On March 16, 2020, the School District of Philadelphia closed all schools and offices in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic. Like many school districts across the country, SDP had to quickly pivot from in-person instruction in schools to virtual instruction for its nearly 130,000 students and 8,500 instructional employees. SDP’s comprehensive plan for online instruction for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year was outlined in the District’s “Continuity of Education Plan,” which identified four expected outcomes:

1. Students within the District are provided with instructional resources, digital or printed, and technology to remain continuously engaged in learning.
2. Staff will receive training, if needed, via virtual training sessions.
3. Students and families will receive tutorials via online resources or PSTV to support learning, the use of Google Classroom, and the use of other Google tools.
4. Students within the District will engage in planned instruction designed to introduce and apply new content and skills, inclusive of assessment of learning, graded assignments, and progress monitoring.

Click the button below to read ERA’s evaluation of the District’s efforts to achieve these four expected outcomes.