The Home Access Playbook from the U.S. Department of Education outlines seven strategies that state leaders are taking to address issues of home internet and device access for students—including a need for more accurate broadband availability data and data on students’ home broadband access, a need for continued collaboration across government agencies and with internet service providers and community partners, and a need for additional training for teachers and families to effectively use the technology to improve student learning.

The National Education Technology Plan (NETP) sets a national vision and plan for learning enabled by technology through building on the work of leading education researchers; district, school, and higher education leaders; classroom teachers; developers; entrepreneurs; and nonprofit organizations. It is a call to action, vision for learning enabled through technology and a collection of recommendations & real world examples.

Over the last year, schools, districts, and states have taken a variety of approaches to address the homework gap for students. The U.S. Department of Education recently released a new guide for school districts that highlights one possible long-term solution, particularly for rural communities -- deploying off-campus wireless networks.

A guide intended to help all parents and caregivers, including those who have limited experience with digital tools, those who are expert with these tools, and anywhere in between, as they monitor students’ progress as they use technology for learning. The guide covers the benefits of
digital learning and how best to enable digital learning for children through personal learning devices and internet access.

In spring 2022, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology (OET) committed to advancing digital equity through the Digital Equity Education Roundtables (DEER) Initiative. Through DEER, OET hosted a series of national conversations with leaders from community-based organizations, as well as families and learners furthest from digital opportunities. The “Advancing Digital Equity All” resource illuminates insights from these conversation to highlight the barriers faced by learner communities and promising solutions for increasing access to technology for learning.

The historic federal investments authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act offer critical opportunities for broadband planning that can identify and equitably address the various availability, affordability, and adoption challenges described. Using this guidance resource as a starting point, it is essential that leaders collaborate with those most impacted by the digital divide to develop comprehensive digital equity plans that outline strategies to meet the needs of learners, their families/caregivers, and communities effectively and sustainably.

The 2023 Dear Colleague Letter: Leveraging Federal Funds for Teaching and Learning with Technology provides information to State, district, and eligible partnership grantees on core areas for maximizing investment in innovative technology-based learning strategies.

HUD’s ConnectHome pilot program was launched in 2015 to address the “homework gap” for students in grades K-12 living in public and Indian housing, and entailed twenty-eight communities working with private sector stakeholders to connect households to the Internet, provide digital literacy training, and distribute thousands of free or low-cost devices. The ConnectHome Playbook incorporates lessons, models, tips, and case studies identified from the program into a step-by-step guide for communities looking to set up their own digital inclusion initiatives.

A report detailing the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA) research regarding the use of technology-based learning (TBL) in the public workforce system, and two areas of ETA research in particular: 1) emerging state policies on TBL and 2) use of TBL at the local level in American Job Centers (AJCs).

A report setting out the federal government’s five-year strategic plan for STEM education, based on a vision for a future where all Americans will have lifelong access to high-quality STEM education and the United States will be the global leader in STEM literacy, innovation, and employment.