WARWICK – Parents of children with disabilities feel that they are not confident in the progress their children made while participating in distance learning as the COVID-19 pandemic closed in-person classes this past spring, and were concerned about their children’s social and emotional well-being.
That’s the conclusion the Rhode Island Parent Information Network found in its online survey of 427 parents of children with disabilities that attend school in Rhode Island and receive special education.
More so, the parents also noted that their children needed “extensive support” from an adult in the home during the distance-learning period, and such support may not be available in the fall when schools restart.
The survey, conducted between July 6-20 and released Thursday, asked such parents for feedback based on their experiences during distance learning this past spring and what they would like to see this upcoming fall.
Read the full survey report here.
RIPIN found that 81.7% of parents said their child either required an adult’s support “all the time” or “most of the time.” When asked how likely it will be for someone in a household will be able to provide learning support for their children if distance learning continues in the fall, results were mixed. While 24.6% of parents said it is “extremely likely” someone in the household will offer distance-learning support, 19% said “not at all likely.”
More than half – 52.8% – of parents who surveyed said their children did not make “sufficient progress” while distance learning in the spring, the survey said, with 36.3% of parents said that they “strongly disagreed” their children made such progress.
More than half of parents who surveyed also were either “extremely concerned” or “quite concerned” about their child’s social and emotional development. The survey also said that 49.6% of parents would prefer their children return in the fall to all in-person learning if safety measures are in place.
Nearly 70% of parents surveyed said their children received less than five hours of instruction per week, with 30% saying their children received less than one hour per week.
RIPIN, based on the results, issued three policy recommendations, which are:
- School reopening plans should include targeted solutions and options for parents that address the diverse needs of students with disabilities
- On distance learning days, districts and schools should consider enhanced in-person support for students with disabilities who are able to participate, whether in the home, in school buildings, or elsewhere in the community
- On in-person school days, districts and schools should make high-quality distance learning options available for students with disabilities who need it
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
It’s time for the state to reverse changes to the regulations and allow special education teachers to teach all subjects to certain groups of special education students.