Students with disabilities were among those most severely affected by the disruption to schools and communities due to COVID-19.
When districts quickly closed school buildings early in the pandemic, they also struggled to provide accommodation and telemedicine, with some children falling behind due to a lack of needed support.
Parents also complained about the length of time it took to review and update their child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) to reflect the new reality.
And the same circumstances that have made face-to-face learning so important for many students with disabilities have also made face-to-face learning even more dangerous for those at high risk of serious illness from COVID-19. That has led many families to consider seemingly competing options between keeping their children healthy and keeping their educational progress.
Experts say it will take some time to fully measure the impact of the pandemic on education, especially for vulnerable groups of students. But even in the early stages of the recovery effort, a few data points give an at-a-glance view of the extent of the challenge.
academic fallout
1. Students with disabilities have seen sharper drop in test scores than their peers during the pandemic
Nine-year-old students in 2022 scored, on average, five points lower in reading and seven points lower in math than pre-pandemic students in 2020, according to long-term trend data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. It marks the biggest drop in decades. The drop in scores was even greater for students with disabilities.
2. COVID-19 has caused more states to drop graduation rates for students with disabilities
An EdWeek Research Center analysis of state data found that 31 states had lower overall graduation rates for the 2021 class compared to 14 states for the 2020 class. 22 states have declining graduation rates for students with disabilities. 2020-21 compared to last year’s 10 states. Data were not available for all states in all years.
pandemic learning experience
1. Schools struggled to meet IDEA requirements during remote learning
The rapid and sometimes erratic transition to distance learning has made it difficult to meet the requirements of the United States’ Primary and Special Education Act, the Education for Persons with Disabilities Act, reports a national survey conducted by the American Research Association. school district The chart below shows the percentage of respondents who said it was “more difficult” or “much harder” to meet certain requirements during the pandemic.
2. Schools reported challenges in providing support for students with disabilities
Respondents to the AIR survey also faced challenges in ensuring that students received the support they needed, such as speech therapy. The chart below shows the percentage of respondents who said it was “more difficult” or “much harder” to provide the support they were given during the early months of the pandemic.
3. Schools with fewer white students are less likely to provide direct instruction to students with disabilities
Schools with the lowest percentage of white students in attendance are more likely to be completely remote and less likely to provide alternatives for students with disabilities., a day of face-to-face instruction in small groups, research shows. This graph shows responses to the RAND American Teacher Panel conducted from mid-September 2020 to his mid-October.
4. Parents of students with learning disabilities were more concerned about their child’s learning during the pandemic
Parents of students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia are more likely than parents of ‘typical children’ to worry about changes in their child’s learning as a result of COVID-19, according to Understood in 2021. A resource for individuals, families, and educators to learn the differences, according to research.
recovery challenges
1. A majority of parents say that helping students with disabilities should be a priority for schools to access COVID-19 relief supplies.
When asked about the various potential uses of federal COVID-19 relief aid provided through the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan, 75% of parents said it was to help students with disabilities. According to a March 2022 study by the National Parents Union, it should be “top priority” or “very important.”
2. Schools are having trouble hiring special education teachers
65% of principals responding to an August survey by the National Center for Education Statistics said their school did not have enough special education teachersThe chart below shows the five most common shortages in the teaching profession.
3. The school does not have a professional to manage special education evaluation and services
49% of principals responding to an August survey by the National Center for Education Statistics said their schools do not have enough mental health professionals., a category that includes professionals such as psychologists who help oversee the assessment and behavioral interventions of students with disabilities. Her 43% of principals report a shortage of academic interventionists who may provide services to help some students with disabilities achieve their learning goals. The chart below shows her five most commonly reported talent shortages in non-teaching occupations.
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