In returning to the classroom, schools are at a crossroads and uniquely positioned to recreate and reinvent themselves. The current issues of equity, social-emotional sensitivity, curriculum reform, civic involvement, public health policy and environmental infrastructure are opportunities to build more responsive schools with students better…

Last year, school leaders were faced with unprecedented challenges as they grappled with school closures, the shift to online and hybrid models of instruction, and supporting their communities with an increased awareness of the need for social justice reform. The COVID-19 pandemic and killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and…

This document includes guidance, considerations, and resources for state staff and local practitioners who are determining Preschool Special Education eligibility remotely, due in part to COVID-19. To accomplish this, many states are now exploring a variety of approaches such as teleconference, videoconference, and sharing information and video…

The "ideal" 21st century public school teacher has a keen understanding of the racialized history of education and has already taken a critical stance regarding that history. This teacher is a changemaker and able to create classroom conditions that enable all children and youth to be changemakers as well. In order to assist teachers to…

This collection of resources for postsecondary institutions is designed to assist in planning for a successful and equitable return to schools and campuses. The resources include fact sheets, Q&As, letters to educators, and other materials explaining the obligations that postsecondary schools have under the federal civil rights laws enforced…

It is estimated that, on average, students will have suffered a 30 to 40 percent learning loss due to the disruption in face-to-face learning caused by COVID-19. This assessment is alarming for any student but is even more troubling when one considers the persistent performance trends for students of color, students with disabilities, and students…

Virtual learning has grown significantly over roughly the last decade and, more recently, was thrust into the spotlight because of the shift to remote instruction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2019-20 school year, full-time virtual schools enrolled more than 330,000 students, and statewide programs provided over 1 million courses,…

Digital inequity has been a long-standing issue in the education community. A lack of home internet and technology devices can not only hinder students' ability to access educational resources at home, but can also have a detrimental effect on student achievement. Education agencies have taken steps over the past decades to address digital…

The goal of "Navigating Next" is to support school systems by providing concise, prioritized guidance for effectively and successfully completing the 2020-2021 school year while simultaneously planning and preparing for the start of the 2021-2022 school year. Additionally, "Navigating Next" supports districts in determining…

This guidance document was created to help support schools as they begin to formulate their plans for re-entry into the 2020-2021 school year. The purpose of this document is not to prescribe what schools should do, but rather what considerations and discussions should happen in schools as they plan to support their students and communities as…

To be more responsive to students' needs, many local education agencies (LEAs) are creating extended and summer learning opportunities to facilitate learning acceleration. Many LEAs elected to leverage federal funds to create opportunities that increase the time students spend engaged in safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments,…

Throughout the school year, recommendations were revised several times to reflect what was currently known about the SARS-CoV-2 virus and best public health practices as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). The situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic…

In this supplemental fact sheet, the Department of Education (the Department) reminds educators in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic that they should not opt to close or decline to provide distance instruction, at the expense of students, to address matters pertaining to services for students with disabilities. Rather, school systems must make…

This resource collection features a selection of Office for Civil Rights (OCR) guidance and resources that may be useful to elementary and secondary schools throughout the school year. For each resource, there is a brief description and a link to full information online. Each topic area includes a combination of specific and general resources.

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) has established a working group to provide information and resources to parents, students, teachers, schools, and school personnel related to the possible outbreak of COVID-19 ("coronavirus") in school districts and postsecondary schools. Schools play an important role in disseminating…