Student access to desktop computers is still important in today's age of portable electronic and mobile devices. This paper will examine a sample of student usage of desktop computers in a small university library. Survey results indicated that students do find having access to desktop computers is still relevant for their research and personal…

To prepare students for the 21st century, it is necessary for all students to have equitable access to technological resources, such as laptops and internet service. Despite efforts to eliminate barriers to accessing technology, digital equity gaps still remain. This study used critical narrative inquiry to understand the racialized experiences of…

African American/Black, Hispanic, and biracial students living in rural low-income households without technological devices or high-speed internet may experience instruction barriers, resulting in losing access to educational resources in rural California schools. The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to gain a deeper understanding…

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of digital connectivity for learning--while revealing serious inequities in access to broadband and computing devices. For the 2021-22 school year, California has focused on getting as many students as possible back to the classroom. But digital access at home remains essential. As digital tools for…

The goal of greater student engagement has led districts to turn to technology, specifically, one-to-one (1:1) or a device for every student. This qualitative case study explored teachers' mobile device use to implement high-leverage instructional practices that engage students, advance equity, and improve student learning outcomes for underserved…

As Artificial Intelligence within education becomes increasingly important, Digital Promise reviewed the guidance documents released by seven states--California, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia, Washington state, and West Virginia--on how to approach artificial intelligence (AI) in education. Throughout this report the authors summarize the…

Our country has a digital equity crisis, with many socioeconomically disadvantaged students disproportionately experiencing significant negative consequences from the digital divide. This program evaluation sought to investigate whether the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools (VILS) grant program decreases the consequences of the digital divide…

In the digital age, schools are a central part of a nationwide effort to make access to technology more equitable, so that all young people, regardless of identity or background, have the opportunity to engage with the technologies that are essential to modern life. Most students, however, come to school with digital knowledge they've already…

Smartphones, laptops, and tablets are mobile devices that are now considered essential tools for high school educators. The problem many teachers face is figuring out how to manage multiple mobile devices in the classroom at the same time. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the barriers, problems, and challenges teachers…

This document contains the technical appendices for the report "Achieving Digital Equity for California's Students." Appendices include: (1) Census Household Pulse Survey; and (2) Additional Figures. [For the full report, see ED617930. For the Policy Brief, see ED617933.]

As the COVID-19 pandemic has shown, digital connectivity is critical to student learning. Gaps in digital access--including reliable access to internet and a digital device--are a driving force in the educational inequities evident during distance learning. In this report, the authors use data on a sample of California households with children…

The COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020 as high school seniors were receiving their college admission notifications for fall. Many postsecondary institutions shifted outreach efforts to online formats. This qualitative study examines how virtual recruitment at an emerging HSI incorporates culturally responsive practices from the perspective of…

How do we ensure that all students have the tools and resources they need to succeed in today's educational context? In this article, we explore how the right to education generally and to specific educational tools and resources in California have been protected through litigation in the past; how the COVID-19 pandemic revealed technology-based…

The COVID-19 pandemic began in the late months of 2019, and by the spring of 2020, to limit transmission of the virus, schools across the globe closed and transitioned to emergency online teaching. While the move to online teaching and learning was inevitable, many learners, especially in rural and remote areas, found that online schooling had…

COVID-19 has disrupted California's education system in fundamental ways. Districts across the state are quickly creating strategies to serve all students, and many are designing their response around the needs of their most vulnerable students. This brief highlights the response of Mother Lode Union School District (MLUSD) to the COVID-19…