Purpose: The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) reduced the role of the federal government in K-12 education, giving states more flexibility while maintaining protections for marginalized groups. Despite the potential to leverage flexibility, little is known about how states are addressing equity. Research Methods: Using a critical policy analysis…

Objective: To explore U.S. college students' experiences during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants: Students at a Northeastern public university. Methods: Participants were interviewed via videoconference between April 1 and May 31, 2020. Interviews were audio-recorded and professionally transcribed; analyzed using deductive and…

States' annual testing data for spring 2021 showed that unfinished learning in the wake of COVID-19 is most pronounced--and most troubling--in math. In Texas, nearly 40 percent of students failed the state's math exam in 2021. In Indiana, only 37 percent were proficient in math, down from 48 percent in 2019. Many states saw similar results. What…

The COVID-19 pandemic is pushing the world into a devastating economic and social scenario. The consequences of this crisis largely impact children and teenagers, both now and in the future. School closures have particularly affected vulnerable children, deepening the effects of their unequal socio-economic circumstances. In this context, the…

Education across the world has faced unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying lockdowns. Mass school closures have forced students and teachers in almost every country to move their classrooms and lecture halls to online platforms. This article is set in Guatemala and provides insights into teaching at a…

In a bid to contain the spread and infection rate of COVID-19, Eswatini closed all its schools on 17 March 2020, and for a year they remained closed. Despite education being the only viable means towards a better future, the closing of schools set-off to heighten prevailing educational disparities towards academic access, experience and…

Transition to distant education modality due to COVID-19 pandemic raised concerns about widening educational inequalities worldwide. This article examines Amazonian Indigenous youths' access to upper secondary schooling in Ecuador and the resilience of the Intercultural Bilingual Education system in the face of global health emergency with other…

Thro (2005:1) points out that the Supreme Court of the United States has recognised that "education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments" because "it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education". He adds that the Court…

School-age youth receive educational services while in juvenile detention facilities, but how these services reach students varies by state. Recent studies and surveys provide insight on juvenile justice systems and the complexities for delivering educational services in detention facilities. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified persistent…

Two years of disruptions to schooling, coupled with recession and other pandemic-induced effects, appear to have widened preK-12 educational inequality. In particular, low-income students of color fell further behind their higher income White peers than they were pre-pandemic, on average, with the largest declines in math achievement. High-dosage…

During the academic year 2019-2020, school buildings worldwide closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitating a rapid shift to distance education. This study assessed the influence of high-speed broadband availability on student engagement with distance learning during this period in Ireland. Employing data from a representative sample…

British Columbia Ministry of Education's role is to provide leadership and funding to the K-12 education system, through governance, legislation, policy, and standards. The Ministry defines broad best practices and expectations. Specific roles and responsibilities are set out under the "School Act," "Independent School Act,"…

This brief summarizes a case study that assessed the gendered impact of COVID-19 school closures in Kenya. COVID-19 school closures escalated education inequalities especially for girls and young people in rural areas. These closures exacerbated adolescent mental health issues, food and economic insecurity, and experiences of violence. COVID-19…

This brief is part of a four-part series examining the past, present, and future of modern school accountability systems. With the dual forces of the COVID-19 pandemic and the national call to action on racial inequity, the question of how we should measure and hold schools accountable for the impact they have on students is more urgent than ever.…

Located at the intersection of the education system, the school and community, school principals now have the responsibility for the effectiveness of school-level responses to the COVID-19 crisis. This includes translating directives into practice during school closures as well as supporting teachers to continue to provide learning and responding…