An Army of Squeaky Wheels “The squeakywheel gets the oil.” …

2024 Feb/March Closing The Gap Resource Directory Solutions - An Army of Squeaky Wheels “The squeakywheel gets the oil.” By Maggie Pickett

leadership, policy & implementation

An Army of Squeaky Wheels “The squeakywheel gets the oil.” Summary: We all know the old adage,“the squeaky wheel gets the oil.”This common phrase, generally used as an unfavorable charac- terization, has been used to describe parents of students with disabilities. The Center on Inclusive Technology and Education Systems (CITES) at CAST is looking to turn this phrase on its head and shift the narrative around squeaky wheels. Join the conversation at cites.cast.org.

We all know the old adage “the squeaky wheel gets the oil.” The metaphor of a squeaky wheel essentially means that the loudest person or the most difficult person in the room gets the attention. This phrase is often used as an unfavorable characterization for people that are willing to ask questions, advocate, and explore opportunities beyond the established norm. How might the field flip this adage on its head? Let’s start by investigating the term “squeaky wheel” in the context of providing assistive technology (AT) supports and services. Often, students have an informed parent, teacher, para-professional, or even principal in their corner, who secures the accommodations and AT that the particular learner needs to be successful in the classroom. In such cases, these particular students “get the oil” because someone in their corner knew the right questions to ask and the appropriate levers to pull. Being a squeaky wheel means being a knowledgeable other

who advocates for a students’ needs. Acting as the protagonist in this educational storyline, this knowledgeable other might be a paraprofessional, a direct service provider like an OT or SLP, or perhaps even a classroom teacher. Most often, however, the squeaky wheel is the parent of a student with a disability, who is working to advocate for the best outcomes for their child. ENGAGING FAMILIES The research is clear. Implementing strong, authentic family engagement practices has a positive impact on educators, families, and learners themselves. These demonstrated impacts and benefits of implementing family engagement practices inspired the U.S. Department of Education to make family engagement a requirement. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires that families are given input and influence in decision-making. And for more than two decades, the

MAGGIE PICKETT As a Senior Technical Assistance Specialist for the Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems (CITES), Maggie explores systemic integration of Assistive Technology, Information Technology, and Educational Technology systems, in partnership with districts. Maggie is a certified speech-language pathologist. Her passion in education resides in creating engaging and accessible learning opportunities for all learners. For over a decade, Maggie has worked with teachers, students, administrators, para-professionals, families, and community partners to build a common under- standing of how creating engaging and accessible learning for ALL is possible. Maggie previously served as Program Consultant for the Iowa Department of Education as the AIM/AEM Coordinator for the state of Iowa. As a district AEM Coordinator she collaborated across district initiatives to support inclusive teaching and learning structures. Most recently, Maggie served as a digital learning consultant helping districts bridge the gap between instructional and assistive technologies in their teaching and learning practices.

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Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) has required that families of students with disabilities (SWD) are full and equal partners in the individualized education program (IEP) planning team. These laws require educators to engage parents and families in meaningful ways. Emerging research on engaging families in technology planning and use for their children and youth with disabilities would suggest that there are continued barriers to explore. Morgan (2022) surveyed over 300 parents and families of students with disabilities being served under IDEA or Section 504 from across the United States. Results illustrated that only 20% of families had been provided information about AT by district leaders. The same study illustrated that about half of classroom educators are collecting and using information about learner-preference and -need to select appropriate inclusive technology strategies and features. These figures suggest, perhaps, both a lack of information flowing to and from parents about the use of AT to support the learning experience. This could lead to parents of SWDs being perceived as an antagonist versus a protagonist in their child’s educational journey. So how does information, support, and feedback flow to and from parents and children and youth with disabilities? IT’S ECOLOGY, DEAR WATSON Psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory conceptualizes human development as influenced by nested layers within their environment (Figure 1). The innermost layer is the child, followed by the microsystem (immediate face- to-face environment), mesosystem (relationship between the child and their microsystem), exosystem (indirect influences on the child within the microsystem), macrosystem (cultural norms, policies, beliefs, legal influences), and chronosystem (events and transitions in the child’s life, including sociohistorical impacts).

