Emerging State Policy in Online Special Education
James Basham2016, Journal of Special Education Leadership
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Abstract
Introduction T has been a dramatic increase and acceptance of online learning in the last decade. In its various forms, online learning has begun to disrupt the status quo of K–12 education and, in turn, special education. The growing prevalence of K–12 online learning provides a grounded opportunity to reflect on traditions and redesign policies, systems, and practices. The Department of Education Office of Special Education recognized this need and in 2011 funded the Center on Online Learning and Students with Disabilities (COLSD), a partnership between the University of Kansas, CAST, and the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE). The mission of COLSD was to identify trends, promising practices, and challenges in online learning for students with disabilities. To this end, COLSD has conducted numerous research projects and informational gathering activities. As has been documented in the COLSD publication, Equity Matters: Digital and Online Learning...
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