Questions Remain Regarding Online Learning for Students with IEPs
When Covid-19 promoted the closure of schools across the United States, there were many questions about how teaching and learning would be managed with so many obstacles in place, not the least of which being students without technology, families without access to WiFi, students who depended on schools for their meals, and the provision of services for students with disabilities.
As the country began planning for tech-based learning, the Secretary of Education was scrambling to determine the extent to which districts would be required to provide special education services for one of its most vulnerable populations. In fairness, this was un-chartered territory without a blueprint in place to guide decision-making. In the end, it was decided that districts should provide some sort of supportive services for children with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), but even now, there are questions as to what that directive really means.
Special education has an likely always will be a very sensitive subject from various perspectives. From an educational perspective, there are teacher shortages, mountains of paperwork, federal laws, state laws, advocates, parents, and a constant flow of meetings. From a legal perspective, the language is very broad as to how services should be provided. It was the intent, as with most federal laws, that each state create a reasonable system that provides students with the support outlined in their plans. That's where the plot gets messy.
The true nature of special education has come to the surface now that home learning is the new normal. In some cases, students with disabilities are getting no services at all, while those with moderate-to-severe disabilities may have access to restricted services but not enough to keep them from regressing back to point A. Parents, although diligent in their efforts to give their children home-learning opportunities, may lack the training and/or background to provide any significant instruction.
So, as school systems scramble to get students "back on track," there are no clear answers regarding special education. Of course, it would be almost impossible for a special education teacher to push in the same level of services and support that she could during face-to-face meetings; however, there is a lack of guidance when it comes to reasonable attempts to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Until administrators at the state levels set a standard for what services and support should look like based on the needs of their students, special education will become strained than ever before.
As the country began planning for tech-based learning, the Secretary of Education was scrambling to determine the extent to which districts would be required to provide special education services for one of its most vulnerable populations. In fairness, this was un-chartered territory without a blueprint in place to guide decision-making. In the end, it was decided that districts should provide some sort of supportive services for children with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), but even now, there are questions as to what that directive really means.
Special education has an likely always will be a very sensitive subject from various perspectives. From an educational perspective, there are teacher shortages, mountains of paperwork, federal laws, state laws, advocates, parents, and a constant flow of meetings. From a legal perspective, the language is very broad as to how services should be provided. It was the intent, as with most federal laws, that each state create a reasonable system that provides students with the support outlined in their plans. That's where the plot gets messy.
The true nature of special education has come to the surface now that home learning is the new normal. In some cases, students with disabilities are getting no services at all, while those with moderate-to-severe disabilities may have access to restricted services but not enough to keep them from regressing back to point A. Parents, although diligent in their efforts to give their children home-learning opportunities, may lack the training and/or background to provide any significant instruction.
So, as school systems scramble to get students "back on track," there are no clear answers regarding special education. Of course, it would be almost impossible for a special education teacher to push in the same level of services and support that she could during face-to-face meetings; however, there is a lack of guidance when it comes to reasonable attempts to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Until administrators at the state levels set a standard for what services and support should look like based on the needs of their students, special education will become strained than ever before.
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