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VISION FOR EDUCATION--2020 1

Vision for Education--2020

Jennifer Mastrianni

EDU 505- The Future of Education

Instructor Bett Alter


Introduction: What is the NEA?

The National Education Association (NEA) is an organization dedicated to advancing

public education. Through the years, the NEA has become a powerful and influential advocate

for the nation’s educators. The NEA is a professional employee organization, with over three

million members from the pre-school to university graduate levels of education. This

organization has affiliates in every state in the nation. The stated mission of the NEA is “to

advocate for education professionals and to unite our members and the nation to fulfill the

promise of public education to prepare every student to succeed in a diverse and interdependent

world,” (NEA, 2015).

Representing elementary and secondary teachers, the NEA has become the nation’s

greatest organization for professional employees, according to Ralabate, (2007). This also

sustains “related service providers, education support professionals, college faculty, school

administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers,” (Ralabate, 2007).

The NEA provides information and many tools and resources for teachers and students,

and gets resources out to the public via their website. This assures that what was once

considered a privilege for the fortunate few is in fact the essential right for every child in

America, regardless of the family’s place of residency or income (NEA, 2015).

History of the NEA

One hundred years before the formation of the NEA, the education of students was

largely informal; if a child could read, write, and stay out of trouble, he/she could attend

“school”. However, the mid-1800’s saw widespread educational reforms that led to the

beginning of the public school system and the professional training for teachers. Hence, the


NEA was formed in 1857. Forty-three educators gathered in Philidelphia to answer “a national

call to unite as one voice in the cause of public education,” (NEA, 2015). Back in the 1850’s,

reading was luxury for most children, but a crime for children of color. During the 1960’s, the

NEA made a historic merger with the Black American Teachers Association. According to the

NEA (2015) this encouraged both the civil and human rights of all educators and students,

regardless of ethnicity.

Current State of the NEA

The NEA has grown from a group of 43 educators answering a national call to help better

the education of the students of the nation, to 3.2 million members that consist of professionals,

parents, students, retired teachers, and those who are pursuing a degree in education. The vision

of the NEA is to allow access to a great public school system for every student in the nation.

Affiliates are located within each state, as well as in 14,000 communities within the United

States. Their core values were written in order to appropriately serve the children and

professionals in the nation. The first core value that the NEA believes in is Equal Opportunity

(the human and civil right all students have to a quality public education). Following would be a

Just Society - or public education in building respect and equality within society. Third comes

Democracy, stating that “public education provides individuals with the skills to be involved,

informed, and engaged in our representative democracy” (NEA, 2015). Next is Professionalism,

which adheres to an understanding that sustains worthy expertise towards professionals and is

crucial to student success. The final core values are Partnership and Collective Action, which

state that parents, families, and communities, along with educational professionals, are important

in working together towards quality education and student success (NEA, 2015).


The NEA serves their members, general public, and those interested mainly via the

internet. The NMC Report states that “the value that online learning offers is now well

understood, with flexibility, ease of access, and the integration of sophisticated multimedia and

technologies chief among the least of appeals,” (2015). The NEA posts articles, journals,

petitions, etc. on their website. The website includes multiple tabs and a search bar for easy

access to topics desired. The NEA also utilizes social media apps such as Facebook, Twitter, You

Tube, and Pinterest to post information on professional development, resources for parents, and

engaging activities for students to supplement their learning. With the advent of Smart phones,

and technology such as the iPad, the public can have access to any of these apps at any time.

Trends in Education

When thinking about postsecondary education, we think “why go to college”? Thinking

historically as well as currently, continuing education opens up a world of opportunity for a high

school graduate. “The US labor force has been shown to benefit from the pursuit of

postsecondary education, because it has been linked to higher labor force participation and

higher earnings,” (Gilmore & Bose, 2005). College graduates are more likely to be employed

full time, and are happier at their jobs, than those without a college degree (Taylor, et.al 2014).

Due to these facts, all students should have the opportunity to successfully pursue and earn a

postsecondary education degree. Historically, this has been a difficult goal for students with

disabilities to achieve. Students with disabilities have always had lower numbers in completion

of high school/earning a diploma; they “are less likely than their peers without disabilities to

complete a full secondary school academic curriculum, especially in math and science

curriculum areas,” (Frieden, 2003). To help with this, the government has passed several public


policies to assist students with disabilities not only complete high school, but have a successful

transition from high school into a postsecondary educational setting.

