Did Broadband Internet Expansion Harm Student Achievement? Examining the Affordable Connectivity Program During the Pandemic

• In Event: How Technology Shapes Educational Opportunity: Promise and Pitfalls

Abstract

We examine the impact of a large-scale federal program expanding broadband internet access among low-income households on academic achievement following the COVID-19 outbreak. Using longitudinal district-level achievement data from the Stanford Educational Data Archive (SEDA), linked to Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) enrollment data from 2021 through 2024 we find that districts with greater enrollment in the program saw lower math and reading language arts achievement. These impacts are more pronounced for reading than math, consistent across most student subgroups and robust to including district-level fixed effects and proxies for change in district sociodemographic composition. The results underscore the importance of pairing investments in broadband access with supports for families that help them leverage technology toward education.

Authors

• Nicolas Pardo, University of Southern California

• Jared Nathan Schachner, University of Southern California

• Hernan Galperin, University of Southern California

• Francois Bar, University of Southern California