Many states are leaving decisions about how to continue instruction during school closures up to districts. Digital Promise and The Education Trust have partnered to compile the following questions to guide equity advocates and district leaders as they engage in conversations to ensure that our most vulnerable students have equitable access to distance learning, both now and for however long school buildings are shuttered.
- How are you ensuring all students have access to the devices they need to fully participate in distance learning?
- How are you ensuring all students have access to reliable, high-speed internet to continue their education?
- How are you supporting schools in structuring instructional time to meet the needs of students with varying levels of access to the internet and technology?
- How are you supporting students with disabilities who need specialized instruction, related services, and other supports during school closures?
- How are you ensuring the instructional needs of English learners (ELs) are supported during school closures?
- What kind of support and professional development are you providing to school leaders and teachers, especially in schools serving students of color and students from low-income backgrounds and educators of students with disabilities and English learners?
- How are you supporting the social and emotional well-being of students, their parents/caregivers, and teachers during school closures?
- How are you maintaining regular communication with students and families — particularly the most vulnerable — during school closures?
- How are you measuring student progress to ensure students and families have an accurate picture of student performance for this school year?
- How are you supporting all high school students, especially seniors, in staying on track to graduate and preparing for college and career?
In the full report, each question is elaborated with a discussion of the challenges facing districts as well as ideas to consider and models of these ideas in practice.
For more, see: https://edtrust.org/resource/10-questions-for-equity-advocates-to-ask-about-distance-learning
For the full guide, see: https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/edtrustmain/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/06163247/10-Questions-for-Equity-Advocates-to-Ask-About-Distance-Learning-During-COVID-19-May-2020.pdf
