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The purpose of this study was to establish construct validity of a college and career readiness measure using a sample of youth with (n = 356) and without (n = 1,599) disabilities from five high schools across three U.S. states. We established content validity through expert item review, structural validity through initial field-testing, and convergent validity by correlating domain scores with school academic and behavioral data. A four-factor measurement model emerged representing the domains Ownership of Learning, Academic Engagement and Processes, Interpersonal Engagement, and Career Development. Domain scores were significantly correlated with achievement, college admission exam scores, and attendance. Implications for research and practice with an emphasis on transition service delivery via multi-tiered systems of support are discussed.

In this study, we examined the structural validity of the Secondary Transition Fidelity Assessment (STFA), a measure of secondary schools' use of programs and practices demonstrated by research to lead to meaningful college and career outcomes for all students, including students at risk for or with disabilities, and students from diverse backgrounds. Drawing from evidence-based practices endorsed by the National Technical Assistance Center for Transition and the Council for Exceptional Children's Division on Career Development and Transition, the instrument development and refinement process was iterative and involved collecting stakeholder feedback and pilot testing. Responses from a national sample of educators (N = 1,515) were subject to an exploratory factor analysis resulting in five measurable factors: (a) Adolescent Engagement, (b) Inclusive and Tiered Instruction, (c) School-Family Collaboration, (d) District-Community Collaboration, and (e) Professional Capacity. The 5-factor model was subject to a confirmatory factor analysis that resulted in good model fit. Invariance testing on the basis of geographical region strengthened validity evidence and showed a high level of variability with regard to implementing evidence-based transition services. Findings highlight the need for consistent and regular use of a robust, self-assessment fidelity measure of transition service implementation to support all students' transition to college and career.

Inclusive education is contextualised within local systems and represents a continuous struggle to ensure access to meaningful and equitable education. The purpose of this scoping review was to examine international empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals from 1999 to 2019 focused on teacher agency for inclusive education for students with disabilities in grades K-12. The conceptual framework used for this research identified teacher agency for inclusive schooling as requiring a disruption of traditional special educator identities, particularly pertaining to segregated schooling practices and deficit notions of disability. Eleven articles met the inclusion criteria. The results revealed varied conceptualizations of how teacher agency promotes inclusive education. We identified the following themes related to teachers' agentic actions towards inclusive education: (a) instructional strategies, (b) collaboration, (c) family-school-community connections, and (d) other agentic moves. Implications for future research are discussed.

Job seekers with autism will likely benefit from explicit instruction in job interviewing skills given their social communication support needs. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a video-based intervention (VBI) to increase storytelling ability in responding to Patterned Behavior Description Interview (PBDI) questions in mock job interviews for college students with autism. This type of question is increasingly used in job interviews as a tool to select and hire candidates. A concurrent multiple-probe across participants design was used for four college students with autism (ages 19-38 years). Results indicated a functional relation between VBI and storytelling abilities was present for all participants. Implications for practice and research related to enhancing the job interviewing skills of college students with autism are discussed.

Current practices of college and career readiness (CCR) emerged from within secondary school reform efforts. During a similar timeframe, evidence-based schoolwide interventions--positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) and response to interventions (RTI)--were developed, first targeting elementary initiatives and then translated to secondary schools. We provide an overview of a recently established CCR framework underscoring both academic and nonacademic factors necessary for student success. To operationalize CCR approaches within secondary schools, an effort must be made to utilize existing interventions and strategies as well as data-informed efforts included within multitiered systems of support (MTSS). Therefore, we examine how CCR can be extended within secondary MTSS approaches and extend current methods by recommending measures aligning CCR elements within essential data-based decision making and fidelity of implementation tenets of MTSS. By embedding CCR within established MTSS approaches, improved post-school outcome for all students, including those with disabilities, can be achieved.

This single case design study evaluated the effects of a video modeling (VM) intervention on the customer service skills of five young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Verbalization of greeting, service, and closing phrases contextualized to community employment settings were the target behaviors. A systematic approach to visual analysis indicated the presence of a functional relation for all participants. Coworkers, job coaches, and supervisors successfully applied the VM intervention during the generalization condition. Maintenance probes conducted at 2 and 4 weeks indicated that most customer service skills were maintained. Results indicated VM was also effective in enhancing the quality of interactions with customers. Implications for research and practice related to the competitive employment of young adults with ASD are discussed.

The role of research in transition education has been prominent and influential. Yet too many young people with disabilities are still not experiencing outcomes aligned with their personal aspirations and priorities. Moreover, individuals with disabilities continue to experience barriers to employment, educational, economic, and other challenges well into adulthood. Moving forward as a field will require continued investment in strong scholarship and careful consideration of new areas of inquiry. In this article, we present a framework for transition research designed to identify key issues and intersections in which future inquiry should be directed. We present research needs in six different areas to illustrate these possibilities. We also highlight some of the complexities and considerations associated with conducting this research.

