Closing the homework gap in California: Promoting broadband for K-12 families beyond the pandemic
Since 2008, the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) has conducted a statewide survey to assess California’s progress towards closing the divide in broadband connectivity across the state. Over the years, the results have shown a steady increase in broadband adoption, though the gains have been uneven across regions and groups. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to remote learning across California, there has been particular attention to deficits in connectivity and device availability among K-12 families. Prior research has shown that these deficits are associated with demographic characteristics such as income and race or ethnicity, as well as place of residency. The concern is that barriers to online learning associated with broadband connectivity and digital literacy may further exacerbate existing educational dis- parities along income, racial and geographical lines. This policy brief examines these questions based on the findings from the 2021 Statewide Survey on Broadband Adoption. The results are organized along three pillars that, when taken together, have been shown by prior research to enhance remote learning outcomes and mitigate its potential negative impacts. These pillars are: (1) access to the appropriate devices for remote learning; (2) access to robust connectivity for remote learning activities; and (3) parental support for online learning, which include helping children with schoolwork, communicating with teachers, and checking on students’ progress. The results are disaggregated by race or ethnicity, income and other demographic characteristics that reveal disparities in the ability to cope with the transition to remote learning among California families.