When I was in high school, I had to transfer to a virtual class mid-year twice after spending the first part of the year in the physical classroom. In both incidents, I had to transfer to online classes due to repeated IEP violations related to my low vision and print disability accommodations in the classroom, and I found that it was much easier for me to implement my own accommodations and succeed in online classes compared to my previous classroom experiences. Here are my tips for how to transfer to a virtual class mid-year in high school, and how I handled the transition as a student with a disability.
Resources to consider before requesting a transfer
Before my family and I requested a transfer from in-person to virtual classes due to issues with my disability accommodations not being followed, we tried a few different strategies for making it easier for my teachers to follow my IEP, including:
- Requesting digital copies of assignments that I could enlarge myself instead of printed large-print copies that needed to be submitted in advance
- Using other types of assistive technology in the classroom, such as a scanner for enlarging assignments or other tools for adapting classroom materials
- Having a meeting with the teacher alongside the special education team
- Sharing resources that can help with procuring accessible materials. For example, the state NIMAC center for accessible materials can create accessible copies of classroom materials- in Virginia, this organization is called AIM-VA
In each situation, the teacher told my family and special education staff that they were unable to reliably provide me with large print accessible materials, and they felt overwhelmed having a student with low vision in their class- they felt the best solution was to remove me from the classroom.
Is this illegal and unfair? Yes.
Am I glad my teachers admitted this? Also yes, because it gave me the opportunity to switch to a different class where I could thrive.
One additional resource I wish that I knew about when I was in high school is my state’s Protection and Advocacy organization, the Disability Law Center of Virginia, which offers pro bono legal assistance and access to special education advocates that can help parents and students navigate the special education process.
Related links
- Learning to Self-Advocate
- Eight Things You Need To Know About Your Disability Accommodations
- Tips For Handling Academic Ableism In The Classroom
- A to Z of Assistive Technology For Low Vision
- All About AIM-VA
- My Experience With Disability Law Center of Virginia
- My Talk At A Future Date: What I Wish I Learned About AT Before Starting College
Evaluating programs for virtual classes
My high school had two different virtual learning programs available for students, including a virtual high school hosted by the school district and a Virtual Virginia program from the state. The virtual high school program offered all of the same core classes that were offered at my high school like chemistry, US history, algebra 2, and others, while Virtual Virginia specialized in classes that were not traditionally offered for in-person learning, like foreign languages and other AP classes, though they also offered other core classes.
When I transferred from one general education core class to another, I decided to use the virtual high school program offered by my school district, which taught at the same pace as the in-person classroom class so that I wasn’t behind in the class. Also, I was used to working with the Moodle learning management system that was used by the virtual high school program, and felt comfortable navigating it on my computer and tablet.
Related links
- My Experience With Virtual Classes in High School
- Ten Questions To Ask When Choosing A Virtual Class
- Seven Unexpected Disability Accommodations For Virtual Learning
- Taking Online History Classes With Low Vision
- Taking Online English Classes With Low Vision
Making the case for switching to a virtual class
In order to be approved for transferring to a virtual class from an in-person class, my family and I had to collect documentation showing why I needed to be removed from the other classes. The easiest way to do this was showing my poor grades that were directly linked to my IEP accommodations not being followed- if the teacher did not provide accessible materials, I received a zero for the assignment, so we printed off copies of my grades and copies of hall passes from when I would leave the classroom to go enlarge materials.
Related links
- What If I Have To Report Disability Accommodation Violations?
- What’s In My High School Backpack As A Low Vision Student
- Why I Prefer My Schoolwork Digitally: Updated Edition
Working with the case manager and other staff
I worked with my case manager and guidance counselor a lot when preparing to transfer to a virtual class mid-year, as my case manager was the one who approved me for virtual learning. Before I got approved, they met with me to talk about how I would adjust to my new virtual class, and we talked about things like how I would enlarge my own materials or take exams in quiet, proctored areas where I could get extended time. My guidance counselor then talked to me about moving to the virtual lab, as they weren’t sure if my other classes would need to be switched around, but thankfully that wasn’t the case and I was able to remain in my other classes.
