Advanced Telecommunications in U.S. Private Schools: 1998-99. Statistical Analysis Report.

(NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data related to education in the United States and other nations. It fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report full and complete statistics on the condition of education in the United States; conduct and publish reports and specialized analyses of the meaning and significance of such statistics; assist state and local education agencies in improving their statistical systems; and review and report on education activities in foreign countries. We strive to make our products available in a variety of formats and in language that is appropriate to a variety of audiences. You, as our customer, are the best judge of our success in communicating information effectively. If you have any comments or suggestions about this or any other NCES product or report, we would like to hear from you. Please direct your comments to: Background Throughout the past decade, there have been a number of federal, state, and private initiatives to expand computer and Internet use in schools. These initiatives have been rooted in the national technology goals to make computers accessible to every student, connect every classroom to the Internet, integrate educational software into the curriculum, and train teachers to integrate technology into the classroom (U.S. Department of Education 1998a). In 1994, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) launched a series of annual surveys to track changes in the availability of computers and Internet access in public schools. In fall 1995, NCES also conducted a survey of advanced telecommunications in private schools to provide baseline data on computer and Internet availability, and allow for comparisons with public schools (U.S. Department of Education 1997a). To revisit the issue of computer and Internet availability in private schools and measure changes since 1995, NCES, through its Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), administered a second nationally representative survey of advanced telecommunications in private schools during the 1998-99 school year. Specifically, the 1998-99 survey focused on (1) computer and Internet availability, including the extent to which those resources were available for instruction; (2) selected issues in the use of computers and the Internet, including instructional use of those resources, provision of teacher training, technical support for advanced telecommunications use, and barriers to the acquisition and use of advanced telecommunications ; and (3) the E-rate program and other external support for advanced telecommunications in schools. Making available sufficient and adequate …