Special education eligibility following the COVID-19 pandemic

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 an official pandemic (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022a), immediately changing the structure of education across the country as many schools closed to in-person learning, transitioning to virtual platforms or shifting between in-person and virtual learning (Newsweek, 2020; UNICEF, 2021; Wyse et al., 2020). Understanding how students were impacted by lost instructional time and exposure to trauma during COVID-19 is critical in the identification of students needing special education. This study researched pre- and post-COVID-19 special education enrollment for Dunn Schools1 in Indiana. This mixed-method, longitudinal study analyzed demographic trends in special enrollment by race, sex, English proficiency, socio-economic status, and academic achievement between 2017 through 2023 through a hierarchical regression analysis to assess risk factors for special education enrollment. It further investigated changes in administrators’ perceptions of the MTSS process and special education evaluation process preand post-COVID-19. The quantitative study included students enrolled in grades kindergarten through fifth who completed the NWEA winter benchmark exam. Increased risk for enrollment in special education was found prior to COVID-19 for all areas of demographic analysis, with specific risk noted for Asian students by sex, socio-economic status, English status, and academic achievement. Hispanic ENL students were at increased risk, as well as black students with lower academic achievement. It was noted that students with low socio-economic status were not at increased risk based on academic achievement prior to COVID-1; however, after the onset of Covid-19 increased risk was significant. Furthermore, all other risk areas remained significant except for Asian students who no longer posed increased risk of enrollment based on socio-economic status, English status, or academic achievement. Though significant, the variation explained by the model was small and may not be educationally meaningful in determining special education enrollment. The qualitative sample included interviews from 9 administers within the district who were actively involved in the MTSS and special education evaluation process. Administrators included district leadership, MTSS coordinator, MTSS coaches, and school psychologists. Common themes included declining student enrollment with increased transiency and difficulty with attendance, declining academic achievement and school readiness skills, and difficulty determining appropriate time to resume special education eligibility especially with regards to consideration for academic achievement and lack of quality instruction. Furthermore, even though socio-economic status within the district remained relatively similar after COVID-19 as prior to, interviews expressed concern with changes in socio-economic status and the impact on student performance. Recommendations were suggested based on study results.