How States and Districts Can Close the Digital Divide To Increase College and Career Readiness

Across the country, educators are finding innovative ways to integrate technology into their curricula. Students from marginalized communities often don’t have the chance to engage with technology in meaningful ways, and instead are limited to passive uses of technology that lack rigor and present little opportunity for students to further develop their digital skills. Sometimes this divide stems from a lack of access to devices, but even students who have access often lack the adequate knowledge to utilize devices, and their teachers are typically not adequately trained to embed technology into their curricula in meaningful ways. This issue brief highlights resources that states and districts can access to work toward closing the digital divide and presents a case for future policymaking that prioritizes proactively addressing technological advancements to strengthen ed tech, ultimately increasing college and career readiness.