Resources for Parents and Families

This resource collection provides resources for parents and families to support their students' unique educational learning needs and highlight strategies to support all students they engage in remote learning.

English Learners

• Ensuring Continuity of Learning and Operations. This resource collection from the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition includes resources intended for school personnel and institutions of higher education to improve distance learning and the support of English learners and their families during school closures.
• Engaging English Learners and Families through Distance Learning. This webinar from the Office of English Language Acquisition discusses how during COVID-19 related school closures and the transition to distance learning, many schools are working to sustain engagement with EL families and communities, and to ensure two-way communication to build school and community capacity. Panelists share recommendations and examples of EL family engagement activities during remote learning. This webinar is part of the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA) Webinars.
• English Learner Resources for Families. This resource repository from the Region I Equity Assistance Center (Center for Education Equity) presented curated online and distance education resource repositories for educators and families of students who are English learners.
• ¡Adelante! Moving Forward! A Guide to Empower Parents of English Learners to Advocate for their Childrenis an informational training tool from the Region I Equity Assistance Center to provide trainers of immigrant parents and parent leaders with user friendly and accessible information regarding the legal responsibilities of educational agencies serving ELs and the rights of parents of ELs. The training tools are available in English and Spanish.
• What Are Some Specific Practices Used to Support English Learner (EL) Students and Their Families? This frequently asked questions developed by the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northeast & Islands provides specific practices from districts, state departments of education, and English Learner (EL)-focused organizations used to support EL students and their families that both teachers and parents can use to assist with virtual learning for ELs.

Students with Disabilities

• Evidence-Based and Promising Practices to Support Continuity of Learning for Students With Disabilities: Practices and Resources to Support Parents and Families This brief developed by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) provides evidence-based and promising practices to support continuity of learning for students with disabilities and examples for families.
• Covid-19 Resources for Families. The curated set of resources from STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education (STEMIE) staff have curated a set of resources for families with young children with and without disabilities talk about the pandemic and navigate changes to their everyday routines and activities.
• Resources for Families of Students with Special Needs. This curated list of resources from Equity Assistance Center (EAC) Region I — Center for Educational Equity provides information for families to ensure the continuity of services and learning for students with disabilities.
• Resources for Teachers and Parents to Enhance the Continuity of Learning During COVID-19 This webinar presented by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) highlights ready-to-use resources, tools, and practices to support the educational, behavioral, and social/emotional needs of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities through remote and distance learning.
• Returning to School: Considerations for Students with the Most Intensive Behavioral Needs, A Guide to Supporting Students with Disabilities, Their Families, and Educators During the 2020 — 21 School Year. This document from the Center on Positive Behavior and Intervention Support (PBIS) shares a set of strategies and key practices to restart classrooms and schools in a manner that students, their families, and educators can use effectively, efficiently, and relevantly utilize in the current climate.
• Resources and Strategies to Support Children with Disabilities and their Families During COVID-19.This resource, jointly created by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA), the Office of Head Start (OHS), and the OHS TA National Centers for school leaders, services providers, teachers, support staff, children, and families support with resources to help during school re-opening and continuity of services.
• Activities at Home During the Pandemic. The webpage, Ideas for Activities at Home During COVID-19 Pandemic by National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB) provides resources to help children who are deaf-blind to continue to learn and have fun while schools are closed.