scholarly journals “When We Talk About Compliance, It’s Because We Lived It” - Online Educators’ Roles in Supporting Students with Disabilities

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Frances Rice ◽  
Richard Allen Carter, Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Case Managers ◽  
Virtual School ◽  
School Level ◽  
State Laws ◽  
Role Conceptions ◽  
Online Educators ◽  
Education Administrators

As participation in online learning grows, so do concerns around the ways in which students with disabilities are served in virtual school programs, both full and part-time. At the crux of this struggle is the way in which federal and state laws (many of which were incepted before online learning existed or gained traction as an educational option) are interpreted by educators and translated into policies at the school level. Further, administrators, special education case managers, and teachers all interpret school level policies and answer to directives from a hierarchy of supervisors. The interpretations of these policies and the understandings educators use to guide their thinking have not been well-researched. In the present study, teachers, special education case managers, school level special education administrators, and regional directors were interviewed about their roles in developing, supporting, and implementing accommodations and other forms of support for students with disabilities in online courses. Findings from this work focus on the role conceptions of various types of educators in virtual schools and the tensions they experience as they work to support each other in positioning students with disabilities for success.

Unpacking the Logic of Compliance in Special Education: Contextual Influences on Discipline Racial Disparities in Suburban Schools

2021 ◽  
pp. 003804072110133
Author(s):  
Catherine Kramarczuk Voulgarides ◽  
Alexandra Aylward ◽  
Adai Tefera ◽  
Alfredo J. Artiles ◽  
Sarah L. Alvarado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Civil Rights ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Problem Behaviors ◽  
Organizational Structures ◽  
School Level ◽  
Social Force ◽  
Idea 2004 ◽  
Race And Racialization ◽  
Education Act

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ([IDEA] 2004; IDEA Amendments 1997) is a civil rights–based law designed to protect the rights of students with disabilities in U.S. schools. However, decades after the initial passage of IDEA, racial inequity in special education classifications, placements, and suspensions are evident. In this article, we focus on understanding how racial discipline disparities in special education outcomes relate to IDEA remedies designed to address problem behaviors. We qualitatively examine how educators interpret and respond to citations for racial discipline disproportionality via IDEA at both the district and the school level in a suburban locale. We find that educators interpret the inequity in ways that neutralize the racialized implications of the citation, which in turn affects how they respond to the citation. These interpretations contribute to symbolic and race-evasive IDEA compliance responses. The resulting bureaucratic and organizational structures associated with IDEA implementation become a mechanism through which the visibility of race and racialization processes are erased and muted through acts of policy compliance. Thus, the logic of compliance surrounding IDEA administration serves as a reproductive social force that sustains practices that do not disrupt locally occurring racialized inequities.

Changes in Technology Use in California's Special Education Programs

1997 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 233-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rena B. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
General Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Special Education Programs ◽  
Education Administrators ◽  
Technology In Instruction ◽  
Drill And Practice

Abstract This study investigated changes in technology use in california's special education programs between the late 1980s and mid-1990s. two groups representing districts that participated in an earlier study were surveyed: special education administrators ( n = 149) and special educators who routinely use technology in instruction ( n = 189). Results suggest that computers and other technologies are more available today and used more often by administrators, teachers, and students with disabilities. Students are more likely to have technology goals on their individualized education programs, interact with technology in general education settings, and use computers as tools rather than for drill-and-practice. Administrators and teachers remain enthusiastic about technology's benefits. However, although technologies used in school programs have become more sophisticated and more plentiful, barriers to full implementation still exist.

scholarly journals Online Teacher Work to Support Self-Regulation of Learning in Students with Disabilities at a Fully Online State Virtual School

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Frances Rice ◽  
Richard Allen Carter, Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Virtual School ◽  
Online Teachers ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
Teacher Work ◽  
Regulation Strategies ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Do So

Students with disabilities represent a growing number of learners receiving education in K-12 fully online learning programs. They are, unfortunately, also a large segment of the online learning population who are not experiencing success in these environments. In response, scholars have recommended increasing instruction in self-regulation skills for these students, but whether teachers are able to promote self-regulation as part of their instruction and how they will do so remains unknown. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how practicing teachers provided self-regulation strategies to students with disabilities in a fully online learning environment. In this context, the teachers intended to offer self-regulation strategies to students, but they were largely unable to do so. This work has the potential to influence professional development programs for online teachers in the hopes that students with disabilities will be able to learn self-regulation strategies and ultimately be more successful.

