The homework gap, characterized by the technological barriers and disparities students face when doing schoolwork at home, is a long-standing issue in education. It impacts millions of students nationwide, particularly black and Latino students and those who come from low-income families.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, those pre-existing inequities were magnified for the most vulnerable students. Racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps are expected to widen because many of those students still lack essential access to devices and internet connections at home, preventing them from participating in remote learning activities largely delivered online.

School districts today continue to address that challenge as they prepare for the upcoming school year and the possibility of continuing remote or blended learning in the fall. Many have teamed up with service providers, technology companies and nonprofit organizations to find cost-effective solutions to deliver laptops, mobile devices and broadband internet to those who need them.