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How can students learn online if they don't know the language? This city tackled the issue

Alia Wong

October 05, 2020 |

The Seattle Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Tulsa, Oklahoma

The city of Tulsa took a variety of steps to make sure English as a Second Language learners didn’t fall behind in their virtual classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. First, school officials made sure students had their basic needs by providing them with meals, hotspots, Chromebooks, and classroom supplies. Families were also given access to social workers that check in one of them, had support from teachers, and could network with other ESL parents through the English Learner Parent Advisory Committee. “Everything they’ve given us has been a miracle.”

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Missing students: Educators knock on doors to find them

Peggy Barmore

October 01, 2020 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Apps that track students’ online activity, door-to-door visits, and receiving input from families on how to reopen schools, are all ways school districts across the country are responding to absenteeism during the pandemic. In one San Antonio district, they were able to locate around 2,900 of the 3,000 students who weren’t showing up to classes.

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Helping Students With Remote Learning — By Also Aiding Their Parents With Wraparound Services: How One Texas Community Center Is Helping Families Facing Impossible Choices

Bekah McNeel

September 28, 2020 |

The 74 |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Antonio, Texas

In San Antonio, the Guadalupe Community Center is providing a free “day school” for children of working-class families in the city’s poorest zip code. The center serves around 30 K-12 students where they can safely attend virtual classes. The center also provides families with “clothing, food, counseling, and help with utilities.” The center runs 40 other similar programs throughout the city.

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State of Texas: Lawmakers weigh ‘solutions' proposed for education equity during pandemic

Arezow Doost Josh Hinkle Jennifer Sanders Laney Valian Tahera Rahman John Thomas

September 27, 2020 |

KXAN-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Texas

In Texas, 2 million households in the state don’t have high speed internet, affecting students of color at a greater rate. Some districts have also had problems with chronic absenteeism. This segment explores creative solutions enacted by different schools in Texas. In Lockhart ISD the district built seven cell phone towers to provide high speed internet to rural students who lived in dead zones. In Leander ISD, a librarian and a parent when door knocking to reconnect with absent bilingual students. In Manor ISD, a digital tracking system helped boost the rate of contactable students from 91 percent, to 99.

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A parent-led effort to close the digital divide

Javeria Salman

September 24, 2020 |

The Hechinger Report |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Nevada

When Clark County School District moved to an all-remote plan for school, it distributed 10,000 devices, close to 20,000 students had no way to connect their online classes. A parent, with the help of a SCSD teacher and a board of education member, created a Facebook group to help spanish-speaking families express if they needed a device for their kids and help fill those needs. The group gained traction and attention and has since received 550 device requests, fulfilling 162. The group relies on monetary and computer donations from individuals and businesses.

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How schools are finding thousands of students they couldn't reach when the pandemic began

Jennifer Sanders

September 18, 2020 |

KXAN-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Leander, Texas

For one school district in Texas, using personal relationships established before the pandemic, proved the best way to reach bilingual students in rural parts of the district who weren't showing up to remote classes. One librarian and a parent “went door-to-door there to track down students and find out how they could help families transition to virtual learning. They also had parents fill out note cards showing how many children lived in the home to make sure no child was left behind.” Other Texas districts are similarly relying on home visits to check on students. Data shows those methods work.

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No WiFi at home? One Virginia school district has a creative solution for students

Lex Gray

September 18, 2020 |

WAVY-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Suffolk, Virginia

A school district in Virginia has implemented a two-prong solution to provide internet access to rural students during the pandemic. The indoor solution allows students to make appointments to be inside the school to access the internet. The outside solution, equipping three schools in the district with equipment to boost their Wi-Fi signals, allowing students who can’t make indoor appointments a way to access the Wi-Fi. “We just took advantage of something that was already happening in the district."

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Rural school district creates free internet service to keep students connected

Tahera Rahman

September 18, 2020 |

KXAN-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Lockhart, Texas

At least 40 percent, or 2,000, students from Lockhart ISD didn’t have access to reliable internet. To address the issue, the school district built seven towers. They also installed antennas on individual homes so they can receive the signals from the towers. As a result, 1,300 students got connected. “This is about equity,” Estrada said. “Every one of our Lockhart Lions needs to have access to the opportunities they deserve to grow and truly thrive.”

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Community colleges pivot to support their vulnerable students

Madeline St. Amour

September 10, 2020 |

Inside Higher Ed |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Norwalk, California

Community college administrations across the U.S. are helping students continue their education during the pandemic by helping them address basic needs. Cerritos College in Norwalk, California has given away 300 free laptops and already ordered 200 more. Reynolds Community College in Virginia took a targeted approach by focusing on providing technology aid like loaning out computers, setting up internet hotspots in parking lots and, but the pandemic has exacerbated a longstanding struggle for many community colleges across the U.S.—lower federal funding per student when compared to flagship institutions.

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Remote Learning Progress Report: Broadband proves to be major issue

Emily Duggan

September 08, 2020 |

Concord Monitor |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Rochester, New York

Rochester School District previously used hotspots on buses to help students traveling to extracurricular events, but once the pandemic showed how many families were struggling to stay virtually connected, the buses were turned into traveling hotspots for different neighborhoods. The district was able to get all but 20% of its student population connected and is looking for more ways to minimize the digital divide.

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