opportunities

A Forum — July 18, 2002

The American Youth Policy Forum, the Benton Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the Education Technology Think Tank cosponsored a forum to look at the digital divide and strategies to increase access to technology by children in low-income communities.

Representative Major Owens (D-NY) introduced the forum by remarking on the great impact the E-rate program (provides discounts on telecommunications services for schools and libraries serving disadvantaged individuals) has had in helping schools and libraries provide access to technology to needy communities. Owens said that as a result of the E-rate, there are now many computers in schools in low-income communities. However, Owens noted that while on-going support is needed to keep computers in the classroom up to date and working, it is not always available. Owens said he believes that schools should be the main focus for maximizing access to technology for low-income students and that the E-rate should now be used for ongoing maintenance and support. He mentioned the Brooklyn Public Library as an example of how the E-rate program helped a needy community access technology and provides excellent and comprehensive services.

Tony Wilhelm from the Benton Foundation provided an overview of the digital divide. Despite what the media says, Wilhelm said the digital divide persists and is growing wider. The recent Kids Count report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Connecting Kids to Technology: Challenges and Opportunities, points this out. The report provides information on minority children, children living in poor families, and particularly those living in high-poverty neighborhoods that are the least likely to have a computer at home or access to the Internet. Schools help to close some of the gap, but significant disparities remain even after access at school is taken into account. It is all the more important to consider access to technology in light of the new No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, Wilhelm continued. The new law includes as a goal: “To assist every student in crossing the digital divide by ensuring that every student is technologically literate by the time the student finishes the eighth grade, regardless of the student’s race, ethnicity, gender, family income, geographic location, or disability.”

Wilhelm said data indicate that only 14% of children from families with incomes of $15,000 or below have access to the Internet at home, while 63% of children from families with incomes of $75,000 and above have such access, and that only 20% of Hispanic children have access to the Internet at home, compared to 50% of White children. Geography is another aspect of the digital divide. In 2000, only 53% of children who lived in central cities had access to a home computer, compared to 61% of rural children, and 73% of children living in the suburbs. Also, Wilhelm noted that states in the southern part of the country. have fewer households with home Internet access, while most of the New England states rank high on home access to the Internet.

Felipe Floresca of the Annie E. Casey Foundation said the Foundation is dedicated to helping fragile kids in tough neighborhoods. The Casey Foundation works with 22 cities as part of their Making Connections initiative to support programs aimed at helping neighborhoods tackle a wide range of problems. The Annie E. Casey Foundation is exploring a technology equity approach toward supporting sustainability in neighborhoods lacking the resources to maintain technology systems, in light of the digital divide. Floresca emphasized the importance of schools and libraries in providing access to computers and the Internet to children in underserved communities. Additionally, he pointed out that child care centers, libraries, and after-school programs are other options to provide access. The Casey Foundation is also working with a number of other funding sources to focus on sustainability of programs providing access to technology, including the Technology Opportunity Program at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Computer Technology Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the H1-B Technical Training programs administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, the EZ/Enterprise Communities initiative, and the HUD Neighborhood Network Initiative. But, Floresca noted, “we face the challenge of the three “R’s”: reduction in funding, rescission of funding, and recapturing unencumbered funds” as we try to coordinate efforts to develop long-term sustainability efforts.

Ron Skinner, Education Week, presented data from the Technology Counts 2002 publication on E-Defining Education. Skinner focused his comments on the overall improved access to technology and the needs of teachers. Student access to both computers and to the Internet has improved dramatically, he said. In 1998, the average number of students per Internet-connected computer was 19.7. In 2001, the number dropped to 6.8 students. Skinner also said that 98% of all public schools have Internet access, but that only 94% of high poverty schools have access. Looking at the classroom level, however, he said that while 77% of all public schools have access to the Internet at the classroom level, only 60% of high-poverty schools have such access at the classroom level.

Skinner also reported that teachers who receive technology training are more likely to feel prepared to use computers and the Internet to teach their classes. However, 21 states have no technology-related requirements for teacher licensure; and only seven states require teachers to demonstrate their technological skills to be licensed. And while most experts would agree that funding for staff development should be a priority in schools, most school technology expenditures go to hardware (67%) and software (20%) and only 14% for staff development, Skinner reported.

Ronnie Lowenstein described the Brooklyn, NY TEC Watch Alliance (Technology to Empower Community) that has been effective in increasing access to technology by bringing various sectors of the community together to create new education and economic opportunities for America’s emerging cyber-civilization. Brooklyn TEC Watch Alliance leverages commitment and resources of the private sector, government, education, and community-based groups to create shared visions and action strategies. In Spring 2000, the TEC Watch Alliance opened six technology centers in the community, and empowered educators, parents, youth, and community leaders through capacity building workshops. Lowenstein said these broad-based partnerships are helping the education stakeholders accomplish together what none could do alone: harness technology to empower the community.

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