DISTANCE LEARNING - EQUITY DASHBOARD - A Snapshot of Student Support Systems Across the South

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Angel

Distance Learning Equity Dashboard captures how 48 southern school districts centered equity while pivoting to distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Built across 20 indicators, it tracks academic, social-emotional, and wraparound student supports, alongside guidance for teachers and parents. The brief highlights disparities in internet access and educator experience, and it summarizes four scan themes, including expanding WiFi and prioritizing social-emotional and mental health resources.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Overview

District Profile and Student Demographics

Equity Challenges in Access and Instruction

Four Key Themes From the Scan

WiFi and Technology Access

Social-Emotional and Mental Health Support

DISTANCE LEARNING EQUITY DASHBOARD A Snapshot of Student Support Systems Across the South A UTHORS: TIT IL A YO T INU BU ALI AN D S UJI TH CHER UK U MILLI AS THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC INTENSIFIED in the spring, school and system leaders throughout the South rapidly pivoted toward distance learning. The Southern Education Foundation (SEF) sought to understand how these districts were keeping equity issues at the center of their plans. Our team began by publishing Distance Learning During COVID-19: 7 Equity Considerations for Schools and Districts, an DASHBOARD 404.523.0001 [info@southerneducation.org](info@southerneducation.org) Follow SEF @SouthernEdFound [SouthernEducation.org](SouthernEducation.org) 1 issue brief highlighting ways schools and districts were meeting the needs of their most vulnerable students. We then developed the Distance Learning Equity Dashboard to track, across 20 indicators, how districts were providing academic, social-emotional and other wraparound support to students, as well as how they were supporting teachers and parents in navigating the transition to distance learning. Thirty-one of the 48 districts in the Dashboard have leaders who are part of SEF’s Racial Equity Leadership Network1—superintendents and administrators from districts that educate a higher percentage of Black students and students from low-income families than both the South and the nation as a whole, and who engage with SEF to improve academic opportunities and outcomes for these students. The remaining 17 districts include some of the largest districts in the southern states SEF covers. Nearly 44 percent of the students enrolled in the evaluated districts are Black, while 21 percent are Hispanic or Latinx and 3 percent are Asian. In comparison, of students in the South’s public schools, nearly 23 percent are Black, 27 percent are Hispanic or Latinx, and 4 percent are Asian.2 On average, 67 percent of students in DLED-evaluated districts receive Free or Reduced Price Lunch (FRPL), compared with 57.1 percent of public school students in the South. Thirteen percent of students in DLED districts have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and 10 percent are English Language Learners (ELLs) . The districts included in the DLED are not a regionally or nationally representative sample; the DLED is a descriptive snapshot of 48 districts across 20 states which reflect the demographics of southern school districts and include a mix of rural and urban districts. Ensuring access to fast and reliable internet connection has proven to be among the most vital requirements for equitably administering distance education during COVID-19. Access to experienced, high-quality, creden tialed teachers is also important for students engaged in distance learning. We selected districts that have large proportions of Black students and FRPL-eligible students because we seek to highlight the ways in which longstanding inequities are being exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis. For example, ensuring access to fast and reliable internet connection has proven to be among the most vital requirements for equitably administering distance education during COVID-19 . However, we know that six percent fewer Black children have access to the internet at home than their White peers.3 Additionally, access to experienced, high-quality, credentialed teachers is also important for students engaged in distance learning. While many teachers struggled with the transition to distance learning, those with more experience, qualifications, and knowledge about teaching in unconventional ways may have 404.523.0001 [info@southerneducation.org](info@southerneducation.org) Follow SEF @SouthernEdFound [SouthernEducation.org](SouthernEducation.org) 2 been able to transition to distance learning more easily. We know, however, that Black children and other children of color are four times more likely to be taught by an uncertified or ine

FAQs

What is the Distance Learning Equity Dashboard designed to track?

It tracks, across 20 indicators, how districts provide academic, social-emotional, and other wraparound supports, plus how they support teachers and parents during the shift to distance learning.

Why did the Southern Education Foundation select the districts included in the dashboard?

The selection emphasizes districts with large proportions of Black students and students eligible for Free or Reduced Price Lunch to spotlight how longstanding inequities were intensified by the COVID-19 crisis.

What equity challenges related to distance learning are highlighted in the document?

The document emphasizes gaps in home internet access and differences in access to experienced, high-quality, credentialed teachers for students of color compared with White peers.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Angel