Digital Promise’s Digital Equity Framework is a set of principles, guidelines, and policy recommendations designed to bridge the digital divides at the state level, for K-12 systems, and for higher education. Applied together, it will ensure that all people living, learning, and working in the United States are able to thrive in today’s digital world. By using the Digital Equity Framework, leaders of school systems and higher education institutions can establish a strong foundation to transform current teaching practices and learning experiences, while also future-proofing their schools for the evolving technological landscape.
Dive deeper into the context behind the Digital Equity Framework in our August 2024 white paper, A Framework for Digital Equity.
Digital Promise and Verizon welcomed 34 Title 1 middle and high schools from 13 districts across the country into the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program in fall 2024. Through the continued partnership between Digital Promise and Verizon, the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program works side-by-side with schools and districts to get internet-connected devices into the hands of students and to enhance how teachers use technology in the classroom with dedicated coaches, professional development, and community building with an ultimate goal of achieving sustainable digital equity throughout the school district. The 11th cohort expanded the program’s reach to 626 schools in 115 school districts across 39 states and Washington, D.C.
Chloe, a sixth-grader at Jasper County Middle School in rural Georgia and a student tech team member, became the first student in the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools network to earn CTL Certification, allowing her to repair school devices under warranty—significantly reducing the need to outsource repairs and navigate loaner devices due to processing times. In New Brunswick and Jersey City, New Jersey, student tech teams operate like in-house repair hubs, tackling Tier 1 issues and transforming turnaround times.
Student tech teams, which are staples in Verizon Innovative Learning Schools across the country, go far beyond troubleshooting devices—they support the development of student leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers. Said Angie Beneciuk, the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools coach at New Brunswick Middle School: “When students are empowered to take ownership, they don’t just complete tasks; they build real-world skills and mindsets that fuel long-term growth.”
While all 50 states in the U.S. have created computer science and computational thinking (CT) standards and policies, not all districts are implementing them uniformly or effectively across their schools. Three school districts across Pennsylvania are partnering in Digital Promise’s first-ever regional cohort for CT pathways, working collaboratively to map where CT is embedded in their schools and classrooms to identify gaps and ensure all students have access to modern essential skills. Digital Promise’s CT Pathways Toolkit helps school and district leaders establish CT pathways aligned with their internal initiatives and vision to create inclusive opportunities for all students.
