There is nationwide concern that the abrupt transition to remote instruction in response to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic will have detrimental impacts on student learning. As a uniquely vulnerable group within schools, students with disabilities like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be at enhanced risk for these negative outcomes. The present study features a unique examination of achievement scores, collected for two Cohorts (2018Cohorts ( -2019Cohorts ( , 2019Cohorts ( -2020 of students with ADHD. By collecting achievement data in both the fall and spring for each Cohort, direct comparisons between changes in achievement for Cohort One (2018-2019) can be made to those in Cohort Two (2019-2020). Analyses summarized remote learning practices, within-group changes in achievement data over time for Cohort Two, and between-group differences in score changes over time for Cohorts One and Two. Teachers used a variety of remote learning approaches, including videoconferencing and independently completed assignments. Student achievement scores in both Cohorts significantly improved from fall to spring. No significant differences were found in score growth between the Cohorts, indicating that the move to remote instruction did not have a differentially negative impact on Cohort Two. Implications focus on the promise of well-delivered remote instruction, and the need to examine individual factors (such as poor internet access) that may exacerbate the risk of students with disabilities receiving remote instruction.
Impact and ImplicationsThere is nationwide concern that the rapid move to remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic will have long-lasting negative impacts on our youth. This study demonstrated that children with attention and behavioral difficulties did not show a substantial decrease in academic achievement following three to 4 months of remote instruction. These results present the short-term impact of remote instruction; future work must address whether continuing to deliver school remotely impacts students with disabilities.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, families with young children were suddenly tasked with adapting to remote schooling, where lessons were largely delivered online via screen media devices. Meanwhile, concerns rose about increased amount of time young children were spending with screen media devices during periods of “lockdown”. Few studies have examined caregivers’ experiences of navigating remote schooling with the youngest learners, who are likely to be particularly dependent on caregivers. Further, no studies to our knowledge have examined how the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to remote schooling interacted with caregivers’ perceptions and practices regarding child screen media use at home. Using thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 26 low-income caregivers of young children in Miami-Dade County, Florida, we examined caregivers’ experiences with remote schooling and their perceptions of and experiences with child screen media use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results demonstrated that caregivers experienced challenges in facilitating remote schooling for their young children, and that the pandemic and remote schooling brought about notable changes in perceptions and habits around child screen media use at home. These results have implications for future planning around schooling in times of crisis and around incorporation of educational technology into the schooling process, and suggest the need for updating guidelines for caregivers of young children around screen media use to account for the increased integration of screen media devices in schooling and everyday life.
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