As COVID-19 continues to challenge our nation, the reality is clear: Schools and districts face a multi-pronged challenge in providing the instruction and the supports necessary to ensure that students can learn and grow despite the immense pressures surrounding them and their families.
As schools and districts move toward 1:1 and blended learning instructional models, access to digital content is essential for student success ? but not all students have access to reliable Internet at home. The result is a growing problem known as the homework gap, where students without access to reliable Internet after school are unable to complete online assignments.
It’s a problem that many educators have been grappling with for years, but one that has been exacerbated? and made more public? by COVID-19: Many students lack sufficient Internet connections at home to be able to complete their schoolwork. In a matter of days, the “homework gap” widened to a full-fledged learning gap, as computers and Internet connections soared to the top of the list of required school supplies and districts made hasty plans to roll out virtual learning.
In September, 2020, the Nebraska Department of Education in partnership with Educational Service Units, the Office of the CIO, issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking educational pricing for residential service for students and teachers. The following list of Service Providers responded to the RFI and are prepared to supply Internet service via wired or wireless processes as available throughout the state.