Results, Suggestions, and Related Research for Education Leaders

Technology Leadership

Related Research and Suggestions for Education Leaders by Focus Group Theme

1. Communication and collaboration

   • Related Research: 

     • To overcome the challenges within the communication and collaboration subtheme, a New York school district created a new technology position within the special education department (CAST, 2021).

     • Recommendations for improving leadership engagement with families include conducting online surveys during planning (Kiger & Herro, 2015), utilizing parent portals to share leadership information (Mac Iver et al., 2021), and involving families on advisory boards (Kiger & Herro, 2015).

   • Recommendation for Education Leaders: 

     • Actively include families in technology planning and improvements using family-preferred communication methods (see the graph below). 

2. Diversity, equity, and inclusion

   • Related Research:

     • Providing extra time for non-English speaking attendees is recommended to ensure understanding (Shiffman, 2019). 

     • The U.S. Department of Education's findings regarding disparities in identifying intellectual disabilities among Black or African American students with disabilities support participants' concerns about inequity (U.S. Department of Education, 2021). 

     • To alleviate family concerns about translator bias and help families feel actively involved in complex discussions about their students, leaders should consider using another parent as an unbiased resource to partner with families (Michaelson et al., 2015). 

   • Recommendation for Education Leaders: 

     • Include families and community representatives who speak the same language and share the same culture as families in your district or school community on advisory boards and technology committees.

3. Need for training

   • Related Research: 

     • Technology training is crucial for teachers' readiness to incorporate technology into instruction (Petko et al., 2018).

     • Coordination of training efforts is necessary to prevent educators from perceiving new technology as hindering their practice (Haynes et al., 2016).

   • Recommendation for Education Leaders: 

     • Offer training sessions to help special educators and technology staff learn more about making technology accessible for everyone. This will help them share their knowledge with families and provide better support.

Communication Methods: Education Leaders' Usage vs. Families' Preferences for Interacting with Education Leaders

Survey results revealed the following demographic differences in communication method preferences for families when communicating with education leaders:

• Gender identity

  • Family members who identify as female prefer communicating with education leaders via email and a face-to-face meeting or conference significantly more than male or gender fluid family members.

• Highest level of education

  • Family members with some college or an associate's degree prefer communicating with education leaders via email significantly more than family members with a bachelor's degree, high school diplomas, or who are not high school graduates.

  • Family members with some college or an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree prefer communicating with education leaders via face-to-face and virtual meetings or conferences significantly more than family members with high school diplomas or who are not high school graduates.

• Student eligibility for free or reduced price lunch

  • Family members whose student(s) are not eligible for free or reduced price lunch prefer email and online surveys significantly more than family members whose student(s) do qualify.

• Number of students in the family with an IEP or 504 plan

  • Family members with one or two students with an IEP or 504 plan prefer email significantly more than family members with three or more students with an IEP or 504 plan.

Related Research

• Surveys are a helpful way for leaders to involve families in planning, while email is a useful tool for ongoing communication (Kiger & Herro, 2015; Mac Iver et al., 2021). 

• It is important to consider mobile-friendly communication methods, especially for families who primarily use smartphones (Shiffman, 2019). 

• Although not preferred by families in this study, communication through online learning systems is made easier when integrated with the district or school's student data system  (Borup et al., 2019). 

• District and school websites should provide easily accessible technology information to encourage families to utilize available resources (Shiffman, 2019).

Related Research and Suggestions for Education Leaders by Focus Group Theme

1. Technology provisioning

   • Related Research: 

     • When it comes to technology infrastructure, leaders can involve family volunteers to help with getting devices and raising funds (Kiger and Herro, 2015).

   • Recommendation for Education Leaders: 

     • Solicit input and help from families and parent organizations when providing students with district or school-issued technology devices.

2. Communication and collaboration 

   • Related Research:

     • Collaboration between education leaders and parent organizations is crucial to ensure that all students have fair access to technology and the necessary resources (ISTE, 2018). 

     • Collaborate with parents and create a parent portal with a clear dashboard that provides important information about student performance (Borup et al., 2019).

   • Recommendation for Education Leaders: 

     • Regularly and inclusively talk with families to share information about the technology tools available and get their feedback so that everyone has fair and equal access to these tools.

