A recent study by two researchers at the University of Chicago confirmed what previous technology studies have found: simply giving schools access to the Internet does not automatically translate to gains in student achievement. Analyzing data from California, researchers found that eRate, the federal program that gives telecommunications discounts to schools and libraries (nearly $10 billion since 1999), helped connect schools to the Internet but did not affect test scores of students in those schools. Supporters of eRate respond by claiming that the program was designed to do nothing more than provide the infrastructure necessary to give students access to the Internet where they can gain skills crucial in today's workplace. "Study finds no link yet between internet access, test scores in California schools," eSchool News Online, September 12, 2002 (requires free registration).
