Information Technology and Elementary and Secondary Education: Current Status and Federal Support

Publication Date: January 2001

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Education

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Abstract:

Interest in the application of information technology to education has risen among federal policymakers, sparked partly by concern over poor performance of U.S. elementary and secondary school students and a growing perception that technology might improve that performance. Since the 1980s, schools have acquired technology at a fast pace. Today the ration of students-to-computers is 6-to-1. Despite these gains, schools have a sizeable stock of old, outdated technology. Further, students have substantially different degrees of access to technology. Perhaps of greater concern is that, even when students have access to the technology, relatively little use is made of it in schools.

Research suggests that beneficial effects of technology on achievement are possible, but the effects appear to depend largely upon local school factors. Strengthening teachers’ capabilities with technology is considered one essential step. Another is to develop curriculum that integrates technology into instruction. The financial cost of acquiring, maintaining, and using technology in schools is likely to be a significant hurdle. Estimates of these costs vary widely. Any estimate must be approached with caution because it will be based upon widely varying assumptions about such elements as the configuration of hardware, software, training, and curriculum development.

While there is not set figure on the amount of federal investment being made in technology, the federal government appears to be providing a billion dollars or more annually in support of educational technology through a fragmented effort with support flowing through multiple agencies and many different programs. A large proportion of that assistance comes from federal programs for which technology is not a primary focus. Additionally, the E-rate program, established through the Telecommunications Act of 1996, has provided billions of dollars in discounts for telecommunications services, Internet access, and internal connections to schools and libraries. These discounts are funded by interstate telecommunications carriers. The program has been challenged in the Congress for, among reasons, being more expansive than was intended. Discount commitments totaling over $3.5 billion for its first and second year have been made; the third year of the program is now being implemented.

Shaping federal policy in this area, particularly given that elementary and secondary education is a state and local responsibility, requires addressing at least four major questions: Should the federal government provide support? What activities, if any, should it support? How should this support be provided? What level of support should be provided?