Determining Type and Amount of Service Delivery Time by Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments: Results of a National Validation Study of the VISSIT

Abstract

Introduction: This research followed the lead of an initial validation study and responded to the call from the state education agency–endorsed Service Intensity Subcommittee of the Texas Action Committee for the Education of Students with Visual Impairments to conduct a larger scale validation study on the Visual Impairment Scale of Service Intensity of Texas (VISSIT). Methods: The authors collected survey data from 77 respondents using a mixed-methods survey research design. These data were used to determine the VISSIT’s validity and reliability. Participants represented urban, suburban, and rural geographic regions across 20 U.S. states. Results: The results of the national study showed that the VISSIT has social validity, which was supported by both ease of use and acceptability of the tool. The VISSIT’s consequential and content validity were also supported by the data collected. The internal consistency reliability showed reliability for the VISSIT with a Cronbach’s alpha calculated as being .935. Based on the results presented here, in which the social, consequential, and content validity of the VISSIT have been confirmed, it can also be confidently asserted that the VISSIT is construct valid. Discussion: The findings of this national study indicate an overall positive response to the usability and understandability of the VISSIT. Participants used the tool to provide quantifiable documentation to identify accurate student need for service across all expanded core curriculum areas as well as to provide administrators and families with research-based data to justify service type and time. Implications for practitioners: Respondents in the national study saw the VISSIT as an effective way to take student evaluation data and convert those results into a measurable recommendation for service type and intensity. The VISSIT helps a teacher of students with visual impairments to document how much time is needed for both direct and collaborative consultation services, as appropriate for each individual student.

Educational Impact of Using the VISSIT to Determine Service Delivery Time of Itinerant Teachers of Students With Visual Impairments

“…They also reported it was better to use this tool when determining service type and amount of service time because it is more objective and based in research. These findings showed close similarities with the results of initial and national validation studies on the VISSIT (Pogrund et al, 2015; 2019). For instance, in both studies, the vast majority of the participants were willing to use the VISSIT again for service intensity determination purpose in the future, 96% and 93%, respectively.…”

“…In the initial validation study (Pogrund et al, 2015), validation and reliability of the VISSIT were examined, and the instrument was found to be a moderately valid and reliable. A large-scale national validation study on the VISSIT (Pogrund et al, 2019) showed high validity and reliability and supported social, consequential, content, and construct validity.…”

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High-quality education for students with visual impairments starts with service intensity determination based on the needs of students by teachers of students with visual impairments (Lewis & Allman, 2017; Spungin et al, 2016). Even though the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) emphasizes addressing students' needs for service delivery (United States Department of Education, 2004), some teachers of students with visual impairments continue taking other factors such as caseload size into account for service intensity determination (Pogrund et al, 2019). Similarly, The Michigan Vision Services Severity Rating Scale (Michigan Department of Education, 2017) does not focus on the individual needs of the students to recommend service time.

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Pre-Employment Transition Services and the Expanded Core Curriculum: A Low Vision Rehabilitation Approach

“…When these children reach transition age, they may face challenges, including the need for accommodations (Sanford et al, 2011), self-advocacy skills (Brinkerhoff, McGuire, & Shaw, 2002), and specialized programs (Tagayuna, Stodden, Chang, Zeleznik, & Whelley, 2005). These areas are folded into the ECC (Hatlen, 1996;Huebner, Merk-Adam, Stryker, & Wolffe, 2004), a set of best practices for working with youths with visual impairments to be incorporated into service delivery planning (Pogrund, Darst, & Munro, 2019), yet often add to the educator's workload (Opie, 2018). However, multiple organizations collaborating to deliver transition services in this program have made a positive impact (Brown, Brown, & Glaser, 2013;Coduti et al, 2017), and research has shown that by highlighting the ECC during instruction, students were better able to attain goals of postsecondary educational success and job employment (Wolffe & Kelly, 2011;Crudden, 2012).…”