A Shrinking "Digital Divide"? The Provision of Classroom Computers across Urban School Systems

Objective. To determine the extent of the urban school "digital divide"—the varying provision of computer technology to students of different races and classes—and whether it has changed in the 1990s. Methods. Ordinary least squares and logit regression analysis is conducted on the 1995 Council of Urban Boards of Education survey, encompassing 72 urban school districts. Results. Districts with a higher percentage of African American students provided fewer computers per student, whereas community educational level, family income, and Latino enrollment had no effect. On the other hand, districts with more African American students reported recent decreases in the student-to-computer ratio, and comparisons with recent research suggest that the magnitude of this digital divide has decreased. Conclusions. Urban school districts appear to be addressing the digital divide, although inequalities in computer access remain.