blog post Will Students without Home Internet Fall Behind During Coronavirus Shutdowns? By Niu Gao Mar 12, 2020 While most K-12 schools in California have the ability to deliver classes online, disparities in home internet access could put some students at a disadvantage.
Report Achieving Digital Equity for California’s Students By Joseph Hayes, Niu Gao Oct 25, 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of digital connectivity for learning—while highlighting serious inequities in access to broadband and computing devices. Learn about the progress California made last year and the steps the state can take to achieve the goal of affordable broadband and devices for all California students.
Report Are California’s Schools Ready for Online Testing and Learning? By Niu Gao Apr 6, 2015 In addition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), California is implementing a new, online assessment system: the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). Field tests were conducted last spring and the system is being rolled out this year, amid concerns about whether schools are technologically prepared. Using survey data from the California Educational Technology Professionals Association (CETPA), this report examines school districts’ technology infrastructure and assesses their readiness for online testing. Three findings emerge. First, school districts express confidence in the quantity and quality of their hardware and network capabilities but remain concerned about software and training of instructional and IT staff. Second, there is sizable variation in readiness across districts, linked mainly to student enrollment and district expenditure levels. Third, a clear majority of the state’s onetime CCSS Implementation Fund is going into non-technology spending such as instructional materials and teacher training. Regardless of their current readiness, districts will need targeted and ongoing support to upgrade and maintain their technology infrastructure. In the longer term, virtually all schools will need to upgrade their technology infrastructure in order to adopt and benefit from digital learning.
blog post Testimony: California’s K–12 Digital Divide Has Narrowed, but Access Gaps Persist By Niu Gao Feb 21, 2024 At an Assembly Education Committee hearing on addressing students’ post-pandemic needs, PPIC senior fellow Niu Gao discussed the role that federal, state, and local efforts have played in increasing digital connectivity and outlined key challenges that remain.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Achieving Digital Equity for California’s Students By Joseph Hayes, Niu Gao, Vicki Hsieh Oct 25, 2021 Unprecedented investments during the pandemic led to great strides in digital access for California’s students. But progress stalled in spring 2021 and major equity gaps remain for low-income, Black, and Latino households. Learn what steps the state can take to achieve the goal of affordable broadband and devices for all.
blog post How California’s Digital Divide Affects Students By Courtney Lee, Justin Goss, Niu Gao Apr 25, 2019 Although most K-12 schools have reliable internet access, certain groups of students—such as African American and Latino students and those in low-income households—are less likely than others to have reliable access at home.
blog post A Year into Distance Learning, California’s Digital Divide Persists By Niu Gao, Julien Lafortune, Laura Hill May 13, 2021 Although more K–12 students now have access to computer devices compared to last spring, disparities in internet access generally have not narrowed in the past year.
blog post What Does the Repeal of Net Neutrality Mean for California Schools? By Justin Goss, Niu Gao Jul 11, 2018 California’s K–12 schools increasingly rely on internet service for instruction and test administration—what does repealing net neutrality mean for them?
