Robert W. Flexer

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.

Translating, Research, Innovation, and Policy into Practice: Interdisciplinary Transition Leadership Training (MS #97.05).

Transition leadership competencies that address outcome-based and student centered services stem from direct experience in delivering transition services across special education, vocational education, and rehabilitation disciplines. Doctoral trainees in transition at Kent State University are provided a program of studies and opportunities for leadership activities which are built upon their experiences as teachers, coordinators, counselors, and program developers. The doctoral program in Transition Leadership at Kent State University uses in-depth study and intensive field work to instill values and competencies which cross special education, rehabilitation, and vocational education. Through the use of an Individualized Leadership Career Plan, leadership goals and interdisciplinary competencies of each student are identified and focused on activities which foster translation of research into practice. A program description and formative evaluation are presented to demonstrate impacts of the program on research and practice.

Graduate interdisciplinary transition training at Kent State University

The purpose of this article is to provide a program description of an interdisciplinary graduate training program at Kent State University. The program, the Transition Coordinator Training Program, trains graduate students from Special Education, Vocational Education, and Rehabilitation Counseling in an integrated curriculum format through field-based experiences. Through partnership arrangements, graduate students have opportunity to work with youths with disabilities and their families, policy makers, and professionals from the three discipline areas. The results are qualified leaders and practitioners who are versed at interdisciplinary communication and strategies; state-of-the-art models and practices for inclusion of persons with disabilities in schools, communities, and jobs; the development of collaborative relationships among service providers; and advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels. Collaborative processes and organizational components are emphasized in order to highlight the integrated and interdisciplinary aspects of the program.

Preliminary Needs Assessments for Regular Classroom Placement for Students with Handicaps

Teachers (n = 127) from two school districts in Ohio, USA, were surveyed for their attitudes toward the integration of handicapped children. A principal components factor analysis revealed seven clusters of items accounting for 65 per cent of the variance. A discriminant function analysis was used to determine which items could be used to predict teachers who were willing or unwilling to teach students with handicaps. Two factors, Appropriate Placement and Classroom Management, were predictive with 79 per cent accuracy when combined with items regarding teacher perceptions of the benefit of full-time regular classroom placement, teaching experience with the handicapped, and resource awareness. This information is discussed in terms of the formation of a needs assessment to be used in integration.