The U.S. Department of Education plans to make the needs of students with disabilities a higher priority when schools fully reopen in the fall, Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten said Tuesday during a virtual summit focusing on equity.

The department is preparing a document, coming later this summer, that 鈥渨ill address some of the most pressing needs and the concerns elevated by families, advocates and educators to provide clarity and direction and attention to this community,鈥� Marten said during the event.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, districts across the country have faced lawsuits and angry parents complaining that students with disabilities missed many of the services they were entitled to receive while schools were closed.

But some districts prioritized students with disabilities in reopening efforts. Rosemarie Eller, school board president in the White Plains Public Schools in New York 鈥� one of several educators featured during the panel discussions 鈥� described how her district held in-person school for students with disabilities as much as possible this year to 鈥渕aintain the continuity of their educational experience.鈥� Leaders held 鈥渃offee talks鈥� with parents so they could become better acquainted with administrators and develop trust.

Denise Stile Marshall, CEO of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, called Marten鈥檚 announcement 鈥渨elcome news.鈥� The advocacy group, she said, has asked the department to provide schools with information on how to ensure students receive a under the law even if a parent continues to opt for remote learning.

The two-hour event, expected to be one in a series focused on equity, comes as educators continue to confront the uneven impact of the pandemic and school closures on students. Recent test results , for example, show a sharp decline in Algebra I scores among on Black, Hispanic and low-income students, and hospitals have seen an increase in girls needing . Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, however, said in recorded remarks that he wants equity to be more than a 鈥減assing buzzword.鈥� He鈥檚 drawing attention to students that have long felt marginalized in public schools, and last week of a conversation with his transgender cousin.

鈥淎 lot of times, school for these kids, it鈥檚 an escape for them,鈥� said Alex Cardona. 鈥淎nd having to escape to somewhere that鈥檚 also unsupportive just doesn鈥檛 help anyone.鈥�

In the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, a district prominently featured during the event, counselors and other student service professionals are trained to understand the needs of LGBTQ students and know where they can refer students and their families for support, explained Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. The district has a central office specialist who leads that work.

鈥淚t is 100 percent our responsibility to see our students, to recognize them, to value them,鈥� added Olivia Carter, a counselor at Jefferson Elementary School in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and the 2021 School Counselor of the Year. 鈥淚t鈥檚 our responsibility to humanize students.鈥�

That includes helping students come to school with clean clothes, said Alejandro Diasgranados, who teaches fourth and fifth grade at Alton Elementary in Washington, D.C. and led efforts to provide an on-site laundry facility for students to reduce absenteeism. He agreed with Marten that the condition of school facilities is an important equity issue.

鈥淢y students have seen the differences between our school and more affluent schools across town 鈥� things like other schools have turf fields and schools without bars on windows,鈥� said Diasgranados, one of four finalists for 2021 Teacher of the Year.

President Joe Biden has proposed spending $100 million for K-12 school construction and upgrades as part of his infrastructure plan, but if the administration reaches with Republicans, that plan is unlikely to be included.

Diasgranados said he is especially focused on recruiting more educators of color.

鈥淭eacher diversity is teacher quality,鈥� he said, but added that in addition to providing mentorships, it鈥檚 important that black educators aren鈥檛 鈥渇orced into disciplinary roles,鈥� which can contribute to high turnover.

The event included student performances and one student panelist. Rina Stanghellini, part of the White Plains district, said it鈥檚 important for students to see reflections of their culture in the curriculum in the early grades.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 get to read books about Asian American characters in culture by Asian American authors until I got to high school,鈥� she said.

Shantel Meek, who leads the Children鈥檚 Equity Project at Arizona State University, said following the summit that the speakers could have given more attention to early-childhood education. While Miami-Dade officials talked about how the district uses Title I funds to expand the state鈥檚 half-day pre-K program to a full day, Meek said equity issues in K-12, such as facilities, mental health services and workforce diversity, apply to the early years as well.

鈥淥ften early ed gets seen as an equity intervention in itself, when in reality it is a system of its own with many of the same challenges as K-12,鈥� she said.

Some parents noted that this was the second virtual summit the secretary has held without representation from parents. The reopening event the department held in March included student voices, but not those of parents.

鈥淎ll this discussion about reforming education needs to be meaningful and include parents in the consultation process,鈥� said Eileen Chollet, a parent whose daughter attends Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia.

The U.S. Department of Education will hold a virtual summit on June 22 鈥� the first in a series of events focused on addressing the inequitable impact of the pandemic on students of color and other high-need groups.

Setting the stage for the conversation, the department鈥檚 Office for Civil Rights released a report Wednesday, summarizing what it calls a 鈥渄eveloping story鈥� of how the shift to remote learning and the public health crisis widened disparities in students鈥� access to a quality education.

Drawing on existing surveys, research and assessment data, the report recapped how vulnerable groups, including English learners, students with disabilities and LGBTQ students, faced significant barriers to learning before the pandemic, only to be further cut off from the support they needed during school closures. The report comes the same week as a public hearing on Title IX and follows last week鈥檚 that the Office for Civil Rights will accept public comments on discrimination in school discipline, offering further evidence that an arm of the department that was downsized during the previous administration is leading much of the agenda so far under Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.

The department also released for how states and districts can implement the 鈥渕aintenance of equity鈥� provision of the American Rescue Plan, which is intended to prevent budget and staffing cuts at high-poverty schools.

The upcoming summit, guidance and report comply with an President Joe Biden issued when he took office, directing federal agencies to examine the challenges facing underserved communities.

Offering 11 observations of the pandemic鈥檚 impact on students, the report noted 鈥渨orrisome signs鈥� that academic performance has fallen below per-pandemic levels, that nearly all students have experienced mental health challenges and that gay, lesbian and transgender students have been at increased risk of isolation, harassment or abuse.

鈥淭hose who went into the pandemic with the fewest opportunities are at risk of leaving with even less,鈥� the report said.

The event later this month will focus on how students can influence the schools they attend, continuing Cardona鈥檚 emphasis on student voice. He鈥檚 met with students during school visits, featured students during his school reopening summit in March and held a roundtable discussion with homeless youth in April.

Other speakers at the summit will include Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten, Pedro Noguera, dean of education at the University of Southern California, and Olivia Carter, the 2021 School Counselor of the Year.

The report out Wednesday stressed the role of civil rights protections for students as they recover from the pandemic. Schools, for example, must enroll homeless students without requiring proof of residency documents and ensure English learners receive language instruction and support.

The report noted that prior to the pandemic, students of color and students with disabilities were more likely to face suspension, expulsion and other harsh discipline practices. Now, the hardship, grief and loss some students have experienced may contribute to behavior challenges once they return to school full time. Schools, as a result, will have a greater need for educators and other specialists who understand how to work with students who have experienced trauma, according to the report.

The pandemic revealed 鈥渄eep cracks in the foundation鈥� of the nation鈥檚 schools, the report said. 鈥淲e have an extraordinary opportunity to move forward with full awareness of these cracks and recognition of the essential need to address and repair them.鈥