Examining the Quality of Secondary Transition Plans Against Research-based Criteria in Preparing Students with Disabilities for Postsecondary Success

摘要

As required by law a transition plan is supposed to be designed to clearly define a student’s postsecondary goals by addressing the strengths, needs, and interests of the student in order to develop an appropriate curricular plan and community-based instruction necessary to meet the student’s outlined postsecondary goals (Collet-Klingenberg u26 Kolb, 2011; IDEA, 2004). This study examined the secondary transition plans of students with disabilities, who graduated in 2011 from a small rural school district, for quality based on a set of research-based criteria in preparing the students’ to meet their desired postsecondary goals. Although the majority of the transition plans were found to be inadequate in quality according to the set research-based criteria taken from a combination of sources including the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC, 2008) Indicator 13 checklist, the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA, 2004) regulations, and Johnson’s (2003) Parent and Family Guide to Transition Education and Planning, implications for practice were discussed.