Bronfenbrenner’s theory illustrates the various contextual factors shaping a child’s development, encompassing self- identity components such as race, gender, disabilities, and health. The microsystem involves family, educators, therapists, and peers. The mesosystem includes the IEP team and educational and AT specialists. Exosystem elements encompass school and district leaders, teacher preparation programs, and family work commitments. The macrosystem layer considers cultural norms, belief systems, educational laws, and policies affecting equitable access to learning technologies. The chronosystem examines temporal influences, including historical education practices, transitions between school levels, technological evolution, and the impact of events like the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents and families of children and youth with disabilities are no longer interacting solely with the classroom educator in the microsystem. Families are receiving loads of information across the levels of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. Daily notifications via the learning management system; weekly classroom-wide, building-wide, and district-wide newsletters and emails; interfacing with technology help desk staff to troubleshoot a glitchy device; and social media announcements and trends all make up the communication flowing to parents. There is an inundation of information and influence. Yet, are parents and family members able to be the squeaky wheel and use the information they are receiving to advocate for their child’s AT needs? AN EQUITY ISSUE Despite the amount of information flowing to parents, educators, and educational leaders, there is still a lingering discrepancy between what we know works and what actually occurs during the learning experience. This gap in research (i.e., what the evidence base tells us works) to practice (i.e., what is occurring on the ground in schools) rears its head in not only a technical, knowledge and skills gap, but also a gap in mindset and culture. A squeaky wheel requires both a level of technical knowledge and an individual mindset in order to influence the use of inclusive technologies for learners who require them. So, what happens when one of these critical components of a squeaky wheel is missing? Imagine walking into a 6th grade ELA classroom. The educator is floating around the classroom checking in with the learning experience her students are engaged in. She comes to one particular student and quietly whispers, “Your mom wanted me to remind you that this would be a great opportunity to use your text to speech tool to help you read.”The student reaches into their backpack and pulls out their earbuds to plug into a device. Success! This student’s parent, in partnership with his educator, had identified opportunities within the learning

Diagram representing the contextual influences on a child’s devel- opment. Child at the center, with concentric circles moving out, labeled Microsystem, Mesosystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem, and Chronosytem

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experience that her child could take advantage of his AT. A squeaky wheel in action. But what if you were to discover that 3 other students in that classroom required the exact same accommodation, but weren’t reminded. Would this situation still be considered a success? What happens when a student doesn’t have a squeaky wheel? When districts operate from a place where only students who have a “squeaky wheel” on their team obtain the supports and services they require, they are operating from a place of inequity. The Center on Inclusive Technology and Education Systems (CITES) at CAST is looking to turn this phrase on its head and shift the narrative around squeaky wheels. CITES is working to support districts in creating an army of squeaky wheels — in which district professionals, families, and community members understand the benefits of inclusive opportunities and experiences supported by technology and are motivated to mobilize in refined ways to operationalize these experiences to support all students, particularly those children and youth with disabilities who require AT. A ROADMAP TO EMPOWER AN ARMY The CITES Framework is a helpful guide that encourages positive change within a district. It’s used alongside technology and instructional efforts already in place, bringing together experts and coaches at various levels to assist local teams in making and maintaining inclusive technology systems. It offers districts a step-by-step, systemic process for creating an army of squeaky wheels. The CITES Framework uses the five areas outlined in the National Education Technology Plan (NETP) as a foundation for systems change: leadership, infrastructure, teaching, learning, and assessment. The guidance in the NETP includes insights on universal design for learning (UDL), AT, and accessibility. In this work, the team at CITES clarifies and expands those concepts and provides guidance for creating a balanced, inclusive technology ecosystem.