3. Assistive technology training and knowledge

   • Related Research:

     • Classroom educators who understand how to use assistive technology effectively can create an inclusive learning environment for all students, including those with disabilities (Alsolami, 2022).

   • Recommendation for Education Leaders: 

     • Provide accessible training using multiple modalities for all families to ensure their access to commonly used digital tools and assistive technologies. 

4. Low-quality technology

   • Related Research:

     • Districts can seek assistance from non-profit organizations like Education Super Highway for alternative technology solutions (Education Super Highway, 2022). 

     • The US Department of Education (2021) suggests that education leaders should make a technology lifecycle management plan. This means they need to check their current digital tools and resources to see if they are helping students and teachers and if they match their educational goals.

   • Recommendation for Education Leaders: 

     • Develop a technology lifecycle management plan to ensure effective and accessible digital tools that empower students and teachers while aligning with teaching and learning goals. 

5. Technology accessibility

   • Related Research:

     • There are free or low-cost accessible technology alternatives available, such as the ones listed on Understood.org (Martin, 2022).

     • Including families in technology planning and procurement is important to ensure that students with disabilities who require accessible materials and technologies receive the necessary support and services consistently (CAST, 2022b).

   • Recommendation for Education Leaders: 

     • Promote usability and accessibility by actively seeking feedback from families when provisioning technology devices and software for students with disabilities. 

Large-Scale Assessment Accessibility and Accommodations

Related Research and Suggestions for Education Leaders by Focus Group Theme

1. Inadequate accommodations

   • Related Research: 

     • According to Kettler (2012), if students do not have the necessary accommodations during assessments, their results may not accurately reflect their abilities. 

   • Recommendation for Education Leaders: 

     • Learn about and make a plan for students to have access to available accommodations on large-scale assessments.

2. Need for training 

   • Related Research:

     • It's helpful for students to have practice opportunities with exam accessibility features before the actual test (Larson et al., 2019). 

     • Larson et al. (2019) recommend that teachers receive training on using assessment accessibility features and recognizing when students might need them. 

   • Recommendation for Education Leaders: 

     • Provide families and classroom educators with information and professional development to ensure available supports for assessment accessibility tools and accommodations are effectively communicated and utilized, especially for students with disabilities. 

3. Communication and collaboration

   • Related Research:

     • Sands and Meadan (2021) suggest that transition planning teams should plan for accommodations or modifications to support students with IEPs or 504 plans as they transition to kindergarten.

   • Recommendation for Education Leaders: 

     • Inform students and families about available accessibility features and accommodations to provide an equitable exam experience. 

4. Assessment tool accessibility

   • Related Research:

     • Federal laws require large-scale assessments to adhere to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Smarter Balanced assessments follow a three-tier Accessibility and Accommodations Framework. All students can access universal tools like calculators and spell check. Supports like color contrast and text-to-speech are available based on teacher recommendations. Accommodations such as Braille and speech-to-text are exclusively for students with an IEP or 504 plan (Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium & National Center on Educational Outcomes, 2021).

   • Recommendation for Education Leaders: 

     • Include families of students with accessibility needs in the selection and planning for large-scale assessment development and delivery so that assessment results accurately reflect student achievement. 

Use of Large-Scale Assessment Data for Decision-Making

Related Research and Suggestions for Education Leaders by Focus Group Theme

1. Communication and collaboration

   • Related Research: 

     • Districts and schools should let families know how they use assessment information to track progress, make policies better, hold leaders and educators accountable, and use other data to improve education (UNESCO, 2020).

     • Sharing how assessment data is used helps create a culture of continuous improvement and supports evidence-based decision-making (UNESCO, 2020). 

   • Recommendation for Education Leaders: 

     • Involve families as partners in making decisions based on large-scale assessment data to improve teaching, curriculum, and the overall education system. 

2. Data use

   • Related Research: 

     • In addition to assessment data, it is important to use a mix of data from various sources with the knowledge and experience of people in the community for improvements. It's also important for different people involved, like teachers and students, to work together and share ideas based on the data to understand the information better and support learning (Schildkamp, 2019).

