Danny Weiss
Chief Advocacy Officer, Common Sense
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Closing the digital divide between lower-income students and their more affluent peers would ensure that every child has an equal opportunity to thrive.
This Bill Could Help Close the Homework Gap
Closing the digital divide between lower-income students and their more affluent peers would ensure that every child has an equal opportunity to thrive.
Here's some great news out of Washington, D.C.: The homework gap is getting Congress' attention.
Reps. Peter Welch of Vermont and David McKinley of West Virginia are pushing their colleagues in the House to help make sure kids who don't have high-speed broadband at home can get it. They've introduced a bill called the Digital Equity Learning Act (HR 3582) and are trying to get it included in a big education bill that might get voted on later this year.
If passed into law, it will be one more important step toward closing the digital divide between lower-income students and their more affluent peers by ensuring all students have access to online learning resources, even when they're out of the classroom.
Essentially, the homework gap is the divide between students who don't have broadband access at home and those who do. In fact, five million households with school-age kids don't have high-speed Internet at home. And with more and more teachers assigning homework that must be done online, access to broadband is becoming critical to students' success.
In a recent report we published on the benefits of broadband, we point out why having access to high-speed Internet is so important. You can read the whole report here, but consider these highlights:
- 7 in 10 teachers assign homework that requires the Internet.
- Expanded access to broadband has been shown to boost family income.
- The Internet helps connect families to the most affordable, accessible health care information.
If you want to do your part to help close the homework gap, click here to tweet your support for the Digital Equity Learning Act.
Here's some great news out of Washington, D.C.: The homework gap is getting Congress' attention.
Reps. Peter Welch of Vermont and David McKinley of West Virginia are pushing their colleagues in the House to help make sure kids who don't have high-speed broadband at home can get it. They've introduced a bill called the Digital Equity Learning Act (HR 3582) and are trying to get it included in a big education bill that might get voted on later this year.
If passed into law, it will be one more important step toward closing the digital divide between lower-income students and their more affluent peers by ensuring all students have access to online learning resources, even when they're out of the classroom.
Essentially, the homework gap is the divide between students who don't have broadband access at home and those who do. In fact, five million households with school-age kids don't have high-speed Internet at home. And with more and more teachers assigning homework that must be done online, access to broadband is becoming critical to students' success.
In a recent report we published on the benefits of broadband, we point out why having access to high-speed Internet is so important. You can read the whole report here, but consider these highlights:
- 7 in 10 teachers assign homework that requires the Internet.
- Expanded access to broadband has been shown to boost family income.
- The Internet helps connect families to the most affordable, accessible health care information.
If you want to do your part to help close the homework gap, click here to tweet your support for the Digital Equity Learning Act.
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