Addressing Online Learning Equitably for K-12 Schools in the Wake of COVID-19: First Draft

** Disclaimer: I have not included endnotes or works cited in this version. I just put the source in parentheses after the sentences in which the source was referenced.

Introduction:

Online schooling has taken the world by storm since the introduction of the internet and the development of new technologies that have allowed for the creation of digital academic resources.  With the very recent announcement from Governor Tom Wolf that Pennsylvania public schools will be closing indefinitely in hopes to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers, students, and families have worked to adapt to a new digital normal for education to the best of their abilities. (NBC Philadelphia) ¹ However, the transition has had its ups and downs, and students and teachers are still working to better these changes each day. While online education has many benefits for students that have the resources and learning abilities that are suitable for an online environment, many others have struggled to access the material the same way in which they were able to in the traditional classroom. Many college students are more expected to have computers of their own and have been able to adapt much more smoothly to this abrupt shift in educational strategy. On the other hand, primary and secondary schools educate a much wider demographic of students, and technological access to internet connection and personal computers is much less expected at the K-12 level. Rather than rushing into coaching their teachers and creating online material at the fastest rate possible, school districts need to put equity at the forefront of their plans in the wake of school closures. Research shows that students with “lower levels of prior achievement” and of lower socioeconomic status face greater difficulty in adapting to online coursework. ¹ Policymakers at the state level must make efforts in the upcoming months on ways to improve this process for public schools and address the gaps in access to the proper technology for students in families . in the aftermath of COVID-19’s impact.

According to Dr. Rivers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Policy, coronavirus vaccines may not be available for 12-18 months. (Brookings)  Looking into the future, schools not only need to be concerned with continuing education through the duration of this school year but also into the fall. During the summer months, school districts in Pennsylvania and around the country will need to be strategic and thoughtful about adjusting their educational material and delivery to accommodate all of their students equitably.¹ Many schools already struggle to provide equitable educational experiences to their students in their traditional brick and mortar environments.

Socioeconomic Affordability and Access to Technology

Perhaps the most obvious source of inequity in this distance learning environment is due to the disparities in access to internet and technology remotely. Lower income families tend to have few levels of technology adoption in their homes and are one of the largest targets for inequity if schools fail to provide the necessary devices to their student populations. (Pew Research Center)

Internet access is also a necessity for students to connect and communicate with their respective schools and teachers during this remote period.  Access is definitely part of the problem, but access is not the same thing as equity. As schools work to not only address the transition to distance learning now, they also must think about long term changes and plans for the upcoming school year and even years beyond. This virus has highlighted weaknesses in the strength of our educational systems, and schools must be proactive this summer in creating plans and programs to ensure. Schools are attempting different measures to eliminate this technology barrier, but the answer is not necessarily crystal clear.

• Los Angeles schools are working to provide both high-tech and low-tech answers to reach all students with opportunities to continue learning. (USA Today).

• “Kentucky’s largest district, Jefferson County Public Schools, is specifically not moving to online learning because of equity concerns.” (USA Today). The immense size of the district, standing at 98,000 students makes it hardly feasible to provide enough digital devices or ensure internet access for the students that are less advantaged. The school hopes to be able to make up for the lost time when students are able to return to school.

• Ann Arbor Public Schools in Michigan have already enacted distribution plans to provide learning devices and Wi-Fi Hotspots to all students within the district. (USA Today).

Each one of these plans hopes to eliminate the technological barriers that could create inequities in a completely remote learning environment. Though there are positives and negatives to each approach, it is evident that schools are trying to work at the quickest rate possible to distribute materials and resume learning immediately. If digital equity is truly the goal, serious time and energy will need to be put in school districts to create information packets to accommodate these devices in the case that students and families of different backgrounds can assimilate to the new learning medium smoothly.

The California Department of Education has released a continuum graphic to illustrate a feasible progression of distance learning options for families, depending on their access to resources.

To tackle this technological gap, school districts will have to work to communicate thoroughly with their families to create options that provide equal learning opportunities, regardless of the resources each family has at their disposal. There must be high-tech and low-tech accommodations for advantaged and disadvantaged families during this time and during any remote learning periods that could ensue in the coming school year and beyond.

Individual Education Plans and Learning Disabilities

Transitioning to an online platform poses a difficulty for all public school students, but even more so to the population of students in our country who have learning disabilities and individual education plans. A very large portion of our public school population has some form of learning disability. The graphic below depicts a bit of the breakdown when it comes to how many students face these challenges on a daily basis in their schooling (Understood.org).

