Lack of Technology:

Examining how lack of access to technology greatly hinders student academic achievement in New York.

Allary Montague

Amontague2@schools.nyc.gov

PS 129, John H Finley School for Excellence

INTRODUCTION

- As more and more schools across the country to partial, and in some cases total remote learning environments, it is becoming increasingly clear that not all students have adequate access to the technology necessary to keep up with their more affluent peers.

- According to www.Pewresearch.org, “The majority of eighth-grade students in the United States rely on the internet at home to get their homework done. Roughly six-in-ten students (58%) say they use the internet at their home to do homework every day or almost every day.”

- Additionally, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of 2015 U.S. Census Bureau data school age children in lower-income households are especially likely to lack broadband access. Roughly one-third of households with children ages 6 to 17 and whose annual income falls below $30,000 a year do not have a high-speed internet connection at home, compared with just 6% of such households earning $75,000 or more a year. These broadband disparities are particularly pronounced for black and Hispanic households with school-age children – especially those with low household incomes.

TASK

According to Urban.org, test data show students without computer or internet access are already far behind their peers in reading and math achievement. You are tasked with researching, identifying and writing either a report (three page research paper - typed, double spaced, Times New Roman size 12 font), or a PowerPoint Presentation (minimum of 10 slides), or in which you explain the issues regarding the lack of technology in urban and underserviced/privilege areas of New York and examine in detail the link between this issue and low test scores in Manhattan.

PROCESS/RESOURCES

You class will be divided into groups of five students. Your teacher will assign one group member as the leader.

The leader will coordinate the group and see that all tasks are completed. Other members will be as follows:

The recorder who lists the problems the group finds concerning littering in the PS 129 area.

Two researchers who gather information and data about the problem of littering in the PS 129 area. This could involve observation, interviews with students, discussions with school staff and administrators, etc.

A presenter who will gather the data from the researchers and their reports. The presenter will organize the reports and display them for the class and others in the school community to see. Your teacher will guide you as to what will be expected.

You are to use the six step Public Policy Analyst. This process will carry you through the stages of discovery to choosing solutions to the problem of littering around PS 129.

1. What is the problem?

2. Where is the evidence?

3. What are the causes?

4. What is the existing policy?

5. What policies can you create to correct the problem?

6. What is the best policy to correct the problem

In your group, each person is responsible for contributing one paragraph to a one-page report in addition to a visual representation in which the problem of a lack of student access to technology in New York is examined and a viable and an easily implemented solution is presented.

Evaluation

The following rubric will be employed to evaluate the degree to which the problem was researched, and solutions were proposed.

Public Awareness Campaign: Lack of Student Access to Technology in New York
CATEGORY	Excellent	Good	Just Ok	Needs Work
Brainstorming - Problems	Students identify more than 4 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change.	Students identify at least 4 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change.	Students identify at least 3 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change.	Students identify fewer than 3 reasonable, insightful barriers/problems that need to change.
Brainstorming - Solutions	Students identify more than 4 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change.	Students identify at least 4 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change.	Students identify at least 3 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change.	Students identify fewer than 3 reasonable, insightful possible solutions/strategies to encourage change.
Campaign/Product	Students create an original, accurate and interesting product that adequately addresses the issue.	Students create an accurate product that adequately addresses the issue.	Students create an accurate product but it does not adequately address the issue.	The product is not accurate.
Sources - Quality	Students include 4 or more high quality sources.	Students include 2-3 high quality sources	Students include 2-3 sources but some of are questionable quality.	Students include fewer than 2 sources.
Sources-Citation	Information in all source citations is correct, and in the format assigned.	Information in all source citations is correct but there are minor errors in formatting.	Information in almost all source citations is correct AND there are minor errors in formatting.	The information is often incorrect OR there are major errors in formatting.

Conclusion

Congratulations!

Your group has helped to identify the problem of lack of student access to technology in New York and proposed solutions that will help the whole school community!

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Standards

Common Core State Standards

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.1.A, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.1.B, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.1.C, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.1.D

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1.A, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1.B, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1.C, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1.D, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.3

Standard 5 – Technology Education:  Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs