Rural Americans often face challenges in education and, as a result, long-term economic stability due to a deficiency in access to digital resources, minimal opportunities for advanced education, and a lack of community support and value placed on educational achievements. This article explores these deficiencies through the theoretical framework…

Digital inclusion is key to a better and fairer economic future where every Californian can thrive. But social and physical distancing requirements necessitated by the pandemic have shined a spotlight on the dramatic digital divide facing California's workers, as well as the inequities of that divide. It's time for policies to change so that every…

Education in the 21st century increasingly relies on strong, reliable access to the internet at school and at home. However, millions of students throughout the United States are unable to connect to the internet outside of school to complete coursework and actively participate in a modern education. This issue exists throughout educational…

In October 2019, the Public School Forum of North Carolina launched Study Group XVII: Supporting North Carolina's Rural Students. Building on the Forum's long history of exploring the most pressing issues impacting North Carolina's public schools, the seventeenth Study Group convened thought leaders from education, academia, policy, and business…

In November 2014, New York voters approved the Smart Schools Bond Act, which authorizes up to $2 billion in state general obligation borrowing to finance school district purchases of computers and other classroom technology; improve schools' high-speed and wireless internet links; install "high-tech smart security features" in school…

The federal School Improvement Grants (SIG) program aims to improve student achievement by promoting the implementation of four school intervention models: transformation, turnaround, restart, and closure. Previous research provides evidence that low-performing schools adopt some practices promoted by the four models, but little is known about how…

This paper evaluates the effects of federal initiatives in educational technology in elementary and secondary education over the past half-century. While federal resources have been diluted across many programs, this paper focuses on the few initiatives in which the federal role was substantial and integral. The findings from this paper have…

The Improving Literacy through School Libraries (LSL) program was established under Title I, Part B, Subpart 4 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). The purpose of the program is to improve the literacy skills and academic achievement of students by providing them with increased…

This report describes Biblored, the library network in Bogota, Colombia, that received the 2002 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Access to Learning Award. Biblored is a network of 19 libraries that attract about 200,000 users per month and serve some of the poorest neighborhoods in Bogota. The network's success in making information and…

This document contains a letter to members of the United States Senate reporting the information gathered from a study of five school districts' experiences funding technology programs. Appendices, which comprise the majority of the document, include the project scope and evaluation, and the reports from each school district. The five school…

This report summarizes evaluation results of AISD's Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund (TIF) Board Public School Grants for the 2002-2003 school year.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to include support for advanced telecommunications--such as the Internet and computer networking--for elementary and secondary schools, public libraries, and nonprofit rural health care providers among the Universal Service Fund (USF) mandates. In its plan, the…

Ohio's Legislative Office of Education Oversight (LOEO) evaluates education-related activities funded wholly or in part by that state. SchoolNet initiatives seek to increase Ohio K-12 schools' access to computers, networks, and other technology, with a particular emphasis on low-wealth districts. This report addresses the gap between the…

This report examines resources supporting technology in New York public schools and how well state policies and funding streams support the New York State Regents' goals. It also explores proposed fiscal and operational changes that contribute to or inhibit effective integration of technology within the curriculum. The report discusses some…

Access to information technology is rapidly becoming the benchmark by which quality in higher education is judged. The use of information technology for both on-campus instruction and distance learning is nowhere near reaching its full potential in Colorado. This report provides a statewide vision for the incorporation of information technology…