Once I talked to the case manager and guidance counselor, the virtual high school coordinator contacted me to provide final approval and introduce me to the online classroom. Since I had taken other classes through the virtual high school program before, I was already familiar with the course layout and expectations, but it was helpful to get a preview of what my new class would look like.
To my knowledge, my Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) was not involved in either of my mid-year class transfers, though they are an extremely valuable resource and can help students transition to online classes by providing technology instruction, insight on accessible materials, and so much more.
Related links
- Five Things Your IEP Case Manager Won’t Tell You
- How My Guidance Counselor Helped Me As A Low Vision Student
- Ten Lessons My TVI Taught Me
Leaving the old class
When I transferred to a virtual class mid-year, there was no chance for me to say goodbye to my teachers or other classmates, as I found out my transfer request was approved less than a day before my new class was set to begin, and about a week after meeting with the guidance counselor and virtual learning coordinator. Honestly, it was much better this way, as my case manager was the one who told the teachers I was being removed from their class so that I didn’t have to deal with that awkward conversation. I’m sure my teachers were thrilled that I was going to be in an environment where I could focus on learning, and not on making documents accessible.
A handful of students in my classes noticed that I suddenly disappeared one day, and asked me why I had left the class- I don’t think either of my former teachers said anything or acknowledged I was gone. I recognized that my teachers weren’t bad people, and that they were just in a bad situation where they couldn’t provide accessible materials, so I told these students that my schedule changed, and I was in another class now. A year later, I told one student who had since become a close friend that I had transferred because the teacher was unable to follow my IEP and shared more about what happened, but other than that, no one else from these classes knew what happened unless we became friends after graduation, or they found this blog post.
Related links
Tips for transferring to a virtual class mid-year
On my first day of my new class, I sent the teacher an email introducing myself and sharing that I have an IEP for low vision. I mentioned that I could enlarge materials on my own as long as they were shared in editable formats like Microsoft Word documents or in formats that support large print sizes like EPUB. After that, I rarely had to mention anything about my visual impairment again, as I was able to enlarge materials and complete them in digital formats without any other adaptations.
Some things that helped me during the adjustment phase of starting my new virtual class included:
- Flexible seating options for accessing course materials. Instead of exclusively using a desktop computer, I could sit at a table with my laptop or tablet, work on a couch in the library, take stretch breaks, etc
- Adjusting my computer and device displays for eyestrain, and not staring at screens for long periods of time
- Using assistive technology tools and applications with approval from the instructor. I continued using the Notability app for digital assignments, and it was especially helpful for tests and proctored assignments
- Talking to other students who were also in the virtual lab. Since I didn’t have any friends in my previous classes, it was wonderful to talk to other students and get a break from school when needed, and gave me the invaluable opportunity to feel like a “typical” student
- As a junior, talking to seniors who would never be in a class with my previous teachers again helped a lot as well, especially since some of them had also had negative experiences with my previous teachers.
Related links
- My Favorite Web Browser Extensions For Virtual Learning
- Why I Prefer My Schoolwork Digitally: Updated Edition
- How I’m Using My eReader To Support Virtual Learning
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Tablets
- Notability and Low Vision
Other tips for how to transfer to a virtual class mid-year
- One of the things that helped me the most with transitioning to online learning was having strong tech skills and being able to self-advocate as needed. I talk about this more in Ways To Practice Self-Advocacy In The Virtual Classroom and Ten Tech Skills Every College Student Needs For Virtual Classes
- Looking for resources on taking college classes remotely? Read How I Attend College Classes Remotely With Chronic Illness and Managing Chronic Migraines in College
- For students that may be a bit behind when transferring to online classes, I strongly recommend getting a tutor. I talk about choosing a tutor in Choosing A Tutor For Low Vision Students, and also have a post on the National Homework Hotline: Free Tutoring For Blind and Visually Impaired Students
