Senator Angus King wants to close "homework gap"

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Senators from Maine and West Virginia are calling on federal Education Secretary John King to help expand home and community Internet access to help students with homework.

Sen. Angus King, a Maine Independent, and Shelley Moore, a West Virginia Republican, want the secretary to implement changes that were part of education reform legislation last year.

King and Moore describe some communities' lack of digital resources as "the homework gap" and say it disproportionately impacts minority and rural students. They say teachers in 96 percent of school districts assign homework that requires Internet use.

King and Moore introduced the Digital Learning Equality Act last year. Portions of it that were adopted include a provision to allow use of funds to support student access to the Internet outside of the school day.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.