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ERIC Number: EJ1412419
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0032-0684
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Mitigating Learning Loss for Students with Disabilities Due to COVID-19: An Analysis of Florida Education Plans and Assurances with an Eye on Leadership
Krista M. Bixler; Noelle Balsamo; Jennifer A. Sughrue
Planning and Changing, v51 n1-2 p21-38 2021
School closures, inequitable technology, and diminished access to educational support negatively impacted learning for all students during the COVID-19 pandemic but more so for students with disabilities. In anticipation of learning loss for all students, the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) mandated each school district to develop an Educational Plan and Assurances (FLEPA) document outlining how districts intended to tackle learning loss for all students, including students with disabilities, as they transitioned to face-to-face instruction. The purpose of this study was to investigate how Florida's 67 school districts planned to mitigate the anticipated learning losses among students with disabilities, to determine if the districts' plans were sufficiently comprehensive to ensure Free Appropriate Education (FAPE), and to determine if there was evidence of leadership actions that would support students with disabilities and their service providers. Using a document review approach, the researchers systematically reviewed all school districts' FLEPA narratives, with the FAPE framework as the conceptual base, to determine how each school district was planning to recuperate learning loss experienced by students with disabilities during the period in which instruction was restricted to online platforms. Findings indicated a general lack of explicit planning for students with disabilities, particularly those with physical, communication, social, and behavioral needs. The researchers conclude with recommendations for policy makers and school leaders that should be considered when a crisis occurs that prohibits students from attending school to ensure our most vulnerable students receive the needed support.
Department of Educational Administration and Foundations. College of Education, Illinois State University, Campus Box 5900, Normal, IL 61790-5900. Tel: 309-438-2399; Fax: 309-438-8683; Web site: http://education.illinoisstate.edu/planning/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Florida
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A