     • To gain a comprehensive understanding of a student's academic progress and challenges, it is important for educators to integrate classroom assessment data, large-scale assessment data, and information from families about the student's learning and activities outside of school (Harvard Family Research Project, 2013).

   • Recommendation for Education Leaders: 

     • Use assessment data along with information from different sources and people to make better decisions and improve education.

References

• Alsolami, A. S. (2022). Teachers of special education and assistive technology: Teachers’ perceptions of knowledge, competencies, and professional development. SAGE Open, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221079900

• Borup, J., Chambers, C. B., & Stimson, R. (2019). Online teacher and on-site facilitator perceptions of parental engagement at a supplemental virtual high school. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v20i2.4237

• CAST. (2021). CITES Framework Field Guide for Leadership. CAST. https://cites.cast.org/binaries/content/assets/cites/leadership/finalcites-fieldguide-leadership-a11y.pdf

• CAST. (2022b). Unify inclusive technology decision-making. CITES. https://cites.cast.org/infrastructure/unify-inclusive-technology-decision-making

• EducationSuperHighway. (2022). About Us. EducationSuperHighway. https://www.educationsuperhighway.org/

• Harvard Family Research Project. (2013). Tips for administrators, teachers, and families: How to share data effectively. Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE) Newsletter, 6(3). https://archive.globalfrp.org/var/hfrp/storage/fckeditor/File/7-DataSharingTipSheets-HarvardFamilyResearchProject.pdf

• Haynes, Erin & Margolin, J,onathan & Heppen, Jessica & Ruedel, Kristin. (2016). Six common pitfalls of ed-tech programs (and how to avoid them). https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/2022-03/Six-Pitfalls-of-Ed-Tech-Programs-May-2016.pdf 

• International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2018). Essential conditions for effective tech use in schools. ISTE. https://www.iste.org/standards/iste-essential-conditions 

• Kettler, R. J. (2012). Testing accommodations: Theory and research to inform practice. International Journal of Disability, Development, and Education, 59, 53–66.

• Kiger, D., & Herro, D. (2015). Bring your own device: Parental guidance (PG) suggested. TechTrends, 59(5), 51–61. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-015-0891-5

• Larson, E. D., Thurlow, M. L., Lazarus, S. S., & Liu, K. K. (2019). Paradigm shifts in states’ assessment accessibility policies: Addressing challenges in implementation. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 30(4), 244–252. https://doi.org/10.1177/1044207319848071

• Mac Iver, M.A., Sheldon, S., & Clark, E. (2021) Widening the portal: How schools can help more families access and use the parent portal to support student success, Middle School Journal, 52:1, 14-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/00940771.2020.1840269

• Martin, J. (2022, March 28). Free online assistive technology. Understood. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/free-assistive-technology-tools-on-the-web

• Michaelson, K. J., Matz, L., & Morgan, D. (2015). Using a new electronic brailler to improve Braille learning at the Florida School for the deaf and blind. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 109(3), 226–231. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482x1510900308

• Petko, D., Prasse, D., & Cantieni, A. (2018). The interplay of school readiness and teacher readiness for educational technology integration: A structural equation model. Computers in the Schools, 35(1), 1-18.

• Sands, M. M., & Meadan, H. (2021). A Successful Kindergarten Transition for Children with Disabilities: Collaboration Throughout the Process. Early Childhood Education Journal, 50(7), 1133-1141. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01246-6

• Schildkamp, K. (2019). Data-based decision-making for School Improvement: Research Insights and gaps. Educational Research, 61(3), 257–273. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2019.1625716 

• Shiffman, C.D. (2019). Learning to communicate across language and culture: Demographic change, schools, and parents in adult ESL classes. School Community Journal, 29(1), 9-38. http://www.adi.org/journal/2019ss/ShiffmanSS2019.pdf

• Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, & National Center on Educational Outcomes. (2021). (rep.). Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium: Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guidelines. The Regents of the University of California. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED589700.pdf

• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2020). Effective use of large-Scale learning assessments to improve learning outcomes and education system reform. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000375333/

• U. S. Department of Education. (2021). OSEP fast facts: Race and ethnicity of children with disabilities served under IDEA Part B. https://sites.ed.gov/idea/osep-fast-facts-race-and-ethnicity-of-children-with-disabilities-served-under-idea-part-b/