Digital Divide
Education news, analysis, and opinion about the inequities in students’ access to technology and their effect
Standards & Accountability
Comparing Paper-Pencil and Computer Test Scores: 7 Key Research Studies
New evidence of a "mode effect" on 2014-15 PARCC exams prompts a fresh look at research on the comparability of computer- and paper-based assessments.
Classroom Technology
Mobile-Only Internet Access Presents Hurdles for Families, Survey Finds
Lower-income parents have "overwhelmingly positive" views about technology for their children, but significant digital inequities persist, according to the Joan Ganz Cooney Center.
Equity & Diversity
Price Transparency Tool Aims to Help Schools Get More Affordable Bandwidth
A new online portal from school-broadband-advovacy group EducationSuperHighway contains Internet service and pricing information for 13,000 public districts across the country.
Federal
U.S. Ed-Tech Plan Calls Attention to 'Digital-Use Divide'
While many educators hailed the fifth National Education Technology Plan as a compelling statement of what's possible, attempts to make the vision a reality face big hurdles.
Federal
New National Ed-Tech Plan Calls for Improved Teacher Prep, Assessment
Improving teachers' preparation to use technology, and how assessments are used, are among the issues emphasized in the 2016 National Education Technology Plan.
Classroom Technology
Facebook CEO, Spouse Pledge Enormous Gift to Education, Health, Communities
"Personalized learning" is a big focus of a pledge by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan to give 99 percent of their Facebook shares, worth an estimated $44 billion, to education and other causes.
IT Infrastructure & Management
School Internet Access Shows Big Progress, New Report Shows
The number of students without adequate Internet connections in school has been cut in half over the past two years, EducationSuperHighway study finds.
Assessment
Ed-Tech Pilot Tests in Districts Informal, Short on Student Feedback, Study Finds
Both districts and ed-tech developers would benefit from collecting more feedback from teachers and students from pilot tests of products, a study suggests.
States
Ed-Tech Lawsuit Over Access Settled in Seattle, in Potential Landmark Accord
Seattle has agreed to take steps to make ed-tech accessible to blind students, faculty, and parents, in a settlement that advocates see as having far-reaching implications.
Classroom Technology
L.A. Mulls Proposed Settlement With Apple, Lenovo Over Troubled Tech Project
Superintendent Ramon Cortines said the settlement funds give the district an "exciting opportunity" to invest in schools that have little technology.
English Learners
As ELL Tests Move Online, Educators Hope for Better Gauge of Skills
Most states will shift to new, computer-based assessments to measure their ELLs' English-language proficiency this school year.
Classroom Technology
Q&A
How to Use Technology to Improve Early Learners' Reading Skills: Q&A
Two early learning experts outline how educators can maximize the use of digital tools to improve the reading skills of children from disadvantaged families.
Equity & Diversity
More Technology Doesn't Mean More Learning, International Study Finds
Access to computers in classrooms is at an all-time high worldwide, but too much technology translates into poorer learning outcomes, researchers find.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
Family Partnerships Are Key to Digital Equity
Following their study of educational media and technology habits, researchers share three steps to better support Hispanic students.