Commentary

Internet Pervasive in Schools, But Other Technologies Lacking

by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, May 19, 2005

Internet Pervasive in Schools, But Other Technologies Lacking

According to The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in March of this year, supplemented by eMarketer, 93% of instructional rooms in public schools have Internet access, a serious rise from just 64% in 1999 and only 3% in 1994. And, the number of schools with broadband connectivity has risen to 95% in 2003.

US Public Schools with Broadband Access (% of schools)
2000	80%
2001	85
2002	94
2003	95
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, US February 2005

The report also determines that as Net connectivity rises in the public school system, the ratio of students to instructional computers has declined. In 1998, the ratio was 12-to-1, but by 2003 that ratio was 4-to-4.

Teachers Who Believe Selected Technologies Are Essential To Their Teaching
Technology	% Feel Essential
Video camera	18%
Full page scanner	20
Multimedia authoring program	21
Presentation software	35
At least one computer for every four students in classroom	49
Encyclopedia and other reference works on CD-ROM51	51
Telephone in classroom	56
World Wide Web access in classroom	61
Teacher computer station with access to electronic mail	68
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, (TFS)

As Internet access has become more pervasive in the public school system, so too have controls to keep students away from harmful online content. The study finds that nearly 100% of public schools have technologies or procedures in place on all of their computers with Internet access. In June of 2004 however, St. Bernard Software found that just 39% of technology decision-makers at schools rate their districts with an A+ for protecting their students against inappropriate content. 44% rated a B and 15%, a C.