Extracto

The COVID-19 pandemic rapidly changed how Americans viewed
the importance of broadband Internet connectivity. In a short period of time, a national emergency shifted how and where people accessed work and education, how they interacted with friends and family, and how they spent their time. An inadequate infrastructure for broadband access left rural Americans and particularly rural youth at higher risk. This study was designed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on home Internet connectivity, student achievement, and adolescent well-being. The focus is on middle and high school students enrolled in rural and small-town schools.

This report builds on the findings of a study on Broadband and Student Performance Gaps released in the weeks before the start
of the COVID-19 pandemic (Hampton et al., 2020). That report highlighted the low levels of broadband access by rural Michigan
students and the detrimental impact from a lack of access on their
academic performance, educational aspirations, career choices,
and general well-being. In 2022, we returned to the same schools
that we first surveyed in 2019. We asked students about their
experience with Internet technologies and with learning from home
during the pandemic