WASHINGTON — Students of all economic levels have access to computers in school, but low-income students are only about half as likely to have Internet access in their classroom, according to a survey.
The report, by Education Week, found that 39 percent of classrooms in high-poverty schools had Internet connections in 1999, compared to 74 percent in those with few poor students.
``The digital divide is reinventing itself,'' said Kevin Bushweller, the magazine's assistant managing editor and a project editor for the report.
Using 1999 Education Department statistics, the report found that Internet connections in school buildings are nearly universal at 95 percent, with 63 percent of classrooms online.
The report said computer access for students was nearly constant across economic lines. Using private marketing data, the report found that there were 8.8 students per computer in schools with many poor students in 2000 — slightly higher than the eight students per computer in other schools.
In a survey also included in the report, researchers also found that half of 500 students surveyed said they use a computer at school an hour a week or less. Only 29 percent said they use a computer for two to four hours weekly at school.
The telephone survey of students in seventh through 12th grade was conducted Jan. 15-28 by Harris Interactive.
An unrelated survey released last March found that, despite the Internet's near universal presence in schools, most teachers don't spend much time online and don't turn to the Web when developing lessons.
Ninety-seven percent of 600 teachers surveyed said their schools have Internet access, but 60 percent said they spend half an hour or less online at school each day. Only 6 percent said they spend an hour or more online.
Only a third said the Internet is integrated into their classrooms, with many teachers saying they just don't have enough time to go online.
www.edweek.org
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