The impact of an elementary to middle school transition program on attendance, achievement, and behaviors of students with special needs.

This study investigated the impact of an initial experience transitional program on the attendance rates, academic achievement, and the number of discipline referrals for each student with special needs as they entered the middle school setting. Students with special needs who were included in the program were compared with a similar group of students with special needs who were not provided with the transitional program. Attendance data were collected from the students\u27 school records. Academic achievement was determined by comparing the grade point averages of the two groups. The focus of the grade point averages included only core content classes as they are the only consistent classes for all group members. Discipline referrals are reports of inappropriate behavior that are completed by school faculty and forwarded to the administrator. The results of the study indicated that attendance rates and academic performance were significantly impacted when comparing the two groups. However, there was little difference in the rate of discipline referrals between the two groups of students with special needs. The results of this study extend the previous research literature in initial experience transitional services, especially in the area of middle school students who have special needs