online learning for students with disabilities: what we know, and what we need to know

Project Co-Sponsors:KU Center for Research on Learning • CAST • NASDSE www.centerononlinelearning.org

Online Learning for Students with Disabilities:

What we know, and what we need to knowDiana Greer; Sean Smith, University of Kansas

Paula Burdette, NASDSE Rachel Currie-Rubin; Skip Stahl, CAST

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Today’s Presentation

• Center Overview

• Status Update

• What we know

• What we don’t know

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Our Charge

To research how online learning can be made more accessible, engaging, and effective for K-12 learners with disabilities:• Identify– trends & issues– positive & negative consequences– promising approaches

• Test – feasibility, usability & effectiveness

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Demographics

David Glick, 2011

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The Reality

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The Types

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The Challenges

1. Providing student support for engagement

2. Coordination with students’ local school district/getting students’ records

3. Deficiency in curriculum

4. Lack of or inability to provide adult support/involvement

5. Lack of qualified staff and staff time

6. Difficulty in identifying students

2012 iNACOL

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Challenges Related to Special Education

• Inconsistent policies across states and

districts

• Accessibility and Universal Design gaps

• Teacher preparedness varies

• Monitoring and accountability difficult

due to lack of data

• Rationale for placements not clear

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Special Education Challenges cont.

• Social and Emotional Supports may or may not be available

• Lack of guidance to assist teams in determining appropriateness of online education

• Digital divide: schools, homes that have digital access and those who do not

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Question #1: Sean

What aspects of the design of learning management/content management systems and their content increase or decrease the involvement of students with disabilities?

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What We Know

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Does your state have data on which students with disabilities are receiving their instruction through an online environment?

– Online program• 24% Yes• 76% No

– Supplemental online course• 11% Yes• 89% No

– Blended program• 7% Yes• 93% No

– Related Services• 9% Yes• 91% No

State Director of Special Education Survey

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State Directors Survey (N=46)

Autism 43% Deaf-Blindness 15% Deafness 30% Emotional Disturbance

46% Hearing Impairment 33% Intellectual Disabilities 39% Multiple Disabilities 29%

Orthopedic Impairment 35% Other Health Impairment

43% Specific Learning Disability

48% Speech or Language Impairment

39% Traumatic Brain Injury 30% Visual Impairment Including

Blindness 28% Developmental Delay 20%

Students from what disability areas participate in any online environment?

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Question #2: Rachel

How does the context of online learning affect student engagement, persistence and achievement?

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What about Engagement and Learning?

• Teacher “quality”: What knowledge, skills, and beliefs do highly skilled and experienced online educators and novice online educators have?

• Peer-to-peer relationships and the impact on student learning

• Case studies to understand peer to peer relationships, relationships with “learning coaches” and teachers

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District Administrator Survey

• District offers online instruction (N=78)• Yes (76%)

– 56% have offered online instruction for 1-5 years – 41% have offered online instruction for 6-15 years

• Offer online instruction for SWDs (N=78)

• Yes (78%)– 56% have offered online instruction for SWDs for 1-5

years – 43% have offered online instruction for SWDs for 6-

15 years

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District Administrator Survey (N=103)

• Challenges teachers face in teaching SWDs online – 61% Knowing how to accommodate for

students' disabilities – 48% Knowing how to use instructional

strategies in online settings – 41% Knowing how to use specific technologies– 25% Limitations in technology infrastructure

within the district – 20% Other

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District Administrator Survey

• 36% reported that their teachers are well prepared to teach SWDs online – 39% reported their teachers are not well

prepared – 25% reported they don’t know or did not

answer

• 57% reported being prepared to make decisions affecting the online instruction of SWDs

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Question #3: Diana

What we are learning about teachers who teach students with disabilities in an online environment?

