Recommendations in the Virtual Classroom for Students with Disabilities
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Recommendations in the Virtual Classroom for Students with Disabilities
By: Tory Christian and Ashley Donaldson Burle
Today the PRiME Center released our latest policy brief, Supporting Students with Disabilities During the Pandemic: Rural Districts Least Likely to Provide Information. The brief describes how federally mandated special education services translate to virtual educational environments and examines how Missouri districts communicated information regarding these services in their Fall 2020 reopening plans. As mentioned in the brief, 14% of Missouri students receive special education services and many were forced to transition to virtual environments. Regulations for virtual environments under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are lacking, which creates equity issues for these students and leaves districts lacking guidance on how to translate independent education plans (IEPs) to virtual environments and best support their students.
Virtual learning can be a useful platform for students with disabilities. Available research suggests educators can deliver virtual instruction that allow students to continue to progress towards IEP goals when executed with accessibility in mind. With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to disrupt the education of students with disabilities, we have compiled a list of common recommendations for the virtual classroom to help bolster this environment for students with disabilities and provide resources for districts and families. In this blog, we highlight three key areas that should be considered when the virtual classroom is used as a learning environment for students with disabilities:
1. Adaptations and Virtual Accessibility
Virtual environments can serve diverse learners without exhausting teacher resources or 1:1 time, and allow for increased individualization of pacing and learning activities. A range of strategies are effective for students with disabilities in virtual settings, such as direct instruction, metacognitive strategies, cooperative learning groups, and varied group sizes for instruction. Table 1 displays accessible solutions to guide practitioners in designing effective and equitable learning environments virtually.
2. Professional Collaboration
Virtual environments can also afford opportunities for professional development and collaboration amongst special educators. Rural districts, in particular, have used distanced models of professional development for years, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, Central Kentucky districts connect through networking support meetings to discuss their model of nontraditional instruction for students with moderate to severe disabilities. This provides a platform for professionals across the state to connect over similar concerns for their students and brainstorm effective virtual solutions. Commerce Independent School District in Texas has been commended for their professional connectivity, as they have utilized teletherapies and recruited local volunteer organizations to support remote students through videoconferencing and social media.
3. Parental Involvement
Local education agencies (LEAs) also need to consider what resources they can offer families to better support their child’s educational needs. Virtual instruction increases the visibility of students’ learning for their caregivers, which can lead to a positive impact on a student’s progress and consistency of care. However, families at home are often not trained educators and may not know how to provide appropriate accommodations and modifications to their child’s learning environment. Parents commonly overprompt or provide answers too quickly, drifting away from supports in the students’ behavioral or education plans. LEAs can connect families to virtual resources for additional guidance. One example is The Parent Education & Diversity Awareness Program from the Special School District of St. Louis County, which includes resources for parent/professional collaboration, the IEP process, homework assistance, and more.
Overall, recommendations for virtual classrooms for students with disabilities encourage LEAs to consider the accessibility of virtual content, engage in professional development and collaboration, and provide resources for parental involvement in their child’s education. These practices, in combination with clear communication about district plans for virtual special education and additional supports for students with disabilities that may complement virtual learning, can help to keep students’ IEPs on track. In addition, utilizing these three key areas can also help to uproot some of the inequities that have occurred for students with disabilities since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To learn more about special education in Missouri during the COVID-19 pandemic and, specifically, how Missouri districts communicated information on special education services during Fall 2020 reopening, read the full report by clicking the button below.
