U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is calling on school leaders to address the resource gap in K-12 schools, a task that he says includes improving access to technology among poor and minority students.
In a 鈥淒ear Colleague鈥� letter distributed recently, the Department of Education urged states, districts and schools to proactively evaluate how they allocate resources鈥攕uch as academic programs, extracurricular activities, building facilities and technology鈥攁nd outlined the role of the Department鈥檚 Office for Civil Rights in investigating potentially discriminatory practices.
The letter comes just months after data collected by OCR exposed vast resource disparities in school systems across the nation, and the document marks the first guidance on the issue of resource equity released under the Obama administration, Education Week鈥榮 Alyson Klein last week.
Disparities in the level of access to educational resources often reflect the racial demographics of schools, the guidance states, 鈥渨ith schools serving the most students of color having lower quality or fewer resources than schools serving largely white populations even within the same district.鈥�
And while technology gaps along the lines of race and income are in fact narrowing at a national level, the guidance notes that 鈥渄isparities persist regarding the number and quality of computers or mobile devices in the classroom, speed of internet access, and the extent to which teachers and staff are adequately prepared to teach students using these technologies.鈥�
The OCR will investigate whether all students within a school or district have comparable access to the technological tools given to teachers and students, regardless of race. It will also compare how those tools are supported and implemented.
Additionally, for situations in which the use of technology outside of school hours is a 鈥渘ecessary or presumed aspect of what is expected from students,鈥� OCR will investigate the extent to which districts support students who do not have access to those technologies at home.
Still, it remains unclear how the guidance鈥攁nd any potential action by OCR moving forward鈥攚ill impact the availability of resources to disadvantaged students.
If a district鈥檚 allocation of technology is found to be in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964鈥攚hich prohibits 鈥渄iscrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin, in programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance"鈥擮CR may require the purchase of 鈥渁dditional textbooks, computers, or other materials for schools that have fallen behind in the quality or quantity of these resources鈥�.
The guidance acknowledges that gaps in resource comparability cannot be remedied immediately, but makes clear that 鈥渓ack of funding is not a defense for noncompliance with federal civil rights obligations.鈥�
See Alyson Klein鈥檚 piece in the for a range of reactions to the letter鈥攊ncluding praise from civil rights advocates, and unease from those who fear it will stifle the implementation of programs that cannot be funded district-wide.