The Universal Laptop Program Helping Mississippi Narrow the Digital Divide

When pandemic-induced school closures began in spring 2020, Carey Wright, state superintendent of education for Mississippi, seized the opportunity to address the digital divide in the state. Wright and her team at the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) immediately began work on a strategic approach to narrow the digital learning divide between students living in different parts of the state. The first step was an assembly of MDE specialists with expertise in academic content, professional development and technology who collaborated on a digital learning guide that was validated with districts. Wright and her MDE team then developed a comprehensive state-wide digital learning plan and cost model to close the digital divide based on data from the district survey. After MDE’s plan was approved, Mississippi policymakers acted quickly to pass two new laws on July 9, 2020, that allocated a combined $200 million to fund the Mississippi Connects program. The first law, The Equity in Distance Learning Act (Senate Bill 3044) provided districts with $150 million to fund computing devices, software, teacher professional development and improved internet connectivity. The second law, the Mississippi Pandemic Response Broadband Availability Act (House Bill 1788), provided $50 million in grants to Mississippi school districts, independent schools, and Native American tribal schools to expand broadband access in unserved areas of the state.