Beyond Broadband Access: The Need for Advocacy and Cultural Competency in the K-12 Digital World

This report provides an overview of existing historic inequities among low-income Black, Latinx, and Native American kindergarten through twelfth grade (“K-12”) students which have carried over to digital classroom settings, and have been exacerbated with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The detrimental effects that the digital divide has on low-income students of color are detailed in the analysis. Additionally, this study emphasizes the importance of advocacy and cultural competency when addressing broadband gaps among marginalized students, explaining how community-based initiatives can serve as models for implementation. The report concludes with recommendations for ensuring academic success for K-12 low-income students of color as the country becomes more reliant on technology.  "Cultural competency" means focusing on, and respecting, the individual cultures of minority students to prevent the erasure of said cultures in the classroom. Key takeaways:

• Access to the Internet and digital devices is a civil right because they are proven to be necessary for baseline educational opportunities. If students do not have Internet access in a digital society, they cannot have equal educational access.
• History indicates that barriers to accessing an adequate education for students of color are structural issues rooted in race and class. These foundational barriers must be addressed to understand the multi-dimensional ways digital inequities falter education.
• Community-based initiatives centering on advocacy and cultural competency are critical for providing K-12 low-income students of color with access to the Internet, digital devices, and digital literacy.
• More research needs to be conducted on digital inequities among K-12, employing a critical lens to identify gaps in broadband, access, and adoption.