Are There Other Impediments to Educational Equity?

A Need for Teachers Trained to Adopt Technology
The U.S. Department of Education recommends that fully 30 percent of a district’s technology budget be reserved for teacher training. Unfortunately, as the 1997 STaR Report notes, the average expenditure was only six percent, or one–fifth of the recommended amount. In its more recent 1998 STaR Report, the CEO Forum focuses attention on professional development, noting that colleges of education should ensure that their graduates are prepared to incorporate technology into their teaching. However, this seems unlikely as only 28 percent of colleges of education require their students to be able to design and deliver instruction using various technologies and 31 percent do not require student teachers to incorporate technology into their curriculum.

A General Acceptance by the Entire Staff of Technology’s Usefulness
Not every American adult is a computer user, nor is every teacher. Many teachers view computers as “tech-toys” reserved for a certain segment of the population, and others have not yet discovered how to integrate the technology into their curriculum. Thus, if three–fifths of teachers in a high school social studies department use computers in their everyday teaching then only three–fifths of all students taking social studies will be exposed to computers in that discipline.

A Need for Quality Content
Effective software and online learning resources can increase students’ learning opportunities — but only when it stimulates higher-order thinking skills like problem–solving and decision making. In his research reported in Does it Compute?, Wenglinsky notes that eighth–graders whose teachers used computers to stimulate learning through “simulations and applications” performed better on NAEP than those whose teachers used computers for “drill and practice” which is generally associated with lower–order thinking skills.

Infrastructure Limitations
Older schools tend to have the most infrastructure weaknesses preventing the full use of technology. Not surprisingly, the oldest school buildings are often found in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods. The 1997 STaR Report listed reasons schools give for not having Internet connectivity. These reasons include lack of electrical power, old electrical wiring, and inadequate phone lines. In every instance the percent of “central–city” schools noting the item to be a significant hurdle was larger than the percent for “all schools.” The implication for future employment and economic advancement for students from these schools is not positive. This quote from a local business owner in Florida is representative of the sentiment and business practices nationwide: “When I hire someone…if they haven’t got at least a little experience with computers, I probably don’t even want to talk to them about a job.”