Public Policy Trends

IDEA began as Public Law 94-142, and was passed in 1975. It guaranteed the free and

appropriate education to students with disabilities, and allowed for improvements in how stu-

dents were identified as well as for due process protection for children and families. (US Depart-

ment of Education, 2010). PL 94-142 mandated that services be rendered to students from ages

3-21. Amendments have occurred over the past 35 years; the most recent in 1997. This amend-

ment allowed for students to receive transition supports from high school into adult life via their

Individualized Education Plan (IEP) (US Department of Education, 2010).

Section 504 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and viewed the segregation and

exclusion of people with disabilities as discrimination. “Enactment of Section 504 evidenced

Congress’ recognition that the inferior social and economic status of people with disabilities was

not a consequence of the disability itself, but instead was a result of societal barriers and preju-

dices,” (Mayerson, 1992). Section 504 does not automatically qualify an individual for special

education; rather it guarantees that accommodations and modifications are made available to

them when needed (Wright, 2015).

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was formed through the regulations of Sec-

tion 504 (Mayerson, 1992). It was first signed into existence in 1988, and has since gone

through many revisions and drafts. It states that people with disabilities are guaranteed the same

opportunities as everyone else in life.


The Higher Education Act (HEA) was originally passed in 1965. “To encourage growth

and change, it must be re-approved, or "reauthorized," by Congress approximately every five

years…[and is] federal law that governs the administration of federal student aid programs”

(Higher Education Act, 2015).

Demographic Trends

“Historically, special education classes have long experienced an over-representation of

racial minorities and male students as well as students from lower-income households,” (Robson,

Brown, and Parekh, 2014). Minority students, male students (vs. female students), and students

from lower-income families are labeled at a higher rate. The status of being labeled as a special

education student acts like an “invisible barrier”, making it harder to achieve quality high school

education, transition supports, and the eventual acceptance into postsecondary education (Rob-

son, Brown, and Parekh, 2014).

Another demographic trend that affects the rate of students going to a postsecondary edu-

cation involves their parents. According to Robson, Brown, and Parekh (2014), children (typical

and special needs) who have parents that attended postsecondary education institutions would

most likely themselves attend, and children whose parents did not attend were at risk for not at-

tending themselves.

An additional group of students who were at risk for not attending postsecondary educa-

tion were those who had little to no support with planning their future. “Low-income, first-gen-

eration, and low-performing students face particular barriers securing guidance, counseling, and

transition advice, as do students with disabilities,” (Brand & Valent, 2013). As a part of a stu-

dent with a disability’s IEP, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has required that


high school students have a transition component that addresses ideas and support for that stu-

dent's progression into adult life.

Economic Trends

Students who earn degrees from a postsecondary education institution are more likely to

have full-time employment, earn more, and be happier in their careers than students who do not

earn a degree (Taylor, et.al 2014). However, when it concerns students with disabilities, they

“participate in postsecondary education in smaller numbers and frequently do not complete their

degrees. This leads to low participation in competitive employment and much lower earnings

comparted to that of persons without disabilities [around $20,000 per year vs. around $50,000

per year]” (Gilmore and Bose, 2005).

Students from low income households tend to be disproportionately labeled with a dis-

ability (Robson, Brown, and Parekh, 2014). Along with this, districts that are considered low in-

come may not be able to provide resources necessary to students with disabilities. According to

Brand & Valent (2013) many students log in class-time sitting in a classroom rather than utiliz-

ing major advances in technology, telecommunications, and measuring a student’s actual knowl-

edge and competency rates. This poses problems for all students, but especially for special needs

students who may already be financially at a disadvantage. “Currently, the cost of education is

shared among federal, state, and local governments in all 50 states,” (Griffith, 2013). States are

trying to figure out the best way to handle supporting their districts so that division of wealth and

resources is equal among higher income and lower income districts.

Frieden (2003) discussed the next trend in his position paper titled People with Disabili-

ties and Postsecondary Education. Education for students with special needs is more expensive.


They tend to take longer to complete a degree program, rendering them ineligible for scholar-

ships that require degree completion in four years. Sums of financial aid granted are typically

smaller for students with disabilities. Accommodations needed for the student may not be cov-

ered by financial aid.

Current Technology Trends in Postsecondary Education

“High school graduates with disabilities—many now accustomed to assistive technology

and learning accommodations—are moving on to higher education, compromising approxi-

mately 10% of the student body,” (Kraglund-Gauthier, Young, and Kell, 2014). Universal design

for learning (UDL) was created to help students in the classroom, in that they represent “teaching

methods that enable all students with diverse learning needs, including those with disabilities and

cultural differences, to have equal access to classroom curriculum,” (Pace and Schwartz, 2008).

