Disadvantage and Devices: Changes in Technology Access by Socioeconomic Status for the 2017–2019 NAEP

• In Event: Challenges and Experiences of NAEP Across School Types and Socioeconomic Status

Abstract

The increasing importance of technology in society has led to a strong interest in understanding changes in students’ technology access across socioeconomic backgrounds. Using data from the 2017 and 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), this study examines changes in fourth and eighth graders’ access to technology items at home and how these changes vary by students’ scores on a socioeconomic status (SES) index. The results show increased internet access for low-SES fourth-grade students and most eighth-grade students in 2019 but decreased access to computers in grade 4 and tablets in both grades, regardless of SES level. Finally, while smartphone access increased for several eighth-grade SES groups, it sharply declined for high-SES fourth graders.

Authors

• Rebecca C. Shipan, Stanford University

• Markus Broer, American Institutes for Research