How Students with IEP’s and Their Teachers are Faring in Maine Schools during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The goal of the study was to better understand how instruction to students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) was delivered during remote learning this past spring and during the fall semester of the 2020-21 school year, and how these vulnerable students have been impacted. Research questions looked at special education teacher impressions of what was effective, the challenges in delivery of remote education, and how student academic progress was affected. Special education teachers and special education directors were also asked how to best help students who fell behind and what additional resources or supports they needed. Teachers reported that most students\u27 well-being and academic progress was lower than expected during emergency remote learning in the spring of 2020. However, special education teachers noted that this fall there were some students who were doing much better in remote learning than they had in traditional learning. They reported having students whose academic progress in school in the fall was greater than expected, and that these outnumbered the students who saw a decline in academic progress. Overall, students\u27 well-being in the fall was similar to pre-pandemic. The most commonly perceived benefits of remote learning for their students with an IEP were more individualized learning (47%, n=66), students feeling less social/peer pressure (44%, n=62), and parent/caregivers better understanding how their student learns (41%, n=58)