Beyond the homework gap: Leveraging technology to support equity of learning experiences in school

Two years after the start of the pandemic, education leaders and policymakers continue to analyze the impact on students, teachers, and families of the sudden changes to traditional education environments and structures caused by the global health crisis. The quest to identify some silver linings from the experience, however, is coupled with a new heightened awareness about the lack of equitable learning in our nation's schools.

While much of the early focus during the sudden shift to remote digital learning was ensuring that students had access to technology and the internet at home to support learning continuity, the pandemic also exposed some ugly truths about the inequity of access to high-quality learning experiences in the classroom as well.

The pandemic did not suddenly create inequities in teacher quality or the access that some students have to high-quality instructional materials, it did, however, shine a spotlight on the need to ensure that all students, both at home and in school, have equitable learning experiences.

This research report talks about why teachers and administrators now place a higher valuation on the role of technology to support students' future success.