Working Paper: NBER ID: w16078
Authors: Jacob L. Vigdor; Helen F. Ladd
Abstract: Does differential access to computer technology at home compound the educational disparities between rich and poor? Would a program of government provision of computers to early secondary school students reduce these disparities? We use administrative data on North Carolina public school students to corroborate earlier surveys that document broad racial and socioeconomic gaps in home computer access and use. Using within-student variation in home computer access, and across-ZIP code variation in the timing of the introduction of high-speed internet service, we also demonstrate that the introduction of home computer technology is associated with modest but statistically significant and persistent negative impacts on student math and reading test scores. Further evidence suggests that providing universal access to home computers and high-speed internet access would broaden, rather than narrow, math and reading achievement gaps.
Keywords: digital divide; home computer technology; student achievement
JEL Codes: I21
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Home computer access (C81) | Student achievement (I24) |
| Broadband internet access (L96) | Student achievement (I24) |
| Home computer access (C81) | Test scores (C12) |
| Broadband internet access (L96) | Math scores (C12) |
| Home computer access (C81) | Recreational use of computers (C89) |
| Recreational use of computers (C89) | Student achievement (I24) |