Catalyst for Equity: Conceptualizing District and Charter Management Organization COVID-19 Response as a Portal for Increasing Equity

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session One
  In Roundtable Session: Macro-Level Approaches to Equity Through Policy and Practices (Table 4)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had an immense impact on public schooling in the United States. As schools scrambled to adjust to extended closure and distance-based learning districts played an important role in interpreting and supporting local, state, and federal mandates. In this study we aim to understand how COVID-19 acted as a portal for policy which may increase equitable access to education over time. Drawing on the RAND American Educator Panel data collected from CMOs and district leaders, we report descriptive statistics on how districts and CMOs engaged in equity-oriented policy making during the pandemic. We found that district responses aligned with three major themes: ensuring equitable access, changes to curriculum and instructional practices, and expanding schools’ capacity to address equity.

Authors

• Mario Jackson, North Carolina State University
  Presenting Author

• David Osworth, University of South Carolina
  Presenting Author

• Claudia Smith, North Carolina State University
  Presenting Author