How can educators engage these families?
Page 7: Involving Families During Distance Learning
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, educators everywhere have faced the question of how to meet the needs of their students through distance learning. For some, this is achieved using virtual instruction (either synchronous, asynchronous, or a combination of the two) while for others it means providing packets of learning activities. In many cases, the shift to distance instruction has proved to be a challenge, but this is especially the case for many teachers and related service providers of students with disabilities as they determine how to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) and address their students’ IEP goals.
synchronous
Term used to describe an online course or other activity in which students are together in class at the same time, or a class activity that takes place in real time. All students participate in the task at the same time.
asynchronous
Term used to describe an online course or other activity during which the students aren’t all together in class at the same time, or a class activity that doesn’t take place in real time. Instead, students can complete tasks at such a time as their schedules permit.
related services personnel
Personnel or professionals from multidisciplinary fields who provide support to students with disabilities and their teachers. These individuals include those who provide speech-language pathology services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, school health services, school psychology, school social work, assistive technology, audiology, transportation, or other services necessary for students to succeed at school.
free appropriate public education (FAPE)
One of IDEA’s six guiding principles; ensures that each eligible student with a disability receives an individualized education that meets his or her unique needs and is provided in conformity with the student’s IEP at no cost to the child or family.
During a time of distance learning, family engagement is critical for ensuring that the needs of students—particularly those with disabilities—are being met. Educators can continue to facilitate meaningful family engagement through the actions discussed on the previous pages of this module (e.g., building positive relationships, communicating, and making shared decisions). However, the focus of each might be slightly different as the educational environments and types of instructional delivery have changed. To learn more about how to facilitate engagement during distance learning, click on each topic below.
For Your Information
Although communication may be more frequent than is usual, it is important to document each time you communicate with families and students. Noting the date, parent’s name, and a summary of the communication can serve as a record of actions taken on behalf of a student’s education if complaints arise.
To encourage and maintain family engagement during school closures and distance learning, educators must keep the lines of communication open. By doing so, they can inform families of education-related changes in a timely manner and assess families’ current situations and needs. Likewise, parents can notify educators when they have a concern or require information or instructional support. Following are a number of actions educators can take to facilitate two-way communication with parents.
- Prioritize frequent contact (e.g., weekly) with each family and child.
- Offer options for communication (e.g., email, phone, school-based communication apps, school-related social media accounts, video conferences).
- Identify and communicate through the families preferred mode of communication and language.
- Schedule “office hours” devoted to communicating with parents or students about their needs or concerns. Be sure to offer these hours on different days and at different times to better accommodate the needs of all families.
- Create a communication plan in collaboration with each family to more effectively discuss the child’s education (e.g., assigned learning activities, educational goals). Make sure the plan includes preferred means and times for communication.
Once educators have contacted the families, they should have a better understanding of the families’ situations during this time of school closures and distance learning. Families may be experiencing additional challenges, such as:
- Temporary or permanent loss of a job (by one or more caregivers)
- Inability to access basic needs, such as food
- Juggling the demands of working from home while supervising their child’s at-home learning
- Monitoring the learning of not only their child with a disability but also that of one or more siblings
- Lack of access to electronic devices or Internet access required to participate in online learning
With an understanding of the families’ needs and challenges, educators can more effectively respond to their concerns or provide support. Being responsive to the families’ needs will also help to build a positive relationship. The amount and type of support each family needs will vary. As noted below, educators should consider nonacademic as well as academic supports.
Did You Know?
The IRIS Center developed a module that offers parents tips to support their child’s learning at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nonacademic supports: Some families may be struggling to access basic needs such as food. Before discussing virtual instruction or educational goals, educators may need to connect the family to community resources that can address their needs (e.g., meals provided by the school district, community food drives).
Academic supports: Families who are ready to engage in distance instruction will also need varying levels of support. The level of support will depend on a number of factors, such as the child’s disability, age, grade level, and learning needs; the resources that are available in the home; and cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic factors. By keeping in mind each families’ strengths and needs, culture, and language, educators can more effectively consider how best to support them. Following are a few areas in which families may need support, as well as examples of how to address those needs.
Area of Need | Examples of Support |
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Lack of resources needed to support a child’s academic needs |
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Inability to provide sufficient support to the child for instructional activities
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Lack of availability
Lack of knowledge
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Difficulty understanding written or verbal communication or instructions provided in English |
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Difficulty using apps or programs required by the school or keeping up with multiple apps (e.g., used by the school, by one teacher, or across service providers) |
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Difficulty addressing the students’ learning barriers or instructional needs |
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When transitioning from learning at school to learning at home, a student might require new services or accommodations to meet his or her educational needs. If this is the case, the student’s IEP will need to be changed to reflect these changes to his or her specialized instruction. These changes can be made by convening a virtual IEP team meeting and redrafting the IEP. Alternately, the child’s parents and school can agree not to have an IEP meeting but instead to develop an amendment—a written document that modifies and is attached to the student’s current IEP. In either case, the parents should be a part of the decision-making process. This means discussing with the parent whether proposed changes are necessary and appropriate.
As these changes are implemented, the parents and the educator(s) who oversee the services should communicate frequently to assess the effectiveness of the changes and to make adjustments as needed. In the case of distance learning, the parent may have valuable insight into their child’s responsiveness to the changes and outside factors that may be impacting his or her progress.
To promote share decision-making, educators should:
- Establish and maintain open lines of communication.
- Frequently inform the parents of their child’s progress toward meeting her IEP goals and objectives.
- Involve parents in any changes to their child’s IEP.
For Your Information
For additional information and tips about working with the families of students with disabilities during distance learning view the following:
Questions and Answers on Providing Services to Children with Disabilities During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak Developed by the U.S. Department of Education, this document offers guidance on serving students with disabilities during a crisis that warrants school closure.
Virtual IEP Meeting Tip Sheets Hosted by the Center for Parent Information and Resources, this collection of tip sheets is helpful for planning and participating in virtual IEP meetings.
Reflections About Individualizing Supports for Children and Families: Olivia’s Story This article from the TIES Center’s Distance Learning Series offers an example of how educators can effectively collaborate with families to support students with disabilities during distance learning.