The Condition of Information Technology for Students with Diverse Abilities in Federal Region VI: Summary of the Survey of State Directors of Special Education 2003

Overview

In the spring of 2003, a survey was conducted by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) on behalf of the Southwest ADA Center. State directors of special education in Federal Region VI (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas) were interviewed 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.

Throughout the interview process, survey respondents indicated that there is little consistency in the use of IT for students, particularly those with diverse needs. Respondents expressed that it can be challenging enough to implement IT for use in the general education classroom, and it becomes inherently more complex when issues of special needs are considered.

Use of information technology

Survey respondents firmly believe that the use of IT has the potential to greatly improve educational outcomes for special education students. It was reported throughout, however, that the use of IT is inconsistent across the five states in Region VI regarding the type being used and the degree to which it is used. Within each state, use of IT varies between and within districts. Districts have made different commitments to universal access, software, and hardware that facilitate access.

All respondents reported that they believe an increase in the use of IT will improve academic outcomes for special education students in their states; however, two began their responses with a statement to reflect that success hinges upon the appropriate application of IT, which is influenced by a variety of factors.

Teacher training, development, and expertise

Teacher training was commonly cited by survey respondents as one area in which significant improvement is needed. According to one respondent, one of the many challenges is the fact that special educators have their own training and do not have the technology background, and the IT people have the technology background but don’t know special education. It is challenging to find someone with a combination of knowledge/skills from both of the areas.

Providing support to educators

One respondent stated that many of the challenges are the same in implementing IT for students with and without disabilities. Survey respondents viewed consistency, expertise, and training as essential. There is also a drive to identify the long-range plan and move towards articulated ends, all with a clear understanding of who is doing what and how plans will be supported fiscally.

One respondent said they are in desperate need of resources (people and information) to ensure that local capacity building occurs and that hardware has been set up. Training to assist educators in using IT has not been provided in some areas.

Technology planning

With regard to IT plans currently being developed by each state's educational technology council (ETC), two respondents felt confident that these plans will address the needs of special education students. One respondent further commented that there will also be a focus on accessibility resources and teacher training.

It was reported by another respondent that the state's plan has included needs of students with disabilities since its inception; further, the state's council also developed a planning tool for schools to use to gauge their progress toward implementation of the plan.

One respondent said that she is unsure whether technology plans would benefit students in special education programs because collaboration is lacking. Another respondent expressed concern because there has not been a great deal of communication between general education and special education.

While all respondents stated that they had not personally participated in their state's ETC, two indicated that district special education personnel had. One reported that members included district and regional instructional technology representatives who sought input from district special program administrators, including special education administrators.

Social factors

Throughout the survey, respondents revealed that there is little consistency in the use and availability of IT for students with diverse needs. Such disparity is further exacerbated by issues of location (rural versus urban); age/academic level of students; district wealth; setting (inclusive versus noninclusive); and the diverse cultural backgrounds of students.

Rural versus urban

One respondent said rural school districts have issues involving lack of access to individuals who have knowledge and expertise and access to hardware. They also have connectivity problems since there are few phone lines. In opposition to such a perspective, another respondent stated that rural schools often have smaller student populations and readily incorporate IT for all students.

Economic factors

In the more affluent school districts, students are more likely to have access to IT both at home and at school. For the schools that must operate with greater funding limitations, IT is, by default, not the highest priority as there is an underlying necessity to direct resources to more basic needs. Survey respondents described the combined effects of ruralness and poverty as a significant barrier to attracting and retaining the expertise needed to improve educational outcomes for students with diverse needs.

Inclusive versus noninclusive

Respondents stated that special education classrooms and noninclusive settings tend to be last on the list for IT support and that kids with disabilities are not being provided assistive technology in noninclusive settings. It was further reported that, if the setting is inclusive, it is more innovative and technology is available.

Diverse cultural backgrounds

While one respondent reported that culture is a consideration addressed in the state's technology plan, the others believe that it is not being adequately considered in the use of IT. One respondent explained that they do get inquiries from schools looking for products in Spanish, but few schools have Web sites, distance education, texts, or programs in a language other than English. One respondent reported that her state is just starting to realize the impact of culture and has established a task force to examine the issue, but they are not very far along in that area.

Conclusion

Each of the survey respondents expressed that the use of IT has the potential to greatly improve educational outcomes for all students. The representatives of the five Region VI states participating in this survey indicated that some progress is being made in addressing the information technology needs of students with diverse needs; it is apparent from responses that significant barriers remain.

It was reported throughout the survey that inconsistent (or, in some cases, lack of) commitment, long-range planning, availability of resources, and support offered to educators has a negative impact on addressing the IT needs of students with diverse abilities. No respondent offered a definitive solution, but it was expressed that strengthening standards in the use of IT would allow educators to assess and better meet the needs of all students.

Reference

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. (2003). 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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