The pandemic’s impact on students’ academic and social-emotional issues has been especially deep on students with disabilities. It’s been felt not only in the classroom but in areas including student mental health and in the loss of crucial momentum in the learning journey of these most-vulnerable students.
This forum will focus on the pandemic’s impact on populations of students who sometimes receive less attention in broader conversations about special education. Education Week staff will talk with experts and working educators about how the pandemic complicated challenges for these students and what schools are doing to make up for lost time and services due to the pandemic.
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Agenda
2:00pm ET
Welcome and Introduction
Education Week writers offer key takeaways from their recent reporting on special education.
2:20pm ET
Industry Perspective: Aligning Supports with Post-Pandemic Challenges
Content provided by n2y
Supporting teachers and students has always been critical to instructional effectiveness and student outcomes. The support they need today, however, is remarkably different from the past as learning gaps have been compounded by staffing shortages. Learn how to identify and address key areas of key need to maximize educational growth and positive outcomes.
Supporting teachers and students has always been critical to instructional effectiveness and student outcomes. The support they need today, however, is remarkably different from the past as learning gaps have been compounded by staffing shortages. Learn how to identify and address key areas of key need to maximize educational growth and positive outcomes.
Allison Vice
CCC-SLP
Allison is a certified speech-language pathologist who has dedicated herself to improving educational and personal outcomes of children for over 25 years. She previously served as a school coordinator, educational consultant, software developer and presenter in the areas of communication disorders, behavior, curriculum, and assistive technology. At n2y, Allison currently leads the teams who develop innovative online learning and teaching solutions for students with unique learning needs and their support teams.
2:30pm ET
Panel Discussion: Anxiety and School Avoidance: What Schools Are Doing to Help Break the Cycle
Students with severe anxiety and depression can fall into a pattern of school avoidance and poor attendance that complicates their academic and emotional challenges. As pandemic-disrupted schools return to more-normal scheduling and services, schools are looking for creative ways to support these students’ in-school experience, address their underlying issues, and bolster crucial attendance.
Sarah D. Sparks covers the teaching profession and pedagogy for Education Week.
Jessica Gluck
Director of Special Services,
Westwood Regional School District
Mr. Ray Renshaw and Dr. Jessica Gluck are the Directors of Special Services for the Westwood Regional School District. As former special education teachers turned administrators they come with a wealth of knowledge and experience related to differentiated instruction, inclusive education, mental health challenges, therapeutic supports, and meeting the individual needs of all students. They strive to collaborate with all stakeholders in order to provide students with comprehensive individualized educational plans and the support they need to meet with success socially, emotionally, behaviorally and academically. In addition, Dr. Gluck and Mr. Renshaw are co-founders of Connect Learning Solutions, an educational consulting company that specializes in working with school districts to support students with mental health challenges and special needs.
Ray Renshaw
Director of Special Services,
Westwood Regional School District
Mr. Ray Renshaw and Dr. Jessica Gluck are the Directors of Special Services for the Westwood Regional School District. As former special education teachers turned administrators they come with a wealth of knowledge and experience related to differentiated instruction, inclusive education, mental health challenges, therapeutic supports, and meeting the individual needs of all students. They strive to collaborate with all stakeholders in order to provide students with comprehensive individualized educational plans and the support they need to meet with success socially, emotionally, behaviorally and academically. In addition, Dr. Gluck and Mr. Renshaw are co-founders of Connect Learning Solutions, an educational consulting company that specializes in working with school districts to support students with mental health challenges and special needs.
3:15pm ET
Industry Perspective: A Strength-Based Approach for Serving Students with Disabilities in a Post-Pandemic World
Content provided by Promethean
Mounting statistics around post-pandemic learning loss impacting students with disabilities underscore the importance of serving students through a strengths-based model. Discover strategies and tools that educators can leverage to support students with disabilities through this lens.
Mounting statistics around post-pandemic learning loss impacting students with disabilities underscore the importance of serving students through a strengths-based model. Discover strategies and tools that educators can leverage to support students with disabilities through this lens.
Brandi Renfro
Educational Consultant,
Promethean
Brandi Renfro is an Educational Consultant serving the Georgia region. She earned a Bachelor of science in communications from East Carolina University and a master’s in educational technology from Southern Methodist University. Renfro worked as a special education teacher for most of her educational journey, working in the alternative educational setting, along with middle and high school settings. After deciding to pursue opportunities outside of the classroom, she worked in the special education department as a district level employee assisting special education teachers in professional development, compliance, and instructional strategies. Her role at Promethean allows her to guide districts, school staff, and teachers on how to use Promethean hardware and software to provide collaborative instruction and how to utilize interactive technology to take learning to a whole new level.
3:25pm ET
Fireside Chat: What Schools Need to Know About the Next Steps for Special Education Students Post-Pandemic
As K-12 schools shift into recovery mode for students with disabilities, a look at what experts say schools can do to make the most of their time and resources for students who have lost out on specialized services and in-person opportunities, including the oldest students on the cusp of stepping into the next phase of their lives.
Diana Autin
Diana Autin, Executive Director, National PLACE (Center for Parent Leadership, Advocacy, and Community Empowerment) and Executive Co-Director, SPAN Parent Advocacy Network
3:55pm ET
Industry Perspective: Ignored, Punished, and Underserved: Understanding and Addressing Disparities in Education Experiences and Outcomes for Black Children with Disabilities
Content provided by Easterseals
A new joint report by Bellwether and Easterseals shares insights from families, qualitative research, quantitative data, and interviews with scholars, advocates, and school leaders. Hear from Erika Watson, National Director of Childhood Development, Education, and Equity at Easterseals, and Harold Hinds, Associate Partner at Bellweather about the report, which seeks to better understand the educational experiences of children of color with disabilities, with a particular focus on Black students.
A new joint report by Bellwether and Easterseals shares insights from families, qualitative research, quantitative data, and interviews with scholars, advocates, and school leaders. Hear from Erika Watson, National Director of Childhood Development, Education, and Equity at Easterseals, and Harold Hinds, Associate Partner at Bellweather about the report, which seeks to better understand the educational experiences of children of color with disabilities, with a particular focus on Black students.
Erika Watson
National Director Childhood Development, Education, and Equity,
Easterseals
Harold T. Hinds, JD
Associate Partner,
Bellweather
4:05pm ET
Interactive Session: How Did the Pandemic Impact Special Education? A Look at the Numbers
Education Week Reporter Sarah D. Sparks unpacks the data on everything from academic fallout and graduation rates for students with disabilities to staffing shortages and parental concerns.
Sarah D. Sparks covers the teaching profession and pedagogy for Education Week.
4:20pm ET
Closing Thoughts
