September 2001 — Features
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New Jersey's Solution to the Digital Divide
Access, Collaboration and Equity Help Bridge the Technology Gap
Access, Collaboration and Equity Help Bridge the Technology Gap
It is well documented that although schools have made great strides toward access within their boundaries, many students lag behind others in the opportunity for access outside of the normal school day. The digital divide, a gap between those who have access to computers and the Internet and those who do not, d'es indeed exist. According to a Department of Commerce study, students in households with larger incomes are more likely to use a home computer for schoolwork than those in poorer households. For example, only 20 percent of students whose households earn less than $30,000 per year are able to access and use a computer at home, while 80 percent of students living in households that earn $75,000 or more have access to technology in their homes.
In New Jersey, where the current ratio for students to multimedia computers is 5.3-to-1, great strides have been made to provide students with equitable access to multimedia computers in the classroom. The state has made several grant programs available to assist in mitigating the disparities that lead to the digital divide. The Access-Collaboration-Equity (ACE) Centers are an example of one such program. Made possible through the New Jersey State Department of Education, the ACE Centers are intended to offer an extension of a school district's educational program for students, their families and members of the community who do not have access to technological resources that support participation in education activities.
The ACE Grant Program
The New Jersey Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology, which has funds totaling $7.4 million, administers 39 ACE Centers located in economically disadvantaged school districts. The centers are designed to help students achieve New Jersey's Core Curriculum Content Standards through instructional activities available to students beyond the school day. The supervised centers are open during evenings, weekends and summer, providing students, their families and community members with access to programs, resources, and services both on-site and online.
Funding for the program is made possible by the Goals 2000: Educate America Act and the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund. Although the funding is only provided for one year, ACE facilities are expected to continue operating for a number of years through support from its residents, school districts and/or community partnerships. So far, these centers are making progress toward breaking down the digital barrier, giving students and adults the opportunity to learn how technology enhances their lives.
Take for example the Union City ACE Center in Hudson County, where an introduction to computer applications course was designed for and offered to the parents of Union City School's students. On many occasions, both parent and child attended class together, exposing parents to the technology their children were learning and using daily.