Through UDL, flexible options are made to engage all students in lessons. Educators often have

good intentions of utilizing technology in their classrooms to assist students with disabilities, but

often fall aside to lack of knowledge of the technology.

Universities have instituted a Classroom Performance System (CPS) to allow students to

better access and engage in classroom materials. According to Pace and Schwartz (2008), CPS is

a software system that includes response pads or clickers, and receivers with radio frequency

technology that allows students to interact with content material in their courses, at times anony-

mously. Although this sounds like a successful usage of technology in a postsecondary educa-

tion classroom, CPS could be difficult to implement. Pace and Schwartz (2008) go on to say that

various can arise. These difficulties can include: lack of training for professors, technological

difficulties (equipment may not have worked properly and there was a lack of technicians to fix


the problems), and that some university networks did not support the software, making the pro-

fessor utilize her own computer in order to make the software work in her classroom.

Methodology/Futuring Techniques

Events, trends, and directions can be unpredictable; in fact, the one thing definite when

discussing the future is that “change is the only constant” (Bushnell, n.d.). Techniques for look-

ing into the future are not only keys to successfully anticipating many of these changes, but, ac-

cording to Mietzner and Reger, can “minimize surprises and broaden the span of managers’

thinking about different possibilities,” (2005). Futuring is the process of anticipating change and

making decisions that will impact future possibilities for organizations. Two futuring techniques

to be discussed in terms of the development of a vision of education are scanning and scenarios.

Scanning

Scanning is “the systematic survey of information sources focusing on trends,”

(Reference for Business, 2015). It is the first step in determining a possible future outcome

(Sobrero, 2004). Indications of change found via scanning lead to development of possible

scenarios. Interested groups of individuals can be assigned to scan media for current trends and

emerging issues, and can include representatives from all levels of an organization (Morrison,

n.d.). Morrison goes on to say “decision makers can anticipate what is happening in the state,

region, nation, and world that will affect the nature and quality of the institution and its

educational programs.”

Scanning was a technique used for this vision of education case study. Historical trends

in education were scanned to determine where statistics were, and possibly where they could

lead. Demographic trends were scanned to define who were at risk for not attending


postsecondary education. Economic trends were sought in order to see what the risk was for not

attending postsecondary education, and whose education could be affected by a lower economic

class status. Current technology trends were researched to see what exactly was out there for

students with disabilities to utilize in postsecondary education.

Scenario-Making

According to Mietzner and Reger, scenarios “are a synthesis of different paths (events

and actors’ strategies) that lead to possible futures. In practice, scenarios often merely describe

particular sets of events or variables” (2005). Essentially, a scenario describes a future situation,

and the range of options that can be used to move the group from its current situation into a

future state. Scenarios lead to creative ways to anticipate future threats and opportunities to a

company; the number of possibilities can be endless. Multiple futures can be developed on

either best case or worst case situations within an organization. The strongest points and the

weakest links can be found (Mietzner and Reger, 2005). Despite the advantages to building

scenarios, they are often time consuming, and there is a tendency to focus on the scenario that is

most-likely to succeed, rather than all possibilities. (Mietzner and Reger, 2005). The desired

outcome of this paper was to scan trends, then develop a possible scenario for the future of

education involving the National Education Association.

Future scenario for the NEA

As noted above, the NEA supports public policies, and advocates changes that may need

to happen within them. However, do these policies actually do what they claim? “The challenge

now is to make the goals defined in PL 94-142 [IDEA] real,” (Keogh, 2007, p. 69). Also when

discussing special needs students attending secondary and postsecondary education, Frieden


(2003) said that “Serious gaps remain in the services and supports provided to this population. It

is not through lack of effort on the part of policy makers, advocates and people with disabilities

that this is so.” Based on these statements, the NEA will do more to promote services and

supports, and provide guidance and advice to students with special needs who hope to attend

postsecondary education, as well as their families, within the next five years. By the year 2020,

the NEA will coordinate with their affiliating state organizations to build up their website to offer

additional information regarding supports and benefits that the HEA, IDEA, ADA, and Section

504 offer to students and families. Using upcoming technology such as social media and online

learning, the NEA can host online discussion boards and tutorials for families to consult with

experts throughout the transition from high school to college prep and admission processes. It is

important to remember that “higher education opens up a world of opportunities for high school

graduates. The US labor force has been shown to benefit from the pursuit of postsecondary

education,” (Gilmore and Bose, 2005). In addition to this statement, they go on to say that

people with disabilities apply and attend postsecondary education in smaller numbers and if they

attend at all, frequently do not complete their degrees. This presents a problem; students with

disabilities have a lower chance of succeeding in postsecondary education, and therefore

securing a future that is uncertain and potentially poverty-stricken.

