Robert M. Baer

A Collaborative Followup Study on Transition Service Utilization and Post-School Outcomes.

This postschool outcome study was conducted in collaboration with transition coordinators at four local education agencies to evaluate the utilization and effectiveness of their school districts secondary education programs and transition services. By means of a phone and record review survey, adapted from one developed by the Ohio systems change project for transition, data were collected on 140 randomly selected special education graduates who were one and three years post graduation. A logistic regression analysis showed that vocational education, work study participation, attending a rural school, and having a learning disability were the best predictors of full-time employment after graduation, whereas participation in regular academics and attending a suburban school setting were the best predictors of postsecondary education. The transition coordinators recorded the amount of time it took to complete the surveys for their graduates and participated in the evaluation of their data. It took longer for urban students and students who were further from graduation to complete the followup surveys.

Students With Intellectual Disabilities Predictors of Transition Outcomes

This study examined the outcomes of 409 students with mental retardation or multiple disabilities from 177 school districts in a Great Lakes state. These students with intellectual disabilities were interviewed at exit and 1 year following graduation. The authors developed and tested three regression models—two to predict full-time employment and one to predict college enrollment after graduation. Although inclusion was a significant predictor of postsecondary education, career and technical education and work study programs did not reach significance as predictors of postschool employment. For these students, gender and minority issues contributed to most of the variance. These findings point to the need for more holistic career and technical education and work study models for these students.

An Epidemiological Model of Transition and Postschool Outcomes

This longitudinal transition study was conducted in collaboration with teachers who interviewed students who graduated from 177 school districts in a Great Lakes state. Special education students were interviewed at exit and 1 year following graduation using a survey based on the National Longitudinal Transition Study. The data were analyzed using logistic regression models that controlled for gender, minority status, and level of disability. The authors developed and tested three regression models: two to predict full-time employment and one to predict college enrollment. Students who graduated from career and technical education and work study programs were more likely to enter full-time employment after graduation, but this relationship was influenced by gender, minority status, and disability. Students who participated in mainstream academics were much more likely to be enrolled in full-time college after graduation, but this relationship was influenced by level of disability.

Transition Practice and Policy Compliance in Ohio: A Survey of Secondary Special Educators

In this article the authors examine: (a) statewide implementation of IDEA transition mandates and four other best practices in transition, and (b) factors correlated with their implementation. A survey of transition practices was administered at a statewide meeting for special education supervisors and administrators. Descriptive statistics were used to examine policy and practice implementation and a step-wise multiple regression was used to identify predictors. Respondents reported compliance with an average of 9 of 14 transition policy areas with most compliance found in the paperwork aspects of transition practice. The best predictors of IDEA transition policy compliance were found to be: (a) hours of transition training, and (b) the percentage of non-minority students. Federally funded outreach training was found to be the best predictor for other best practices in transition. The authors raise concerns that IDEA transition compliance efforts appear to be focused more on doing paperwork than on providing transition services. They recommend continued outreach efforts coupled with renewed advocacy regarding transition at the local level.

IDEA Transition Policy Compliance and Best Practice: Perceptions of Transition Stakeholders.

This study used the Survey on Transition Policy Compliance and Best Practices to measure transition policy compliance and best practices at local education agencies (LEAs) and identify predictors of transition policy compliance and best practice. The study participants consisted of 186 persons involved in transition planning, including parents and guardians, educators, and adult service professionals. Respondents reported that their schools were generally complying with the transition requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) with the exception of the requirement to reconvene the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team if transition services could not be provided as planned. The strongest predictor of policy compliance and best practice in LEAs was the existence of a school-based interagency transition team. In addition, transition training proved to be a weaker predictor of best practice. The findings support the need for interagency team forming activities as part of transition training.

Supporting the Employment of People with Serious Mental Illness

Supported employment for persons with serious mental illness is a relatively new concept that encompasses a variety of models, philosophies, and orientations. Increasingly, supported employment services for persons with serious mental illness have become differentiated from programs serving other disability groups with greater emphasis on long-term support and less on job training. Six models of supported employment continue to be used for persons with serious mental illness including: (1) enclaves, (2) mobile work crews, (3) dispersed groups or clusters, (4) entrepreneurial models, (5) individual models, and (6) transitional employment. Supported employment is a service recognized and funded by Employment of People with Serious Mental Illness VR and now includes: (1) assessment, (2) job development, (3) job placement, (4) job training and support, and (5) extended services.