Table 9.
Top Three Themes Reported by Paraeducators in Open-Ended Survey Questions
| Theme | Example | % (frequency) |
|---|---|---|
| What do you like about your students’ distance-learning program? | ||
| Parent involvement | “I also appreciate the parents’ willingness to learn. This time has allowed parents to learn more about their child and how they can best support them at home. This has created a greater bond between student–parent relationships.” | 15.3 (9) |
| Access to virtual tools | “Some materials are better presented on the computer and other learning programs.” | 15.3 (9) |
| Fewer distractions | “I like how easy it is to have a private room with my student without the distraction of other students/staff.” | 10.2 (6) |
| What do you dislike about your students’distance-learning program? | ||
| Parents interfering | “Sometimes parents overprompt and I worry about my student becoming prompt dependent.” | 13.6 (8) |
| Difficult to address challenging behaviors | “I dislike my students’ ability to elope or be off task without my presence there to keep them on task. I also dislike not being aware of their entire environment and not knowing if there was a trigger for a behavior off of the screen.” | 11.9 (7) |
| Need to be face to face for some goals | “The distance learning does not allow the students the full 1:1 support that they require. It appears that distance learning is ineffective when teaching new skills or running IEP goals, as the students with high behavioral needs and severe learning disabilities seem to not pay attention or engage with a computer screen regardless of whether the staff is on screen or not. It appears as though they do not fully understand the concept of online learning, as most require hand-over-hand assistance or physical prompting when on campus, in person.” | 10.2 (6) |
| How has the switch to distance learning affected your students? | ||
| Made things worse | “My student has regressed behaviorally and academically.” | 18.6 (11) |
| Seen improvements | “It’s been better for my student. Seems to be more engaged and less challenging behaviors.” | 15.3 (9) |
| No impact | “None. My students come to virtual school almost every day, and we target most of the goals on a daily basis.” | 13.6 (8) |
Note. IEP = Individualized Education Plan.