Building a Unified Research Agenda for K-12 Online Learning Environments to Improve STEM Outcomes for Students with Learning Disabilities and Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Students with learning disabilities and those with autism spectrum disorder represent the largest and fastest growing groups of students with disabilities in U.S. public schools. These students are underperforming in STEM achievement as compared to their non-disabled peers, and these students are underprepared for college entry and success. This capacity building project will contribute to foundational knowledge about what is already known, and what needs to be studied, about K-12 online STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education for students with learning disabilities and those with autism spectrum disorder. Project leaders at SRI International will engage expert researchers to conduct a synthesis and gap analysis about K-12 online STEM education for students with learning disabilities and those with autism spectrum disorder. The results of the synthesis and gap analysis will be published and made available to the public. The research team will use the results from the synthesis and gap analysis to create a research agenda about K-12 online STEM education for students with learning disabilities and those with autism spectrum disorder. Expert education researchers will engage in debate about the components of the research agenda, which will also be published and made available to the public. The agenda will help education researchers identify future education research pathways and priorities focused on K-12 online STEM learning for students with and without disabilities, a rapidly growing practice in our nation's schools.