DeKalb County School District

Developing an equity framework: DCSD has worked to advance equity by expanding the options for DeKalb County School District’s most underestimated student populations. They are developing an equity framework that focuses on providing students with access to high quality, relevant, and engaging instructure. As part of that work, they are centering the perspectives of marginalized students and their families in the design, planning, and on-going implementation. In addition, they have assembled a diverse coalition of students, parents, community members, district leaders, and strategic partners to drive systemic change.

Engaging parents and family: DCSD’s Parent and Family Engagement IMPACT Model for parents’ personal and professional growth and development focuses on involving and motivating parents to be active contributors over time. The program’s model addresses the most exigent areas of need that affect how, when, and where families become involved in the advancement of all students in DCSD.

Connecting students and families to internet access: At the onset of the pandemic, DCSD implemented a Digital Dreamers 1:1 initiative to ensure every student and family had access to the Internet and each student had a Chromebook or technology learning device. We were awarded a grant in the School Improvement Digital Learning grant in the amount of $3.8 million from the Georgia Department of Education to purchase Chromebooks and hotspots for every student in Title I schools. Additionally, to ensure equity across the district, we purchased additional technology for the other students in the district who were not included in the grant using donations, general funds and grants to ensure each student access to technology during remote learning.