Supporting Students with Significant Intellectual Disabilities During Distance Learning As we support distance learning practices during the COVID-19 emergency, it is essential to implement highly effective instructional strategies to support learners with significant intellectual disabilities. Strategies include using the elements of Universal Design for Learning to develop learning plans; creating a consistent and collaborative schedule for ourselves, families, and students; and establishing student expectations; with flexibility. During distance learning, continued communication with colleagues, administrators, students, and families, is essential to keeping everyone connected and informed. [More]
Five Key Actions to Support Parent Engagement of Students with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Emergency As school districts are now several weeks into the COVID-19 emergency, state education agencies across the U.S. are announcing statewide closures of school buildings for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. What appeared to be a potentially short-term situation is now becoming a much longer-term “new normal.” [More]
The “COVID-19 Slide” will likely prove to be much more significant than the typical “Summer Slide.” Here is how you can start planning now! When schools start to re-open and students return to the classroom, one thing is certain. Recoupment of regression during the “COVID-19 Slide” will be front and center in everyone’s mind. Students will display wider variations in academic performance than ever before. As such, it is critical to start planning now for how you will identify and manage students with learning losses and social-emotional needs. [More]
Utilizing Paraprofessionals to Support Virtual Learning Recently, due to the COVID-19 emergency, school districts, teachers, and families across the U.S. have scrambled to create and provide meaningful virtual instruction to students. As everyone joins the efforts to crowdsource resources, manage logistics, and develop formal procedures, it is essential for teachers to consider how paraprofessionals can play an important role in delivering supports to students. There are more than 1.2 million paraprofessionals currently working to support various academic, behavior, and social needs of students, and their contributions during this critical time impact the quality of services students receive. [More]
COVID-19 School Closures and Special Education: Shifting Instructional Practices to a Digital Environment With COVID-19 moving much of traditional K-12 instruction online, educators across the United States are quickly building their capacity to provide equitable services in a new way. They are researching distance learning, setting-up class websites, reaching out to their students and parents, and becoming familiar with the available free digital tools to help them connect with their students. Television stations in many communities are partnering with school districts to conduct media campaigns to raise community awareness, set expectations, and inform students and their parents on what they need to do to get started with distance learning. The sudden shift presents unprecedented challenges for all teachers, especially for those serving students with disabilities. [More]