Access to a home computer increases the likelihood that children will graduate from high school, but blacks and Latinos are much less likely to have a computer at home than are whites, according to a report by a researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). The report also found that the so-called "digital divide" is even more pronounced among children than adults.

If true, the report's findings could have important implications for schools. For one thing, they would appear to support the value of computer take-home programs--such as one-to-one school laptop initiatives, or donating old machines to students' families as they are replaced--as an effective strategy for school success.

But not everyone agrees with the report's conclusions.

Robert Fairlie, associate professor of economics at UCSC, says his research shows the persistence of the digital divide and suggests it has a profound impact on educational outcomes--even when factors such as income and parental education are taken into consideration, Fairlie claims. His findings appeared in the October issue of the Economics of Education Review.

"The digital divide is large and persistent, and black and Latino children are particularly hard-hit," said Fairlie. "The digital divide has important implications for educational and economic inequality in the United States. These findings should be a wake-up call for policy makers."

Although many studies have explored the impact of computers in schools, and the federal government has made computer access in schools a priority, few studies have assessed the impact on youth of having a computer in the home, Fairlie said.

Among the key findings of his research: