Since 1994, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has surveyed public schools to measure what proportion of them are connected to the Internet. These annual surveys enable the U.S. Department of Education to monitor the progress made by public schools in providing access for all students and teachers to information technology in their classrooms and schools. In the fall of each academic year, a new nationally representative sample of approximately 1,000 public schools has been surveyed about Internet access and, since 1996, about the types of Internet connections used. In 2000, questions were also asked about access to the Internet at times outside of regular school hours and on "acceptable use policies."

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