Seventy percent of teachers assign homework requiring access to broadband. 30 percent of school districts in the U.S. have technology as part of their curriculum. Yet, one out of three students do not have Internet at home and are caught in this “Homework Gap.” Students leave school and cannot do homework, research projects or collaborate with teachers or classmates online. Without broadband at home, these students are at a higher risk of falling behind, aggravating inequality and reducing opportunities in life. Students who do not have Internet at home may have less success at school, have lower grades, enjoy school less, experience lower self-esteem, have less interest in STEM-related careers, and have less interest and opportunity to attend post-secondary education.
The data for this project will consist of three databases linked by a unique de-identified participant ID. (1) A paper survey completed by all students age 13 and older in our partner Michigan school districts. Approx. 7,000 students in mostly rural school districts. (2) Student records (i.e., M-STEP scores) that are de-identified and (3) Results of an Internet speed test that students complete on a website using any device they use to complete homework.
The paper survey will be completed at school at the start of one class as decided by the local school administrators. After completing the survey, if students have Internet access outside of school they will be asked to visit a website and complete an internet speed test. They will be asked to visit this website using any device they use for homework. The speed test will record information on the quality and speed of their Internet connection. Students will enter their de- identified participant ID when completing the speed test. The speed test website is operated by a partner institution, Merit Networks. The results of the speed test will be linked to data from the paper survey and student records. Aggregated findings/data will be published, shared with school districts and made publicly available. We also intend to report our findings back to students.
This project has been approved by the Michigan State University IRB. We are currently seeking funding through sources such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Benton Foundation. We have initial buy-in from the Michigan Department of Education and will seek additional funding from state agencies if we believe such a partnership will not interfere with the integrity of this research.
