Every classroom will be connected to the information superhighway. Effective software and on-line learning resources will be an integral part of every school's curriculum. Access to these networks introduces students and teachers to people, places, and ideas from around the world to which they might otherwise not be exposed. Fifty-five percent of schools indicated that funding was a major barrier to the acquisition or use of telecommunications, down from 69 percent in 1994. Small schools, high-poverty schools, and elementary schools are the least likely to have Internet connections, and the least likely to have plans for such connections.
Funding remains the number one barrier to widespread use of telecommunications.
In addition, the two next largest barriers are directly related to funding. Forty-seven percent of schools cite too few access points within school buildings, and 40 percent cite the poor quality or lack of equipment. A number of organizations have developed cost estimates based on varying models of technology deployment. Among these organizations is McKinsey and Company, which in 1995 completed the most comprehensive estimate to date of the costs of implementing technology in all of the nation's schools. These cost estimates range from three to six times what is currently being spent for purchasing and supporting the use of educational technology in schools across the nation and would represent a significant increase in current discretionary expenditures for instructional materials, such as for books and other curriculum supplies.