Politics & Government

FCPS Leads the Region in Online Textbook Use

Some concerned about the digital divide.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) are leading the are in implementation of online versus print textbooks, according to the Washington Post.

This fall, in FCPS began using online books in social studies.

While some applaud the move for lightening backpacks, others admit there may be a problem for the less fortunate. FCPS is not providing a laptop or e-reader to every student, and many don't have computers or internet service at home.

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“That little unknown piece about the access is the only thing that still kind of makes me a little anxious,” said Karin Williams, director of operations for FCPS's instructional services division, to the Washington Post.

As reported in , FCPS said during last school year's pilot program, they determined:

Find out what's happening in Burkewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  •  92 percent of middle school students have computer access at home.
  •  0.3 percent have no access.
  •  73 percent say they can have access whenever they want it.
  •  88 percent of high school students have computer access at home.
  •  1.5 percent have no access.
  •  82 percent have access whenever they want it.

Librarians with Fairfax County Public Library said they daily encounter students trying to complete homework assignments within the restricted time allowed on the library's limited number of public access computers.  "We're adjacent to one of the poorest neighborhoods in Fairfax County," said one staff member.  "Forget about computers, some of these families don't even have electricity in their homes," she said.

FCPS tested digital textbooks in 18 schools last year before spending $5.3 million to purchase them for core social studies classes this school year.


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