Poster #147 - Kindergarten Special Education Transition Experiences for Families of Color: COVID-19 Challenges, Supports, and Silver Linings

• In Event: Poster Session 14

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic shifted school processes, including the introduction of new school procedures such as remote or hybrid learning (USDE, 2021). Families have had difficulty adjusting to new school processes, as they navigated technological barriers (Chandra et al., 2020; Williams et al., 2021), increased educational roles (Formosinho, 2021), and vulnerable personal wellbeing (Corbett et al., 2021). Parents of children with disabilities faced additional challenges and suffered disproportionate burdens (Couper-Kenney & Riddell, 2020; Corbett et al., 2021) as they juggled disrupted special education services and developmental concerns (Neece et al., 2020) stemming from the special education system’s inadequate provision of services during COVID-19 (USDE, 2021).
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, parents were forced to cope with erratic educational processes in addition to disruptions to daily life. Lines between home and school-based involvement were blurred (Knopik et al., 2021) and virtual learning formats shifted home-school dynamics (Bhamani et al., 2020). It is important to examine parents’ experiences during the pandemic to inform future practice, ensure successful home-school connections, and develop adequate child and family support. Although research is emerging on parent experiences in the context of COVID-19, less is known on the experiences of parents of color, especially for children within special education and those in urban school settings.
Guided by an ecological framework, this study investigated the experiences of parents of color as their children with disabilities transitioned to kindergarten during the COVID-19 pandemic and explored mechanisms that were involved in this period, such as school practices, supports, and external factors. The study used qualitative data from three waves of interviews (fall, winter, and spring of kindergarten) from fifteen parents. Data was collected as part of a larger longitudinal investigation which used a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach to examine the experiences of parents and stakeholders during the kindergarten transition. Each one-hour interview occurred virtually and was facilitated by trained members of the research team. There was a total of approximately 40 hours of parent interviews audio and video recordings. These were transcribed verbatim by three team members then coded and grouped into themes by another three team members using NVivo 12 software and thematic analysis guidelines (Braun & Clark, 2006).
Findings revealed that parents experienced extensive school challenges throughout the year. At the start of the year, with schools in hybrid or full remote formats, parents encountered inconsistent and disorganized school schedules with delayed openings. As kindergarten progressed, new challenges arose with limited staffing, lacking communication, and unpredictable COVID outbreaks at school. By the end of the year, schools began to reopen, but parents expressed frustration with reopening procedures, including poor communication and restrictions on entering schools. Furthering parent challenges were external factors rooted in COVID, such as work barriers, isolation, and limited resources. However, parents reported school supports which buffered some stressors, including consistent information-sharing and provision of resources. Parents also shared silver linings of the pandemic, including increased family time and improved awareness of their child’s learning.

Group Authors

ABC-TC Advisory Team

Authors

• Catherine R Gaspar, Teachers College, Columbia University
  Presenting Author

• Laudan B Jahromi, Teachers College Columbia University

• Mary Ellen Rooney

• Stephanie Rodriguez