A secondary analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study--2 (NLTS2) was conducted to examine predictors associated with improved postschool community participation of young adults with severe disabilities. Multidimensional item response theory was used to establish criterion and predictor constructs and examine predictive relationships between these constructs. Results identified two outcome constructs (community involvement, social engagement) and four predictors (functional skills, classroom behaviors, participation in social networks, access to vocational programs) establishing good model fit. Participation in social networks while in school was a strong predictor of both community involvement and social engagement. Functional skills of young adults predicted postschool community involvement. Implications for future research and practice promoting and supporting community participation are discussed.

The field of transition--and the Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT)--was built upon a foundation established by theories of career development that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s and paved the way for the work/study movement of the 1960s and the vocational and career education for students with disabilities movement that dominated the 1970s and, eventually, the transition services movement. Today's leaders in vocational psychology and career guidance suggest that market and global economic forces associated with a postmodern world have created a crisis in career development models and methods. This article discusses the evolution of how career development has been understood, and the potential importance of a life design framework and its emphasis on career construction, rather than career development, for the future of transition services.

College and career readiness is crucial to success in postsecondary education, employment, and independent living. The College and Career Readiness for Transition (CCR4T) assessment is valid and reliable and can assist in transition planning for students with disabilities. The CCR4T assessment was designed for planning with students with and without disabilities. This article aims to provide an overview of this assessment and demonstrate how secondary educators and other stakeholders can use the data gathered to make decisions and inform the Individualized Education Program (IEP) as an age-appropriate transition assessment for youth with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article shares the results from a quasi-experimental mixed-methods study of a promising transition-focused professional development approach. The 12-week team-based intervention resulted in positive outcomes among intervention group participants' knowledge and capacities. The intervention group exhibited statistically significant changes in knowledge of transition assessment practices as well as in using various types of age-appropriate transition assessments and implementing effective practices associated with a comprehensive transition assessment process. At the program level, findings indicated team-level indicators showed statistically significant improvements. The study demonstrated teams who received the intervention were more likely to attain a program-level goal, which was substantially greater than the comparison teams. Implications for future research and practice are shared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we describe the conceptualization and development of the Secondary Transition Fidelity Assessment (STFA), a measure intended for use by high school leadership teams to examine secondary programs and practices demonstrated by research to lead to meaningful outcomes for secondary students with and without disabilities. We describe our conceptualization and development efforts, which resulted in a measure with six critical features: adolescent engagement, district-level capacity, school-level capacity, community engagement, family engagement, and professional capacity. Based on stakeholder feedback, we revised the STFA and developed an instruction manual and action planning guide to support the self-evaluation of secondary programs and practices using data from the STFA. Recommendations for the field related to research, policy, and practice are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasingly diverse population in the United States calls for schools to address the breadth of cultural histories students bring with them to the classroom. High school students with disabilities are also diverse in terms of cultural histories, race, ethnicities, religions, and citizenship. These factors intersect as families engage in planning for the transition to adulthood. A requisite for culturally diverse families with young adults who receive services under the educational category of intellectual disability (ID) are school professionals who can meaningfully collaborate. This review of literature from peer-reviewed journals seeks to understand if culturally responsive practices are utilized with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) families during transition planning. This review also explored whether culturally sustaining practices strengthen partnerships between teachers and CLD families and adolescents with disabilities, including those with ID. Implications are associated with how teachers can perceive diversity from a strengths perspective as a vital component of transition planning.

Almost two decades since the last study of how educator preparation programs (EPPs) offer transition-related content to preservice teachers, this study sought to understand if the educator preparation landscape has changed. Given the impact of well-prepared secondary educators on student transition outcomes, reexamining the status of transition-related content within teacher education was warranted. Thus, the primary purpose of this study was to query a national sample of EPPs regarding the specific transition content provided and methods for conveying transition content to preservice teacher education students. Results indicated that small changes have occurred over time, with most programs reporting positive perspectives regarding the level of preparation among program graduates. However, the capacity of EPPs to offer high quality and evidence-based transition content appears to be inconsistent. This study emphasizes the need for future research, as well as improved practice within EPPs.

Transition professional development (PD) has been identified as a way to improve transition services; however, there is a dearth of literature on transition-focused PD. To learn more about the essential features of effective PD, 73 published articles were evaluated in the area of PD in both secondary transition and special education. Articles were selected that exemplified four essential elements for PD: (a) content focus, (b) active learning, (c) team-based participation, and (d) sustained planning and implementation. We identified specific features of PD that positively influenced teachers including (a) coaching and feedback, (b) collective participation among teachers, (c) consistent "manualized" content and training, and (d) active learning embedded in PD.

This chapter describes several essential skills necessary for success in postsecondary education (PSE) for young adults with disabilities and provides a variety of models of support available to students with disabilities as they transition into PSE.

