Through various innovative technologies, K-12 education has become more accessible, personalized, and engaging. However, because of digital disparities, these benefits are not consistently available to all learners.
In January 2024, the United States Department of Education (DOE) released new guidelines to ensure that K-12 students have equitable experiences with technology. The 2024 edition of the National Educational Technology Plan (2024 NETP) provides details and solutions for three aspects of digital equity: digital access, digital use, and digital design.
For schools and districts, these recommendations may lead to new protocols for evaluating EdTech tools, new ways to support learning with technology, and ongoing solutions to the digital access divide.
Below, we provide an overview of the 3 areas the plan addresses and 6 of the most significant recommendations.
The 2024 NETP categorizes digital divides into 3 main categories, outlined below.
To address these 3 divides, the plan recommends several solutions.
The recommendations from the 2024 NETP we cover below may lead to significant changes in how US K-12 schools approach classroom technology.
One of the disparities the 2024 NETP addresses concerns active versus passive use of classroom technology. In some schools, students use technology for active learning via creative projects, collaboration, and critical media analysis. However, students from historically marginalized backgrounds are less likely to use technology beyond quizzes, digitized worksheets, or other traditional assignments.
The report urges educators to use technology as a tool for Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which involves delivering academic content in multiple formats to support diverse needs and learning preferences.
With EdTech tools, teachers can allow students to choose whether they learn about a concept from a podcast, book, video, or interactive simulation. For summative assessments, students can use EdTech tools to create movies, digital drawings, or audio recordings as alternatives to written assignments and tests.
In districts that implement these guidelines, students will use devices and classroom technologies for a broader range of purposes, increasing the return on investment for 1:1 laptop initiatives and other large-scale technology purchases.
The plan also addresses the accessibility of classroom technologies for individuals with disabilities and English learners. Some EdTech tools lack accessibility features. What’s more, accessibility features and assistive technologies may be incompatible with school devices or blocked by cybersecurity features. EdTech tools may also be incompatible with caregivers’ assistive technologies, limiting their access to school communications.
One solution is for districts to evaluate the accessibility of any prospective technologies during the procurement phase. This process would entail the following steps:
The DOE also advises each district to create an accessibility directory for all its assistive technologies and EdTech tools. The directory would allow staff, caregivers, and students to easily search the accessibility and language translation features for all the classroom technologies a district has purchased. This solution would help teachers choose the tools that serve the needs of English learners and students with individualized education plans (IEPs).
A divide in educator training and support also affects the quality of students’ experiences with classroom technology. The report explains that teachers don’t always receive sufficient training on the functionalities of EdTech tools. Additionally, teachers may lack expertise in the accessibility features that support learners with diverse needs.
To close this divide, the report advocates for ongoing technical support and technology-focused professional learning. One way to achieve this is by vetting EdTech vendors for the quality and level of training they’ll provide during implementation. Districts should also provide training on integrating new EdTech tools into effective instruction.
The 2024 NETP also proposes training teachers on accessibility features of digital learning tools—such as searchable text, highlighting, adjustable font sizes, and captioning in digital textbooks.
In addition, teachers should receive training on designing educational materials (e.g., class websites and homework assignments) that accommodate the diverse needs of students and caregivers. The report references the accessibility training modules from the National Center on Accessible Educational Materials.
In the ongoing effort to close the digital access divide, the 2024 NETP addresses the current state of student internet access. Although 99.3% of US schools have high-speed internet, 13% US households lack an internet subscription because of cost barriers or geographic location. This inequity limits students’ ability to work on school assignments at home and widens disparities between digital literacy and academic success.
The report advocates partnerships between school districts, internet service providers (ISPs), and other stakeholders to build broadband infrastructure in underserved areas. Another recommendation for underserved areas is wireless hotspots in public spaces—such as school buses—so students can access online materials while off campus.
The DOE also recommends that government programs for low-cost internet service eliminate eligibility barriers, such as credit scores and immigration status. Although the federal program for affordable connectivity expired on June 1, 2024, this recommendation could mean that future programs benefit more students.
Another challenge the report addresses is digital citizenship, which impacts students’ abilities to use digital tools safely and effectively. The DOE explains that although 94 percent of 8-18-year-olds have smartphones, only 35 percent of US caregivers monitor screen time. Without training in digital citizenship, students are more vulnerable to cybersecurity threats, cyber-bullying, and misinformation and less prepared for the workforce.
The 2024 NETP recommends that schools explicitly teach digital citizenship skills, such as the following:
These recommendations could result in updated learning standards and curricula in some states.
Underscoring the digital access, use, and design divides is a lack of state and district EdTech leaders who can ensure successful and cost-effective use of EdTech materials. According to the DOE, 45 percent of US states lack an office for coordinating EdTech.
The DOE advises that an Educational Technology Director should be responsible for the following:
By addressing multiple facets of digital equity, the 2024 NETP has the potential to help more learners experience the benefits of classroom technology.
Of the many recommendations in the plan, 6 of the most significant involve active technology use, greater accessibility, educator training, expanded internet access, digital citizenship standards, and EdTech directors.
These recommendations may pave the way for a K-12 system where all learners can thrive in a technology-driven educational landscape.
For more information about tackling digital inequities, see Minimizing Inequalities in Student Access to Exam Technology and other articles in the TAO blog.
Factors such as accessibility features, home internet connection, and digital citizenship skills affect K-12 students’ access to classroom technologies.
The 2024 NETP is an updated framework to help districts, schools, and educators address digital divides in US K-12 schools. The plan provides recommendations to address disparities in how edtech tools are accessed, used, and designed.