Transition Practices for Students With High-Incidence Disabilities in a Rural School

Individuals with disabilities often have difficulty obtaining and maintaining employment after graduation from high school. Employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities are significantly less than their typical peers. One potential cause of lower employment outcomes for people with disabilities is the result of public schools’ failure to implement appropriate individualized transition plans and services. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the effectiveness of evidence-based transition practices as perceived by school educators, parents of students with high-incidence disabilities who receive special education services, and outside agency providers in a rural school in the North Central Texas area. The data collected targeted 5 evidence-based transition practices: person-centered planning, self- determination skills, interagency collaboration, parental involvement, and community/work- based learning programs. This single-case qualitative study had multiple units of analysis from 2 targeted participant groups: educational staff and parents of students with high-incidence disabilities serviced through special education services in grades 7–12. The researcher interviewed each group of participants face-to-face or by phone conference using a semi- structured responsive interview model. School staff and parent participants identified areas of improvement in relation to the district’s evidence-based transition practices and procedures for the 2018-2019 school year. The areas of focus should be the following: parent and outside agency involvement initiatives; training for identified needs for students, staff, and parents; and exploring options to provide opportunities for career exploration