Meeting the Needs of Students With Disabilities in Online Learning Environments

2021 ◽  
pp. 229-246
Author(s):  
Emily N. Rutherford
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Formal Training ◽  
Online Learning Environments ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Course Content

Online learning environments provide opportunities for students to learn in a flexible manner, regardless of their personal circumstances. These opportunities open the door for many students to have more control over their learning. For students with disabilities, however, the implications are much different. Access to course content and material online can be a major barrier to success for students with disabilities. Making online courses accessible, measuring accessibility, and creating accessible materials and curriculum resources can be daunting tasks for educators, especially those with little to no formal training in special education. This chapter will provide tips developed through the lived experiences of those who work with students who have disabilities to assist educators in successfully meeting the needs of all students in their courses. Consequently, the aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of how to meet the needs of students with disabilities in online learning environments.

scholarly journals The Self-Perceived Knowledge of Special Education Administrators in Kuwait

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 78
Author(s):  
Zainab Abbas ◽  
Hashemiah Almusawi ◽  
Nouf Alenezi
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Special Education Administrators ◽  
Educational Setting ◽  
Ethical Practice ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Essential Services ◽  
Education Administrators ◽  
One Way Anova

Administrators of special education identify and provide essential services for students with disabilities. No research has been conducted on the perceptions of Kuwait’s special education administrators regarding their knowledge in key special education standard areas. This study examined those perceptions and the extent to which they are influenced by administrators’ experience, qualification level, school district, or educational setting. Quantitative data were collected by surveying 62 special education administrators and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a one-way ANOVA, and Spearman’s rank-order correlations. The results indicated that the participants consider themselves most knowledgeable in two areas (1) collaboration and (2) leadership and policy—but less knowledgeable in the areas of research and inquiry, individual and program evaluation, and professional development and ethical practice. A significant relationship was found between self-assessment ratings and the educational setting where the administrator was working. Recommendations are made with the aim of enhancing the knowledge and development of special education administrators. The limitations of the study and further research possibilities are also discussed.

scholarly journals K-12 online learning and students with disabilities: Perspectives from state special education directors

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula J. Burdette ◽  
Diana Greer ◽  
Kari L. Woods
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Civil Rights ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Special Education Directors ◽  
Free Appropriate Public Education ◽  
Restrictive Environment ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Education Directors

K-12 special education policies and practices that ensure students with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment are coming under pressure from rapid expansion of online learning. Forty-six state and non-state jurisdiction special education directors responded to a brief survey about K-12 online learning. Findings demonstrated the increased number of states providing online instruction; indicated students with many different types of disabilities participate in online learning; and described the directors’ reflections on current issues as well as anticipated barriers to students with disabilities participating in online learning. Ambiguity and variability existed across state policies as each state may have been in a different stage of adopting this relatively new approach to K-12 education. The authors suggest that federal guidance might be required to safeguard the civil rights of students with disabilities in online learning.

Multicultural Education Training for Special Educators Working with African-American Youth

1992 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bridgie Alexis Ford
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
African American ◽  
Multicultural Education ◽  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
African American Students ◽  
Special Educators ◽  
Inservice Training ◽  
Special Education Administrators ◽  
American Students ◽  
Education Administrators

Inservice training in multicultural education helps provide special education classroom teachers with the additional competencies needed to work more effectively with African-American students with disabilities. A pilot study was conducted to assess the perceptions of special education administrators in Ohio about multicultural inservice training and the nature of their exposure to multicultural education. Results indicate that special education administrators perceive that special education teachers should be involved in multicultural educational training programs with special emphasis on African-American students and their families. The results also reveal that personnel responsible for conducting such inservice programs may lack formal training. Author recommendations include the need for special educators to actively participate in high-quality, ongoing, multicultural education inservice programming conducted by personnel who have been formally prepared.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document