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COVID-19 closed down schools and teachers moved to remote teaching and
continued to provide special education services. Specifically, the survey (see
Appendix) at the heart of the data collection targeted identifying the challenges and
triumphs education professionals found as they traversed from school closures to
remote delivery because of the COVID-19 global pandemic. In particular, those in
leadership training programs identified and described the challenges they faced and
how they found triumphs in delivering special education services when schools were
physically closed. For this study, the researchers examined two specific research Dr. Kris Melloy
questions: has served as
1. What challenges are teachers and administrators experiencing in providing an educational
professional for 45
special education services for students with disabilities during the years. Currently,
COVID-19 pandemic? she is a Student
2. What triumphs are teachers and administrators finding related to providing Success Coach
special education services for students with disabilities during the for the Thompson
COVID-19 pandemic? School District in
The intended outcome of this article is to share these research findings and suggest Colorado. Melloy is
a member of Delta
evidence-based interventions for practitioners to address the ongoing challenges and Chapter in Colorado
sustain the triumphs of educating students with disabilities in remote and in-person State Organization
instruction. As individuals continue to be exposed to further variants of COVID-19, and serves on the
school personnel will need a wide array of knowledge for in-school and remote scholarship and
instructional strategies to address challenges and keep a mindset of triumphs to be early educators
committees.
celebrated.
Kris.melloy@tsd.org
Method
The mixed methods study was conducted in the summer of 2020. Qualitative
and quantitative data were collected via an online survey that provided access to a
population whose work was complicated by the restrictions and social distancing
rules of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey research design examined the
perceptions of graduate students relative to challenges and triumphs experienced in
delivering special education services due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Setting and Participants
The target participants included individuals enrolled in graduate-level educational
leadership and special education administration programs at a midwestern university.
All participants were licensed as general and special education teachers or related
services providers. At the point of participation in the study, they were in positions as
teachers, administrators, or support personnel. Demographic information collected
included the participants’ gender and years of educational experience. Respondents
included 6 persons who identified as males and 24 persons who identified as
females. Eight participants had 1–5 years of educational experience, and 22 had
6–10 years of educational experience. Table 1 reports the educational programs
in which participants were enrolled and the positions in which participants were
employed. Participants were in either the second or third year of their academic
program(s), and the majority had been employed in education for more than 5 years.
All had earned a bachelor’s degree and either had a master’s degree or were earning
administrative certification and advanced degrees. Once Institutional Review Board
(IRB) permission was secured, the convenience sample of all students currently
enrolled in the programs was invited through email to complete the questionnaire.

Changing Perspectives on Teaching and Learning 37