Independent living skills (ILS) are crucial for the post-school success of students with disabilities. In this systematic literature review, we examined ILS interventions for secondary and postsecondary education students with intellectual disability or autism ranging from ages 13–24 years. Forty-two articles met the inclusion criteria and were examined. Findings indicated the most frequent intervention method used was prompting followed by video modeling/prompting. Technology was the most frequent modality used to deliver interventions. The most common types of ILS taught to students were cooking and cleaning. Implications for policy and practice include educators evaluating the range of ILS taught to students. Implications for future research include an emphasis on further developing technological interventions that expand to a wider variety of skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focused attention to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and college and career readiness (CCR) has been attributed to increased secondary school reform efforts directed at ensuring all students graduate high school prepared for adulthood. To successfully experience college and careers, students must have the knowledge, skills, and experiences associated with engagement in core academics, as well as essential nonacademic competencies such as growth mindsets, problem-solving, and interpersonal engagement. This study sought out insights and perspectives from national experts to understand the skills, opportunities, and supports needed to ensure students with severe disabilities are college and career ready. The study offers research results focused on initial insights supportive of inclusive postsecondary outcomes for youth with severe disabilities.

In this qualitative study, a proposed organizing framework of college and career readiness for secondary students with disabilities was developed based on a synthesis of extant research articulating student success. The original proposed framework included six domains representing academic and nonacademic skills associated with college and career readiness: academic engagement, academic mind-sets, learning processes, critical thinking, social skills, and transition knowledge. Focus groups were conducted to examine perspectives among state-level stakeholders with knowledge and expertise regarding college and career readiness, drop-out prevention, and secondary transition. Through an iterative process, the focus group data were analyzed and the framework was refined based on findings. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Using the least restrictive environments (LRE) data from annual "Reports to Congress," this study examined national trends in placement between 2000 and 2014 for school-aged students considered to have significant disabilities from among the categories of autism (ASD), intellectual disability (ID), multiple disabilities (MD), and deaf-blindness (DB). Educational placement trends were calculated using a log ratio index, and students with significant disabilities were compared with groups of students from the other disability groups. Results confirmed that access to general education settings is lacking for this group of students. Implications for policies and practices as well as suggested future research are provided.

This study confirmed the reliability and validity of the Quality Indicators of Exemplary Transition Programs Needs Assessment-2 (QI-2). Quality transition program indicators were identified through a systematic synthesis of transition research, policies, and program evaluation measures. To verify reliability and validity of the QI-2, we administered rigorous methods including a content analysis, an expert review, and instrument field test. Forty-seven indicators were categorized into seven domains: (a) transition planning, (b) transition assessment, (c) family involvement, (d) student involvement, (e) transition-focused curriculum and instruction, (f) interagency collaboration, and (g) systems-level infrastructure. The QI-2 was found to be reliable and valid for use by transition stakeholders, districts, and states for evaluating quality of transition programs and identifying areas for program improvement.

The TASH Inclusive Education National Committee responded to Horner and Dunlap's call to ensure that future research integrates inclusive values with strong science by developing an inclusive education national research advocacy agenda. Qualitative methods were implemented to answer three questions: (a) "What is the state of inclusive education research?" (b) "What research still must be done?" and (c) "What are recommendations for a national inclusive education research advocacy agenda?" The findings include 15 areas organized within three domains advocating for continued research across systems-level capacity building, building and classroom capacity, and student learning and development. Implications for research and policy reform are discussed.

Transition planning is conceptually and empirically linked to successful postschool outcomes for adolescents with disabilities and has been legally mandated for more than two decades. Unfortunately, young adults with high-incidence disabilities, including learning disabilities (LD), emotional disabilities (ED), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), continue to experience poor postschool outcomes. Using a secondary analysis of the second National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS2), this study examined both the quality and characteristics of transition plans for a nationally representative group of adolescents with high-incidence disabilities and the extent to which transition planning and services were similar across the three high-incidence disabilities. Findings indicate that a majority of students with high-incidence disabilities have transition plans and that key stakeholders participated in planning meetings. Findings also support the inclusion of adolescents with LD, ED, and ADHD in the larger category of high-incidence disabilities. Implications include further examination of the disparate relationship between planning and outcomes.

This descriptive study examined observational data collected in inclusive classrooms from six schools that were operating schoolwide inclusive policies and practices. Illustrative evidence of classroom practices supporting learning and participation of all students, including students with significant disabilities, adds to an understanding of structural methods supporting inclusion, as well as insights into instructional strategies and approaches used to support inclusive practices. Supports for participation were observed in several domains: (a) instructional staffing arrangements and roles, (b) methods of instructional groupings, (c) peer-supported learning, and (d) access to core academic curriculum. Supports for learning were also observed, including (a) universal design for learning, (b) behavioral interventions, and (c) accommodations and modifications. The results are discussed in relation to implementation of essential components of inclusive classrooms and the issues the field is facing with regard to effective practices leading to student learning and inclusion within classrooms and throughout schools.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) data that states and U.S. territories report from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and discuss the status of the most restrictive special education placement settings for students with disabilities. In this analysis, we found that (a) states do not set rigorous improvement goals to reduce restrictive placements, (b) the percentage of students with disabilities placed in restrictive placements have remained essentially unchanged over the past decade, and (c) students with low-incidence (severe) disabilities are disproportionally placed in restrictive placements. These results suggest that segregated educational experiences continue for thousands of students with disabilities in spite of evidence that shows that opportunities to learn and develop are enhanced in more inclusive educational settings.