This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A recent report from the Alliance for Excellent Education shows that Utah is beating national averages in some areas and lagging in some others when it comes to online learning.
— On average, Utah had 5.3 kids per high-speed Internet connected computer in 2006, more than the national average of 3.7 kids per computer (in case you didn't know, Utah has LOTS of kids).
— But on the bright side, in Utah, 84 percent of eighth-graders had access to computers in their classrooms in 2007, higher than the national average of 50 percent.
— In 2009, 83 percent of Utah individuals had access to the Internet at home, the same as the national average.
The report advocates for increased technology in education, saying it can help when it comes to three big challenges facing education today: 1) increased global demands for skilled workers 2) financial shortfalls and 3) an impending teacher shortage.