The Computer Divide

It’s a small point among so many issues surrounding education, but worth noting that when Education Week published its annual survey of technology advancements among states, Maine, the place that has made so much progress with its laptop plan, was not at the top. Nor was it in the top 10.

The survey, called Technology Counts, measures a lot of data, including the number of students per Internet-connected classroom computer. South Dakota is the top state in that measure, with 3.6 students per connection. Ohio followed it, with 5.4 students per connection. Maine has 6.9, ranking it 12th.

There are all kinds of assumptions in such a ranking and no one is arguing that more connections always makes for better-educated students, of course, but if the goal is to allow students to learn in the classroom using computers this measure is roughly important.

The lesson for Maine is that while it has made some remarkable progress in getting computers into the hands of students, it is not yet among the top states and if it backs off from its commitment to this essential technology of the current age, it will fall back into its uncomfortable position of 34th or 38th best, which is where it often ends up ranked with so much else. Technology Counts isn’t a contest to see which state can finish first, but it is a comparison to tell states whether their students are receiving the same kinds of advantages provided to students in other states.

Just a couple of years ago, in the 2001 survey, the numbers for the current top two states were 8.2 students per classroom computer for South Dakota; 8.9 for Ohio; and 10.3 for Maine. Everyone has made progress; some have made more than others. More, Technology Counts has begun looking at what other nations are doing and are often finding similar rates of progress.

The editors at Education Week wrote recently that, “countries such as South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan have adopted far-reaching national ‘master plans’ to install high-speed computers in schools, train teachers to bolster their lessons by using technology, and encourage students to conduct online research, build Web sites, and tackle Internet-based projects.”

The lesson for Maine is this: Its laptop program kept if from falling behind other states and other nations in providing Internet access to its students, but it was not alone in making that investment and it will fall to the back of the pack unless it keeps investing. Lawmakers couldn’t find money to expand the laptop program this year; the Technology Counts survey may give them fresh incentive to look again when they next meet.