Study: 'Digital Divide' Affects School Success

[SOURCE: eSchool News]
Access to a home computer increases the likelihood that children will graduate from high school, but blacks and Latinos are much less likely to have a computer at home than are whites, according to a study by a researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). The study also found that the so-called "digital divide" is even more pronounced among children than adults. The study's findings, which have important implications for schools, seem to confirm the value of computer take-home programs--such as one-to-one school laptop initiatives, or donating old machines to students' families as they are replaced--as an effective instructional strategy. The study shows the persistence of the digital divide and suggests it has a profound impact on educational outcomes, even when factors such as income and parental education are taken into consideration, said Robert Fairlie, associate professor of economics at UCSC. His findings appeared in the October issue of the Economics of Education Review. "The digital divide is large and persistent, and black and Latino children are particularly hard-hit," said Fairlie. "The digital divide has important implications for educational and economic inequality in the United States. These findings should be a wake-up call for policy makers."
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