Overcoming the Digital Divide: Distance-Learning Successes During the Pandemic
Overview
- Subject: Mathematics, Literacy
- Demographic: Black, Asian, Latino, Economically Disadvantaged, Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaskan, Two or More Races
- Grades: K–8
- Study Year: 2019–2020
Published September 2020
School closures in 2020 raised concerns about the impact of digital instruction on learning disparities—specifically, students impacted by systemic racism and poverty. Usage of education technology programs like i-Ready shifted immediately, revealing that students who live in low-income zip codes were impacted more than students from higher-income zip codes. Despite the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools located in low-income zip codes used i-Ready during distanced learning with students demonstrating personal growth. For this research, Curriculum Associates gathered both student data and educator experiences to learn how growth varied among schools who used i-Ready.