The process of creating an inclusive technology system employs a coordinated effort by district teams to move forward seamlessly with the framework and its practices. Implementing inclusive technology systems requires knowledgeable professionals with a variety of experiences all bringing their ideas to the discussion. This reliance on the collective intelligence of our colleagues is what serves as the foundation for an army of squeaky wheels. It means using the synergy created when bringing together informed family members, teachers, para-professionals, SLPs, OTs, physical therapists, information technology folks, and even administrators who are informed about accessibility, AT, and children and youth with disabilities. What might we see when these professionals work to support inclusive technology systems? It will be educators taking a proactive approach to broadening personal technology skills to help identify and remove barriers to learning and design, empowering learning experiences. Classroom educators would help to: • Develop technology competencies by discovering ways to create and integrate accessible digital learning materials and AT into teaching practices. • Design learner-centered experiences by using technology, including AT, in instructional design and planning, and as a way to efficiently and effectively collaborate with partner educators. • Enhance technology skills by committing to be a lifelong learner and by participating in coaching relationships as a coach or coachee. • Engage families in the learning community by regularly communicating with families regarding the coordination and collaboration of the learner’s specially designed instruction, including AT use in the classroom, as well as seeking the families’ input on how to better support the learner. • Support families’ shifting role by ensuring all families have opportunity to participate in the educational career of their children in ways that are developmentally appropriate and future-focused. We would observe EdTech professionals using a proactive approach to broaden personal technology skills to more effectively offer support to help educators and students identify and remove barriers to learning with technology. EdTech professionals help to: • Develop technology competencies by training educators, staff, and families to integrate accessible digital and information literacy throughout learning experiences. • Design learner-centered experiences by training educators to use teaching technology resources to support digital citizenship for all students. EdTech professionals also

CITES framework area icons of leadership, infrastructure, teach- ing, learning and assessment. Family engagement icon extends tentacles across each area.

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evaluate and select technology resources to address individual learner needs. • Enhance technology skills by providing options for coaching, networking, and collaborative learning experiences for staff to extend their knowledge and skills regarding educational technologies, including inclusive technology. • Engage families in the learning community by finding tools (e.g., translation services, accessible communications) that support their needs. • Support families’ shifting role by supporting educators to identify developmentally appropriate digital citizenship skills and to provide families with critical information and ways to engage all learners in inclusive, balanced, and informed digital experiences. We will certainly experience IT professionals contributing to an inclusive technology infrastructure by planning, designing, and managing all software, hardware, and networking installations and support services. IT professionals will help to: Personalize learning devices by ensuring that standard district software is configurable and meets accessibility needs to support all students, including those with disabilities. Also, when needed, IT professionals partner with educators and families to procure and set up personalized devices to meet the accessibility needs of particular students. • Unify inclusive technology decision-making by coordinating and soliciting input and feedback from individuals with disabilities, families, AT professionals, and IT professionals in procurement decisions to choose devices and ensure their interoperability. • Provide accessible educational materials (AEM) by providing technical support for EdTech staff on networks and hardware used to support technology for teaching and learning, as well as providing technical support for AT staff on hardware and networks for accessibility tools to support individual needs and preferences (screen readers, dictation, or video tools). • Ensure student privacy and secure inclusive practices by maintaining a technology infrastructure to support accurate and secure data exchange between educators, families, and students. IT professionals should also implement and train staff, students, and their families on district privacy policies and safe cybersecurity practices to minimize cyberattacks and data breaches. • Grant families access by providing them with foundational information on various products and platforms and ensuring, when needed, that families and educators of students with complex learning support needs have appropriate login information.

• Provide technical support to families by establishing opportunities for families to engage with Help Desk staff to troubleshoot barriers. An army would include district and building administrators who develop and put in place short- and long-term plans to help the district and individual buildings fulfill their vision and mission. These administrators will help to: • Create a community-wide vision by gathering a team of leaders, administrators, educators, and families to develop a vision that supports an inclusive technology infrastructure and accessible learning opportunities. • Develop a strategic technology plan by bringing knowledge of national, state, and local policy to ensure the technology plan empowers educators to design learner- centered experiences, while also navigating required compliance activities. • Measure progress for continuous improvement by allocating resources to data collection planning and analysis, and cultivating a culture of inclusive decision- making that honors the concept of “shared data” or “our data” across departments. • Develop a professional learning system by allocating resources that include a mentoring and coaching program that establishes safe and supportive relationships between instructional leaders and new and veteran staff to continue to build skills. • Partner and communicate with families by modeling quality family partnerships and communications and setting the expectation that all communications provided meet accessibility standards. As instructional leaders, building administrators will create programs to improve the design and delivery of instruction for all students. Building administrators help to: • Train educators and staff to develop technology competencies that empower them to design accessible, inclusive learning experiences that integrate AEM and AT. • Design learner-centered experiences by cultivating a culture of inclusion and promoting a vision of learner- focused instructional design that incorporates the district’s instructional framework with inclusive technology strategies. • Enhance technology skills by sponsoring activities for district leaders, educators, technology staff, and families to enhance and apply their EdTech and AT technology skills. • Engage families in the learning community by empowering educators to create a safe space in their learning community for families and modeling quality family and community interactions.

