Digital Equity and Schools: A 2022/2023 Study

Using a multi-modal approach, Discovery Education—along with Comcast—sought to deepen understanding of remaining barriers to home internet adoption among students and their families by exploring the role schools (educators and administrators) are playing, with a particular focus on family involvement in bridging students’ abilities to connect to high-speed internet to support learning. The study found that:

• Nearly all educators who participated in the study agree that digital equity is more important than ever before, due to the COVID-19 crisis forcing education to become (and likely stay) heavily reliant on digital solutions. 
• Educators and families agree schools/districts could be doing more to help students bridge the digital divide. While two-thirds of families and educators acknowledge their school’s interest in closing the digital divide, only one-third are aware of actionable measures being taken by schools.
• Findings suggest a need for a “train-the-trainer approach” to support educators, who are often also working as digital navigators, in order to become aware of the range of barriers that non-adopters face. This will enable digital navigators and educators to help close the digital divide for more students.

To continue the catalyzation of digital equity for school leaders, educators, parents, and students, the researchers recommend the following actionable steps:

• Strengthen umbrella school-to-home communication at timely transitions by leveraging natural calendar transitions, such as summer and spring breaks, to disseminate information about internet programs and providers
• Ensure alignment to, and inclusion of, school communities within Digital Navigator workstreams.
• Leverage data to pinpoint directed supports by assessing which students are unlikely to have a home internet connection and direct them and their families to resources that can assist.
• Collaborate with other public institutions engaged in connecting households with public benefits.