Online learning is only powerful if it can be equally accessed and interpreted by its entire student population. (USA Today). Schools and state governments will have to determine, what is considered equitable access for students with disabilities? Once we are able to return to school, how can schools prepare to provide material for their students with learning disabilities and accommodations? By law, Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, public schools must offer educational accommodations for students with disabilities. (Wenatchee World). This cannot change during the online learning period, and school districts must recognize these changes require extra effort in the interim to ensure these students and their families are supported.

Some school districts have already taken certain measures to communicate with students and families concerning their IEP status. In New York, teachers will set up individual education plan meetings remotely with families to determine what is best for each student, rather than attempt to create a comprehensive plan to meet all needs. (USA Today). In creating as many equitable situations as possible, schools must take this interim period to investigate student needs on a case by case basis. The California Department of Education released a statement declaring their dedication to compensating students who face these limitations once school returns. However, this allows students without these limitations to get steps ahead in their learning process. Though an arduous process, working on an individual basis will be well worth the effort in the fall or further in the future in the case that a remote learning period must ensue again.

Millions of children already don’t get the support they need in general classrooms for their disabilities. When transitioning to an online platform, it will be even more difficult to provide them with the necessary resources and accommodations for them to be successful remotely. Through this distance learning period and throughout the summer months, school districts must communicate and strategize manners of communication and flexibility in order to properly deliver an educational experience of equal quality and presentation to its populations that face learning disabilities and accommodations.

Home Environment

Another issue concerning equity arises from a completely new environment in which education is taking place. Attending a physical classroom allowed for oversight and aid from an instructor who is trained to teach students of a certain age group. For many students, their home environment is drastically different than what they may experience in the classroom. The greatest issue comes with students in the younger range of the K-12 gap. Many students have parents who work full-time jobs that are refusing to cease. Not only does this bring up the issue of childcare and safety, but also a lack of supervision and expectation when it comes to completing and scheduling time to dedicate to schoolwork. Luckily, many companies are transitioning to allow parents to work from home, or even requiring them to do so. (New York Times). However, this puts a lot of the “educating” responsibility in the hands of the parents, whether it is intentional or not. In some ways, a parent will have to add an additional duty to their to-do list in addition to their full-time job and parenting role as they are.

Some students may be called upon to help take care of other siblings in their household or perform other chores and duties to help overcome some crises that may have arisen in the family. (Center for American Progress) To combat this, school districts must work to create technologically dynamic and flexible course material that can be accessed in a variety of ways and at different times during the day that may not align with a previously “normal” school schedule. While they may have technological access to school material, their home may not be fit for a school-like atmosphere, and communications between families and schools will be imperative in ensuring equal opportunity for learning in those cases.

There is additional stress that comes with grappling with life during a global pandemic. According to a poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, personal worries among parents and families range a multitude of subjects. This added stress overrides worries about distance learning and can make it difficult for a parent to be there for their child as they adjust to a new normal. Public school districts will need to be absolutely flexible in their evaluation techniques and recognize that each family is handling these stressors in different ways. The statistics are listed below:

Conclusion:

Unfortunately, there is not list of solutions to turn to with this issue because equity is always a partially answered problem. Addressing the needs of each and every student and family is hardly feasible, especially in this rapidly changing time. Communication and careful consideration of each family on a case by case basis is the only manner in which schools can equitably continue to provide distance learning to their communities without compromising fair practices.

In the next school year, public school districts will have faced one of the most difficult trying times in recent memory. With the spread of the coronavirus, public officials will have to make quick decisions with impacts on thousands of families and their children, while relying on recent and incomplete information (Center for American Progress). It will be difficult to accommodate the needs of everyone and create an equitable educational experience immediately. Therefore, capacity building and proper logistical planning must take place during the end of this school year and the summer before the next school year to continue offering critical services and educational experiences to families remotely.  In order to better prepare their students for potential outbreaks that could arise again when everyone returns to school, online learning must be addressed in regard to the inequities it can unintentionally create for the wide demographic of students in the K-12 public education system. Strong communication must take place between students, families, school board officials, and even third-party organizations to provide a feasible, at-home educational experience that creates an equal opportunity to learn and grow for each and every student in an online environment.