Equity Recommendations for Reopening Schools Post-COVID-19 for Students at the Intersection of Race and Disability Differences

• In Event: A Systems Approach: Identifying and Addressing Systemic Barriers for Students With Disabilities

Abstract

Based on the research base and inherent structural barriers in the current educational structures, this paper presents four key recommendations identified as crucial for equity for students with disabilities (SWD), particularly for culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional learners (CLDE).

Racial injustice and COVID-19 have made explicit the inequality nondominant communities have experienced for centuries. What these twin pandemics also make clear is that the public has a responsibility to recreate a society beyond what it was and toward what it should be. However, many special and inclusive education practitioners, researchers, parents, and advocates remain concerned about what will happen once schools re-open.

Inquiry Mode/Data sources
This work is based on analysis of the May 13, 2021, US Department of Education-Office of Civil Rights School Re-Opening guidelines, where we recommend:

Substantiated conclusions
1: Address the Digital Divide
Policymakers, stakeholders, and other decision-makers must recognize how students, families, communities, and schools have shown their resiliency and ingenuity in remote learning spaces. Infrastructure investment is vital across multi-level systems to support digital space accessibility for all learners, including CLDE. Teacher preparation programs, physical infrastructure needed for technology access for all students, and addressing the complexities of home support for students with CLDE is needed.

2: Learning and Social/Emotional Needs (SEL)
Focusing on students’ academic and SEL needs is integral for place-based school re-opening. First, we need to address students’, teachers’, and staff social and emotional wellbeing through culturally responsive SEL models, so students learn to view their cultural and linguistic practices as assets. Second, authentic formative assessments- with explicit attention to students' language, cultural contexts can be effective to provide feedback with rich, detailed information rather than over-simplified test scores for educators.

3: Establish Community Partnerships and Wraparound Services
The COVID-19 crisis and its disrupting fallout (social isolation, economic hardship) demand districts expand alliances with community partners to offer holistic, wraparound services for students and families from vulnerable communities. With face-to-face reopening, districts and schools need to play critical roles in expanding reciprocal partnerships with nonprofit organizations, government agencies, conduct needs assessments, and map-and-match community-wide resources with families to support CLDE with customized support.

4: Ensure Strategic Investments and Equitable School Funding
It is critical that states and local school districts thoughtfully consider how to spend the approximately $2.6 billion dedicated to support all SWDs, including CLDE through the American Rescue Plan. Strategic investments in training both general and special educators how to provide academic and SEL support to SWDs is essential. Investments are also needed in developing and implementing CLDE sustaining curriculum that values students’ cultures, knowledge, and linguistic assets. States have the opportunity to re-imagine funding formulas by creating more equitable school funding and resources across districts.

Scientific or scholarly significance
When students’ cultural practices become pedagogical resources, it increases learning opportunities to ensure progress for CLDE. Unfortunately, SWDs are often omitted from SEL, and a culturally and linguistically responsive curriculum.

Authors

• Sarah Marie Salinas, Minnesota State University - Mankato

• Adai A. Tefera, University of Arizona

• Benjamin Gallegos, University of Portland

• Dosun Ko, Santa Clara University