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Teacher Survey

• 110 Participants

–89% taught for 6+ years

–31% taught online for 6+ years

–47% are certified to teach SWDs

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Teacher Survey: Teacher Satisfaction

• Satisfied with teaching online (in general)– Satisfied: 72% Neutral: 11% Dissatisfied:

2%

• Satisfied with teaching SWD online– Satisfied: 60% Neutral: 16% Dissatisfied:

8%

• Adequate support to teach SWD online– Yes: 55% No: 11%

Sometimes: 19%

• 76% plan to continue teaching SWD for

at least 2 years

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Where they teach?

100

80

60

40

20

0 80% 95% 47% 86% 2% 71% 85% 96% 33% 49% 7% 27%

Teach:– Online Schools:

HS - 80%; MS – 47%; ES- 2% – Individual Courses:

HS – 85%; MS – 33%; ES – 7% Students with Disabilities :

– SLD, ED, Autism, OHI, Intellectual Disabilities, Multiple Disabilities

Where they teach?

District Administrator Survey

Online Schools Individual Courses

HS MS ES HS MS ES

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100

80

60

40

20

0 67% 72% 46% 51% 25% 26% 24% 16% 21% 26%

The following percentage of teachers reported that their students receive these:

67% Content Instruction 46% Skill-based instruction 25% Assistive Technology Support 24% Social-Emotional/Behavioral Instruction 21% Speech Language Service

Teacher Survey: Supports provided to SWD

District Administrator Survey

Content Instruction

Skill-based Instruction

Assistive Technology

Support

Speech Language

Service

Social-Emotional/Behavioral Instruction

Teacher Survey: Supports provided to SWD

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Teacher Survey: Instructional

100

80

60

40

20

0 47% 39% 45% 46% 44% 26% 40% 30% 34% 36% 19% 26%

Teachers chose top 3 instructional methods to support SWDs: 47% Video 45% Activities or labs 44% Text 40% Discussion 34% Audio 19% Games

Teacher Survey: Instructional Methods

District Administrator Survey: Instructional Methods

Video Activities or labs

Text Discussion Audio Games

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Teacher Survey: Challenges faced

• 40% Knowing how to accommodate for

SWDs

• 30% Knowing how to use instructional

strategies online

• 37% Limitations to the district

technology infrastructure

• 23% Knowing how to use specific

technologies

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Teacher Survey: Challenges faced

100

80

60

40

20

0 40% 61% 30% 48% 37% 41% 23% 25% 20%

The following percentages of teachers reported that their students receive these supports: 40% Knowing how to accommodate for SWDs 30% Knowing how to use instructional strategies online 44% Limitations to the district technology infrastructure 23% Knowing how to use specific technologies

Teacher Survey: Challenges faced

District Administrator Survey: Challenges

Knowing how to accommodate for

SWDs

Knowing how to use instructional

strategies online

Limitations to the district technology

infrastructure

OtherKnowing how to use specific technologies

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Question #4: Paula

What steps can the education system take to increase the success of students with disabilities in online learning?

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What to do?

• Partner with others to learn what works, for what types of learners, under what circumstances.

• Based on the best knowledge now, develop guidance for providers to use.

• Collect and use data to improve knowledge, implementation, and future guidance.

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National Education Policy Center

• Recommendations:– Approval and Oversight of Providers

(fully online and supplemental courses): “provide accommodations and services as required by [IDEA] …”

– Promulgation of Rules (quality standards): “provisions for students with special needs…”

http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/online-k-12-schooling

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iNACOL Principles of Model Legislation

1. Shift to competency-based education 2. Increase access for each student and

permit entire continuum - from blended to fully online

3. Design outcomes-based accountability and funding incentives

4. Increase access to excellent teachers5. Provide room for innovation

www.inacol.org

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COLSD Policy Review Themes

–Placement and enrollment–Allowable providers–Funding–Administrative duties–Accommodations–Assessment–Graduation/exit–Accessibility

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North Washington

States we are working with:

Carolina

Florida

Kansas

Virginia

Michigan

Ohio

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