In Alternative school equal access was one of my mine goals. I have 4 computers and 4 chrome books in the classroom and up to 16 students at a time in the room with all needing access on technology to work on assignments. Scheduling is a great tool for the students to be able to know when it is their time to be on a computer or chrome book. In my room I have a daily schedule and next to it is the technology schedule. Schedules are changed based on number of students. I try to give each student 4 hours of computer time daily. If a student has a chrome book they have to sign it out on the sign out sheet. The same could be added for another type of technology.
The mission of the Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21) is to promote 21st century innovative teaching and learning through concerted efforts with government leaders, educators, businesses and community members (2015). The federal government, in recognition of the importance of P21, has included its tenets in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In addition to the alignment of instruction to 21st century learning goals, the recent passage of ESSA supports the placement of equity in education at the forefront of federal education policy by including provisions that insist upon states and school districts providing an equitable, high-quality 21st century education for every student. (Anders, 2017)
The following constitutes a brief, representative list of the types of access that government agencies, districts, and schools provide to students:
- Access to assistive technologies, accommodations, or modified school facilities and transportation vehicles that make full participation in school programs possible for students with various forms of disability (the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, for example, establish minimum compliance requirements for schools).
- Access to equal opportunities in educational programs and activities regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation, including extracurricular activities and sports (Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972 and the Student Nondiscrimination Act of 2010 are examples of policies that establish minimum compliance requirements for schools).
- Access to adequate health care and nutritional services, including free or reduced-price school breakfasts and lunches to ensure that children living in poverty are not attending school sick or hungry.
- Access to adequate public transportation to attend public schools and charter schools that may or may not be located near student homes.
- Access to preschool or kindergarten so that students enter school prepared to learn and succeed academically regardless of income level or a family’s ability to pay for early childhood education.
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Access to intensive instruction in the English language or academic for students who cannot read, write, or speak English, and access to interpreters and translated documents for non- english speaking students, parents, and families, including multilingual translations of school policies, academic materials, parent communications, event announcements, website content, etc.
- Access to counseling, social services, academic support, and other resources that can help students who are at risk of failure or dropping out remain in school, succeed academically, graduate with a diploma, and pursue postsecondary education.
- Access to individualized education programs (IEPs) for special-education students, access to mainstream classrooms and academically challenging content through inclusion strategies, which includes access to any trained professionals or specialized educational resources that may be needed to ensure that the needs of special-education students are being met.
- Access to advanced-level learning opportunities such as honors courses or Advanced Placement courses, duel enrollment opportunities, or other programs that historically required students to meet prerequisites before being allowed to enroll in a course or participate in a program. (By eliminating certain prerequisites or other barriers, schools can increase access to more challenging academic content, stronger preparation for postsecondary success, and college-level learning.)
- Access to technology, including high-speed internet connections and adequate hardware (computers, laptops, tablets) and software (particularly learning applications) so that students have equitable access to the same digital and online learning opportunities regardless of their family’s income level or ability to pay for these technologies. (Access)
References:
The Glossary of Education Reform- Access Reform
Equitable Access by Susan Howse- Link
Anders, Anna K., 05/24/17, A. K. (2017, May 24). Equity Through Access: 21st Century Learning & the Necessity of 1-to-1. Retrieved July 7, 2018, from LINK