Digital and Educational Equity: How States Plan to Partner with Educational Institutions

Digital equity cannot be fully realized without the participation of educational institutions, including K-12 public schools, community colleges, historically black and other minority serving colleges and universities, and extension programs. Many state digital equity plans embrace education and potential collaborations with educational institutions. All states acknowledge that digital equity is critical to education. All learners need access to connected devices, software, and the internet—as well as to trained educators to help them navigate those tools. But some states go further than others in efforts to collaborate and partner with educational institutions. States’ approaches to the role of educational institutions in digital inclusion work generally fall into three categories:

1. The state acknowledges that a lack of digital equity impedes educational quality and attainment.
2. The state plans to collaborate with educational institutions, primarily for device distribution.
3. The state plans to partner with educational institutions in order to achieve digital equity, both in terms of access/affordability and in terms of teaching digital skills.