Resources for Districts

This resource collection provides resources and information for districts to support equitable learning opportunities for special student populations.

  • Engaging Parents and Students from Diverse Populations in the Context of Distance Learning. The webinar released by Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) West share lessons from research and practice to help educators engage with students and their families to support continued learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The presentation addresses three evidence-based strategies for student and family engagement: cultivating a partnership orientation; practicing cultural responsiveness; and establishing two-way communication.
  • Continuity of Learning: Resources to Ensure Equity. This resource collection curated by the National Comprehensive Center resources to support SEAs, LEAs, and school leaders in their ongoing efforts to ensure educational equity for the most vulnerable students.
  • Distance Learning Resources for Education Stakeholders in the Northwest. This resource repository for schools and districts developed by REL Northwest shares how to educate students and deliver services for special populations amid school closures.
  • Engaging Students and Families from Diverse Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic. This blog by Regional Educational Laboratory West for teachers, school leaders, and district leaders discuss ways to reach and connect with historically underserved or marginalized populations, including Black, Latinx, and economically disadvantaged students and families, as well as those with language backgrounds other than English, is important for educators at any and all times.

Rural Communities

  • Remote Learning in Rural Districts: Addressing Connectivity Gaps. A YouTube video released by the REL Central in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, addresses rural districts and their connectivity gaps.
  • Strategies to Support Learning Along a Continuum of Internet Access: Remote Learning Plan Strategies. This handout provided by REL Central presents strategies for districts to bridge the digital divide during remote learning. The strategies are organized under four areas to support the development of remote learning plans along a continuum of Internet access – from high-speed access to no access.
  • How “Classrooms on Wheels” Continue to Reach Rural Preschoolers During the Pandemic. This blog by Regional Educational Laboratory West for early childhood providers and district leadership share that a substantial body of research has established the benefits of preschool education to young children’s ongoing academic learning and development of social and emotional skills. Because Preschool opportunities are limited in Nevada’s rural high desert, a local full-service family support nonprofit organization, Community Chest, Inc., has been reaching and teaching 3- and 4-year-olds who would not otherwise have access to a pre-K education.

English Learners

  • Ensuring Continuity of Learning and Operations. This resource collection from the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition includes resources intended for school personnel and institutions of higher education to improve distance learning and the support of English learners and their families during school closures.

Students in Juvenile Justice Settings

Students with Disabilities

  • FAQ on State and District Response to COVID-19 Outbreak: What Are Some Specific Practices Used to Support English Learner (EL) Students and Their Families? In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Institute for Education Sciences has developed a resource that addresses FAQs on some specific practices used to support English Learner (EL) students and their families.
  • Reflecting Towards Success. This article released by the Office of Educational Technology (OET) is intended for education leaders to begin to develop clear plans of action for remote learning in supporting elementary and secondary students with disabilities during the COVID-19 Pandemic and extended school building closures.
  • Reaching and Teaching English Learners, Newcomer Students, and English Learners with Disabilities During the Pandemic . This recorded webinar from the Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium (MAEC) for school and district leadership share how educators are pivoting to make sure that English Learners, including newly arrived immigrants and students with disabilities, receive a high-quality education and other social-emotional supports under current conditions.

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