Teachers use computers in the classroom to broaden the scope of learning and to capture the interest of the students. According to the National Center for Education (NCES), 99 percent of teachers in the public school system had access to computers at school at the turn of the century. In a survey commissioned by the NCES, 39 percent of teachers used the computers to create lesson materials. Thirty-four percent of teachers used the computers for record keeping and administrative tasks.
Findings from the 2007--08 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), published in the Characteristics of Public and Bureau of Indian Education Elementary and Secondary School Library Media Centers in the United States, found that more than 90 percent of elementary and secondary public schools had computer workstations for students. The percentages dropped for schools with fewer than 100 students (78.3 percent). All schools with 1,000 or more students reported having library computer centers for student use. A majority of the computer centers provided students with access to online educational databases. More than 68 percent of the centers provided students with access to the online databases from home computers as well.
The NCES revealed that more experienced teachers are less likely to use computers than their less-experienced counterparts. More new teachers reported using computers for communication, lesson planning and to create instructional materials. The NCES classifies new teachers as those having nine or fewer years of teaching experience. Teachers with more than 20 years of teaching experience were less likely to use school computers to complete tasks or as an avenue to information. The 2007-08 School and Staffing Survey suggests that currently, teachers are likely to use computers as an aid regardless of length of teaching experience.
Teachers in schools having a high number of eligible students for free or reduced lunch programs are less likely to use computers for administrative tasks and instructional material creation, according to the NCES report. The 2007-08 School and Staffing Survey suggests this trend changed during the period between the two reports. Currently, more than 90 percent of schools in low-income districts provide computers for student and teacher use.
In 1997, students attending private and public schools in grades K-12 used computers in school at about the same rate of 75 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Public Information Office. There was a difference in the at-home usage rates between students who attend public and private schools. Students in public schools reported using computers at home far less than their private-school peers.
Teacher perception and expertise plays a role in when and how often computers are used in schools. Teachers who reported feeling "well-prepared" on the NCES survey were more likely to use school computers. Teachers who felt comfortable with computers were more likely to assign more difficult tasks for their students, such as looking up information or using the computer to communicate with students at other schools. Teachers without the benefit of recent professional development reported feeling the least prepared to use computers in the course of teaching.
In 1997, about 71 percent of students reported using computers in school. The 2007-08 School and Staffing Survey indicates a sharp increase in school computer use regardless of school grade or student income level. The survey revealed that well more than 90 percent of schools, regardless of school type, income level or grade level, provide computers for student use at school. Schools with fewer than 100 students are the least likely to provide computer labs and workstations, according to the survey.