Conclusion

Differences among public schools with Internet access have decreased in 1998, however, schools with the highest proportion of minority enrollments and schools with the highest proportion of students eligible for free or reduced-price school lunch continue to have fewer instructional rooms with Internet access. And, while the ratio of students per instructional computer is approaching the ratio recommended by the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology, the ratio of students to computer with Internet access is nearly double the recommended student to computer ratio. Public schools have shown a commitment toward securing more efficient means of connecting to the Internet; more schools are connecting to the Internet using dedicated lines than in previous years.