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• Support families’ shifting role by providing educators with packaged tools and resources to provide to families to support the transition from sole advocate to parent support with regards to the availability and use of accessible materials and AT required. An army of squeaky wheels will ensure AT professionals work to identify accessibility and AT interoperability requirements for assessments to support all learners. AT professionals help to: • Procure accessible assessments by educating leaders about assessment accessibility standards and AT compatibility, and training educators, students, and their families about assessment technology accommodations and the alignment, or lack of alignment, to instructional accommodations. • Design accessible formative assessments by helping district leaders develop guidance for educators to select formative assessment tools that are accessible, and training educators to create accessible content and incorporate AT when developing formative assessment instruments. • Collaborate with state testing officials by partnering with the district assessment coordinator to ensure assessment accommodations policy and procedure are appropriately supported. Additionally, gather input from district learners, families, and educators to inform state testing accessibility coordinators about the accessibility of state assessments, including AT accommodations. • Analyze data for decision-making by using data to inform improvements of: o Instructional design through the collaborative analysis of various forms of individual learner data, that include data on AT assessment, evidence of availability, and evidence of use. o Programmatic design through collaborative analysis of various forms of group data, including AT data, to determine appropriate shifts in program design and delivery. o Systemic design through collaborative analysis of various forms of group data, including AT data, to determine appropriate shifts in service delivery and resource allocation. Finally, building an army of squeaky wheels depends on having a knowledgeable population of family members to ask the right questions. Questions families will ask district leaders include: • How can I provide input into the district’s strategic technology plan? • How can I provide input into the district’s remote learning plan?

• How is the district using data provided by families to improve technology use? • How can I participate in large-scale and alternate assessment decisions? • How is large-scale assessment data used to improve teaching and learning with technology? • How is family feedback on large-scale assessments used to improve assessment accessibility and interoperability with AT? • Where can I find information and training on available accessibility options for district and state assessments? • Where can I find a list of district-provided software and supported websites, along with access information for those tools? • Where can I find the district’s student privacy and security policies? • As the parent or legal guardian of a student with low incidence and/or significant disabilities, how do I access my student’s technology accounts? • What training is available for families to learn more about commonly used digital software and AT? • What support resources are available to families for accessible and assistive technologies? Questions families will ask educators include: • How can I help with planning for and providing classroom accommodations and support? • How can I learn about what my learner is doing in the classroom? • How can I take part in the learning at home? • How can I help my learner become a self-advocate and a self-determined young adult? • What accommodations and alternatives are available for classroom assessments? • How can I support my learner in utilizing their accommodations and supports at home? The transformation of the “squeaky wheel gets the oil” adage in the context of providing AT to students is a critical next step in providing truly inclusive and equitable learning experiences. The concept underscores the importance of family engagement, the equity issue in relying solely on advocates, and the role the CITES Framework can play in promoting a collective effort to shift practices. The roadmap emphasizes the need for a knowledgeable population of family members and professionals to design and deliver these learning experiences. Visit cites.cast.org to learn more about inclusive technology systems and to get started framing the future of learning. The future is inclusive.

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Creative Commons license

Except where otherwise noted, the Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems web content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

OSEP - Ideas that Work

This content was developed under a grant from the US Department of Education, #H327T180001. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer: Anita Vermeer, M.Ed.

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