This memo provides additional information on the new student digital equity data collection in the Student Information Repository System (SIRS) for public school districts, BOCES, and charter schools for the 2021-22 school year.

 

To collectively serve our students, families, and educators, especially as individuals and schools continue to be required to move to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that districts, BOCES, charter schools, and the New York State Education Department have, and maintain, an updated, accurate, complete picture of the state of digital equity for each individual student. Memos dated June 8, 2021 and September 7, 2021 provided information on this new data collection. The June 8, 2021 memo urged districts to enter this data into the Student Information and Repository System (SIRS) as soon as possible.

 

The Department commends those schools, districts, and BOCES that have already collected and reported this data. All schools, districts, and BOCES should continue to report digital equity data throughout the 2021-22SY data collection. All data reported by January 28, 2022 will be included in an additional data extract completed on January 31, 2022, and will be shared with the Board of Regents, the Commissioner of Education, the Governor’s Office, and the Legislature, and published on the NYSED website.

 

This data will help identify specific needs and target resources and funding opportunities when they become available. The data should also be used at the classroom and local levels for instructional and programmatic decision-making.

 

Past data collections have shown that hundreds of thousands of New York State students potentially still do not have access to a device appropriate for learning, or to sufficient broadband access, in their places of residence. The Board of Regents and the New York State Education Department remain dedicated to working to end this inequity, often referred to as the Digital Divide. As the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us all, digital equity is essential for educational equity.

 

For assistance with Digital Equity data collection via SIRS, please contact your local Regional Information Center (RIC) or Big 5 Level 1 Reporting Center. For questions about reporting data in SIRS, please contact the Office of Information and Reporting Services Data Support.

 

As always, we thank you for all that you do for the children of New York.