September 2020

Listening to Learn: What Los Angeles Families Say They Need During Distance Learning

In July 2020, the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools and researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) partnered to conduct a survey of more than 1,100 Los Angeles Unified School District families. The survey was instrumental to our newly published brief, “Listening to Learn: What Los Angeles Families Say They Need During Distance Learning,” which follows our April 2020 brief, “Bridging LA’s Digital Divide: Increasing Access to WiFi and Technology for Low-Income Communities and Communities of Color.” 

Our brief surveyed Black and Latinx families whose children attend 19 historically under-resourced public schools in the Partnership network about the challenges they are facing at home with distance learning. We found:

- Deficits in technology readiness are exacerbating challenges with distance learning for low-income students and students of color.
- Students rely on siblings and other family members for support with distance learning.
- Parents are seeking more support and resources to navigate their children’s distance learning, including increased communication from schools, live instruction and technical support.

Download our brief and infographic.