The Condition of Information Technology for Students With Diverse Needs in Federal Region VI: Summary of the Survey of State Directors of Special Education, 2004

Overview

In 2004, the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) conducted a survey on behalf of the Southwest ADA Center. SEDL staff interviewed[1] state directors of special education (or their designees) in Federal Region VI (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) to determine the degree to which information technology (IT) is being used to improve educational outcomes for students with diverse needs in the public school setting. This survey was the second in a series of annual data-gathering activities.

Introduction

Accessible IT has been identified as an excellent tool for improving educational outcomes for students with diverse needs. Throughout the interview process, however, participants expressed concerns about the barriers to IT facing such students. According to respondents, these barriers revolve around inconsistent and insufficient support provided to teachers and staff, as well as inadequate availability of resources.

Use of Information Technology

The majority of respondents indicated that, for some students with disabilities, technology provides their only access to the curriculum. However, respondents also reported that IT is not being used consistently or to its fullest potential.

According to respondents, when working with students with disabilities, teachers often make use of the same technology and implementation strategies used with non-disabled students. In other situations, technology for students with disabilities is specifically provided or adapted to meet a unique need through the use of assistive technology devices and services. Many of the advantages of digital resources cannot be duplicated with more standard curriculum media.

Providing Support to Educators

When discussing teacher training, respondents reported that it varies greatly from district to district. This variation in availability and degree of training was viewed by several respondents as a significant barrier to providing IT to students with diverse needs. More uniformity in training and increased cohesiveness in ongoing professional development opportunities would provide all teachers with the knowledge and understanding of how to use IT to best benefit students with disabilities.

According to one respondent, there is a need to provide greater access to training and support so teachers can make better use of technology as a support for students with disabilities in inclusive settings. Another respondent noted that few educators find it easy or efficient to use a great deal of IT other than for research and project purposes.

Another barrier that prevents the successful implementation of IT to improve the educational outcomes for students with diverse needs is the lack of availability of trained staff who can make decisions about the appropriate technology needed to meet the students' needs. Schools also need staff who know how to support the technology once it is acquired.

All respondents identified the lack of collaboration between administration, staff, and teachers as detrimental to the provision of IT to students with diverse needs. One respondent indicated that many administrators do not understand the amount of time and resources needed for complex IT accessibility issues.

Although invited to participate, New Mexico did not respond to the survey.

Technology Planning

The survey asked respondents to specify the current stage of development or approval of their state's technology plan. It also asked respondents to what degree the needs of students with diverse needs are addressed in the plan.

One state's technology plan is currently in final draft and will soon be adopted by the State Board of Education. This state's plan does not specifically address the needs of students with varying abilities.

Another state's technology plan mirrors what many states are doing?using general federal guidelines as a template. This respondent reported that he and his colleagues were not offered the opportunity to participate in the technology planning process. The technology plan only very generally addresses the needs of students with diverse needs.

One respondent reported that her state's technology plan was established in 2001. She represented special education personnel as a member of the state technology action team. This state's technology goals provide for all learners.

Although one state has in place a 10-year plan that is effective until 2010, much of its impact was lost in the last legislative session. This state's plan had initially been written to apply to all students.

Federal Initiatives

Respondents indicated that initiatives such as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) potentially increase awareness of the needs of students from diverse learner groups.

No Child Left Behind Act

The No Child Left Behind Act was introduced to change the culture of the public school system in the United States by closing the achievement gap. Survey respondents were asked to identify and describe any impact, whether positive or negative, that NCLB has had on the use of IT for students with disabilities.

One respondent said that NCLB promotes the inclusion of students with disabilities. Another respondent commented that the paranoia over adequate yearly progress (AYP) contributes to ineffective practices in instruction and assessment which has resulted in the application of rigid criteria for assessment and curriculum to address standards. In contrast, one respondent stated that, with the increased focus on testing and accountability, NCLB may have facilitated districts' work in determining ways to modify testing for students with varying abilities, including the use of IT.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

IDEA was enacted to ensure that students with disabilities have access to appropriate public education in the United States. Survey respondents were asked to identify and describe the impact that IDEA has had on the use of IT for students with disabilities.

One respondent expressed that it is critical to maintain the provision of full funding as initially described. As the need for technology increases, appropriate levels of funding will be required to support the training, personnel, hardware/software, and maintenance addressed under IDEA.

Another area of concern, which all respondents discussed, is that each student's individual goals and the connection to the general curriculum must be considered to ensure that all students have access to technology and/or curricular materials that are individually modified to meet their needs. The students' abilities and the environments in which they use the technology are also important considerations.

Social Factors

Disparity in the use and availability of IT is further complicated by factors such as the location of the school (rural versus urban); the cultural diversity of the student population; the school's financial wealth; and whether or not the students are placed in an inclusive or noninclusive setting. Survey respondents were asked to describe differences in the availability of IT resources as impacted by such factors.

Rural Versus Urban

Several respondents stated that some smaller rural districts tend to have better resources and offer the students better access to IT. There are other rural districts, however, where IT is present, but the manner in which it is used lags far behind what one would find in the urban districts.Economic Factors

The wealthier school districts provide more variety in technology resources, and their teachers and students use technology in daily instruction. One respondent noted that wealthier districts are more likely to have accessibility built into their IT programs. Students from the wealthier school districts are also more likely to have access to technology at home. These students are perceived to be much more adept in their use of technology.

Inclusive Versus Noninclusive

Respondents noted that, in an inclusive setting, teachers and students seem more tolerant of the use of technology. One survey respondent stated that inclusive environments have much better accessibility but not always superior hardware. Self-contained (or noninclusive) settings often have more technology to meet the individual needs of students in special education while inclusive classrooms don't always have all the support they need for a particular student.
Diverse Cultural Backgrounds

All respondents reported that their states promote at least a general awareness of cultural diversity and sensitivity. While the representative of one state reported only a cursory consideration of culture and language, another state developed guidelines for the identification of, and instruction for, English language learners with disabilities; these guidelines cover culture, acculturation, and second-language acquisition theory. In that particular state, the need for technology as a resource for culture and language is considered on an individual basis. In another state, districts are encouraged to provide materials in native languages.

Conclusion

Survey respondents, who represented the majority of states in Federal Region VI, expressed that the use of accessible IT has the potential to greatly improve educational outcomes for students with diverse needs. One respondent indicated that accessible IT often offers students with diverse needs their only access to curriculum. However, a one-size-fits-all instructional strategy is currently in place in many classrooms in each of the region's states; this condition results in barriers preventing the effective use of accessible IT.

According to respondents, guidelines that provide students with diverse needs unfettered access to information technology are often little more than a paper compliance. Although no respondent offered a definitive solution, it was suggested that strengthening accessibility standards in the use of IT would allow educators to assess and better meet the needs of all students.

References

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. (2004). The condition of information technology for special education students in Federal Region VI: A summary of findings. Austin, TX: Author.

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This factsheet was produced by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) through a subcontract with the Southwest ADA Center. The Southwest ADA Center is a program of ILRU at TIRR in Houston, Texas. DLRP is one of 10 Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs) funded by grant # H133D60012 provided by the Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Neither NIDRR nor DLRP are enforcement entities.

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