Barbara L. Ludlow

Low Incidence Disabilities and Personnel Preparation for Rural Areas: Current Status and Future Trends

The shortages of special education personnel are nowhere more severe than in low incidence disabilities in rural schools. This article presents the results of a national study that identified shortage estimates, state certification patterns, personnel preparation programs, and distance delivery mechanisms and examined relationships among these data to assess the state of shortages of special educators in the areas of vision impairments, hearing impairments, severe disabilities, and early intervention. The authors outline current issues and future trends in preparing personnel in low incidence disabilities for rural areas.

Planning and Delivery of Online Coursework in Special Education

Online instruction is a growing means of delivering coursework in special education programs, especially for distant students. As instructors in higher education begin to experiment and adopt this mode of delivery, issues in planning and delivery need to be considered. Based on the experiences of the authors and a review of the literature, this article addresses issues in three aspects of the planning and delivery of online content: (a) online support services, (b) technology assistance, and (c) course content. In addition, recommendations for administrators and instructors are offered.

Distance Education Strategies to Support Practica in Rural Settings

Personnel preparation programs in special education at the preservice and inservice levels have made extensive use of distance education program models to offer teacher education and staff development to rural schools. While distance education technology, such as interactive video and the Internet, are used to deliver content coursework, the supervision of practica at a distance can be challenging. The University of Kentucky and West Virginia University, early users of distance education and current implementers of programs that use online or interactive video delivery, have developed practicum models for providing supervision to prospective and practicing special education personnel in rural areas. This article describes three different models across four programs of supporting practica at a distance now in operation at these institutions, discussing formats used for coordinating the experience and interacting with students and on-site supervisors.

Distance Education Programs Preparing Personnel for Rural Areas: Current Practices, Emerging Trends, and Future Directions

In this study, a review of the professional literature from 1985 through 1999 was conducted to identify any reports of technology-mediated distance education programs designed to prepare special education and related services personnel in rural areas. Data collection involved an index search of refereed journals as well as conference programs or proceedings of professional organizations, an online search of Web sites of colleges and universities, and contacts with professional colleagues known to be engaged in distance education. For each reference or report located, data were collected to answer questions related to the target population, the technologies used for delivery, the program components, the funding sources, and the intended outcomes of the program. Where needed data were lacking, researchers sought additional information by reviewing the programs Web site, brochure or other material, and interviewing personnel reposnsible for each program to clarify inconsistencies ro obtain missing data. Analysis of the data revealed that many of the distance education programs that currently exist in special education and related services are focussed on personnel preparation in rural areas. In addition, the technologies utilized for distance education have changed considerably over time as new options became available, with most programs making use of a combination of media for distance delivery. The demonstrated longevity of many distance education programs suggests that this mode of delivery will continue to have a major impact on personnel supply and demand in rural special education and disability services in the years to come.

Saving Your Sanity When Teaching in an Online Environment: Lessons Learned

To address critical shortages of special education personnel in rural areas, institutions of higher education are using the Internet to bring personnel preparation programs to prospective and practicing teachers in rural communities. However, often instructors of such courses receive little to no training on how to design and implement a course in the online environment. While learning management systems may differ at various colleges and universities, there are many helpful strategies that can make the processes of course development and implementation easier for the novice and experienced online instructor. In this article, four instructors from two different universities with substantial distance education experience offer practical tips for creating and managing online courses.

Finite Resources, Increasing Demands: Rural Children Left Behind? Educators Speak Out on Issues Facing Rural Special Education

Current legislative mandates for schools to bring all students to the proficient level on state content standards by 2014 have been both commended and criticized by stakeholders across the nation. Schools are expected to meet this challenge by employing only highly qualified teachers who are well versed in content and the use of evidence-based practices. They must document adequate yearly progress toward proficiency for all students, including those with disabilities. Most groups praise the accountability that accompanies these mandates; however, concerns have been voiced by some educators about their impact on rural schools as well as their implications for special education services. Various stakeholders in rural areas across the country were surveyed to examine the perceived impact of the NCLBA mandates for highly qualified teachers and adequate yearly progress. Qualitative research methods were used to analyze responses to open-ended questions asking participants to expand on special education issues related to qualifications of highly qualified teachers, documentation of adequate yearly progress and other general concerns. Some common themes emerged related to the unique circumstances of rural schools as well as the potential impact of NCLBA on rural special educators and special education programs.

No Child Left Behind: A National Study of Its Impact on Special Education in Rural Schools

Under the most recent national mandates, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) and the newly reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA), schools must bring virtually all students to the proficient level on state content tests within the next decade. Schools are expected to meet this challenge by employing only highly qualified teachers who are well trained to use evidence-based practices beginning next year. Serious concerns have been voiced by a variety of stakeholders about the impact of these mandates on rural schools as well as about their implications for special education services. Various stakeholders in rural areas across the country were surveyed to examine the perceived impact of the NCLBA mandates for highly qualified teachers and annual yearly progress and inform the debate on policies and practices associated with their implementation in rural schools. Results indicated that a majority of participants believed that NCLBA would have a negative impact on rural schools and that rural schools would have difficulty meeting the accountability and quality provisions of the Act in the area of special education.

Updating Knowledge and Skills of Practitioners in Rural Areas: A Web-based Model

Technology-mediated distance education models have had a major impact on preservice and inservice preparation of special education and related services personnel over the last several decades. The increasing availability of Internet access and the multimedia capabilities of the World Wide Web have combined to spur the growth of online programs as a medium for both initial certification and continuing activities. This study reports the development, implementation, and evaluation of four courses designed as professional development activities for practicing personnel working in early intervention, early childhood special education, elementary and secondary special education, and adult disability services in rural areas of West Virginia and the surrounding Appalachian region. The article explains the process used to create learning materials and technology formats for presentation of content and interaction with learners, outlines the steps in developing and implementing the courses, and presents the results of evaluation activities conducted to assess learning outcomes and participant perceptions of the online learning experience. The findings of this study suggest that Web-based instruction is a viable mode for delivering staff development. Participants demonstrated the acquisition of new knowledge and skills, expressed satisfaction with most aspects of online teaching and learning, and reported specific applications of the information in their own classroom and intervention program settings.

Distance Education Applications in Rural Special Education: Where We've Been and Where We're Going.

In the last decade, distance education applications in rural special education have expanded rapidly with the growing use of telecommunications technologies. Distance education has been used in direct service programs for students with special needs in rural school systems, in preservice personnel preparation programs, and in inservice training programs for teachers working in rural areas. State educational agencies, colleges and universities, and regional and local school districts all have implemented distance education efforts to support rural special education using a variety of new technologies. Distance education will continue to offer exciting opportunities in which the needs of pupils, preservice students, and inservice teachers will be met as telecommunications technologies become more widely available and organizational constraints are eliminated.

Project STARS: Using Desktop Conferencing to Prepare Autism Specialists at a Distance

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is the fastest growing category served in special education, yet there is a serious shortage of personnel appropriately trained and highly qualified to meet the unique needs of children and adolescents with autism in the nations schools. The need for specialized training and certification in the area of autism (above and beyond qualifications in special education generally) is only now being recognized by state licensure agencies and personnel preparation programs. West Virginia University, an early adopter of technology-mediated distance education, has developed post-baccalaureate certification and Masters degree program to prospective and practicing special education personnel to work with students with autism spectrum disorders in rural areas. This article presents a new graduate program to prepare special educators as autism specialists by 1) describing an innovative distance education model that uses desktop audio conferencing for live interactive classes with other online activities as well as online supervision of practicum experiences; and 2) discussing development and implementation of the program, including initial outcomes and planned changes.