Opportunities for Success

Via state affiliates, the NEA can provide links to outside services that can help a high

school student prepare for and transition to postsecondary education. “Many skills be

best learned in non-classroom, experiential learning settings,” (Brand and Valent, 2013).

A major trend for high school students is having personal mobile devices with internet


connection. “89 percent of high school students have access to Internet-connected smart

phones,” (Riedel, 2014). The NEA can offer connections to admissions counselors who

can generate leads and offer advice via social media (Twitter, Facebook), or even a Skype

session. Students with disabilities can get support at the palm of their hand, where and

when they are most comfortable.

The NEA can offer scholarships specific to students with disabilities who will attend a

postsecondary education setting. “Cost presents a major barrier to students with special

needs,” (Frieden, 2003).

“Many of the challenges students with disabilities face are connected to necessary

services and accommodations related to their specific disabilities,” (Frieden, 2003). The

NEA can supply a specified section on its website dedicated to the different public

policies and advocate groups, what they have to offer, and if there are any potential

financial aid benefits available.

The NEA can offer job fairs, either on-line or via state affiliate meetings, specifically

geared towards students with disabilities who want to complete a postsecondary

education program. These students can get an idea of what type of jobs/careers are out

there.

Challenges

Community supports may not be available to all students in all areas. This could be due

to poverty level, access to the building for people with certain physical disabilities, and

lack of technology and trained individuals.

Financial status of a family can affect whether or not the student can afford a smart


phone, tablet, or even personal computer.

Cost to the NEA for providing scholarships. Who would provide the money?

Donors/grants from other organizations, the government, or the public via tax hikes?

Getting help within postsecondary education facilities is difficult, as they range in

support. “Some institutions have single academic our counseling staff members…in other

schools, multiple staff people…are in place for students with disabilities,” (Frieden,

2003). It would be difficult for state affiliates of the NEA to coordinate with all schools to

make them more equal.

Not all businesses are willing and/or able to support employees with disabilities.

If the NEA does not change now…

If a student with a disability does begin to attend postsecondary education, most likely

they will not complete their degree due to insufficient supports at their institution or lack of

funds available to them. Society will lose these students as potential additions to the workforce,

or they will find themselves in “low-paying, non-professional jobs, which lack prestige, come

with no security, room for advancement, or significant medical or retirement benefits,” (Frieden,

2003).

Plan for Change

Five ways in which the NEA will achieve success is utilizing community supports, pro-

viding information on postsecondary education support, improving participation and persistence

in postsecondary education, increasing financial aid opportunities, and addressing postsecondary

education needs through trained personnel (Frieden, 2003). If such issues are not addressed, the


NEA will not fulfill their goals by 2020, and students with disabilities will decrease their num-

bers in postsecondary education.

Call to Action

A call for action is needed to start the NEA on its 2020 path. The NEA will address cur-

rent trends and challenges in special education with relation to postsecondary education, with the

help of their state affiliates, and define a unified, national plan. From there, meetings of profes-

sionals, community leaders, and parents will convene to discuss what type of services would be

most beneficial. Personnel would be sought to set up online technological supports, as others

would be hired to lead potential forums, trainings, and discussion boards. Much discussion

would need to revolve around financing. This would not be a cheap endeavor; where would this

money come from? Donations, funding, grants, and the potential need for outside help (either

from the general public or the government) would need to be discussed. “Studies and trend data

point to gains in employment and earnings made by people with disabilities who participate in

postsecondary education, but if people with disabilities are to share fully in the benefits of a post-

secondary education, they must have better access to this opportunity,” (Gilmore and Bose,

2005).

In Conclusion

The definition of “vision” goes beyond a literal meaning when discussing the future of

education. It is beneficial to think of defining vision more metaphorically rather than literally.

As suggested by Graham Haydon in chapter four of his book Values for Educational Leadership,

“when we say that a person ‘has vision’, we mean that he or she has, not just the ordinary

capacity of sight, but the ability, to a greater extent than most, to see how things could


be,” (2007, p. 62). Scanning for trends and building scenarios help us to foresee what the future

has in store for those in the education field. The case study presented here is only one out of nu-

merous scenarios that can be developed to predict what could happen in the future. Change is

constant, and we must prepare for that change. In the words of Dwight D. Eisenhower, “neither

a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to

run him over.” (Moorcroft, 2007).

References

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Appendix

Mind Map—What is learning?

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