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In this study, we examined college and career readiness (CCR) support for students with and without disabilities using data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012. We selected variables relevant to CCR and focused on the interaction of disability, race and ethnicity, and household income across a range of disability categories, including those on individualized education programs and 504 plans, as well as for those without disabilities. Overall, we analyzed 19 groups of students representing these intersectional characteristics. Our findings show significant differences among the groups with regard to receiving the CCR supports: help with college applications, course-taking advice, interpretation of college admissions exam scores, and arranging college visits. Results show students of color without disabilities from low-income households were 2 times more likely to receive certain CCR supports. In contrast, across all study outcomes, students with disabilities showed different patterns than their counterparts without disabilities and were at a clear disadvantage with regard to access to CCR supports. Findings suggest disparities in schoolwide CCR supports for those with disabilities, which are more pronounced for students of color with disabilities. Implications for secondary transition educators and school counselors are discussed.

The purpose of the current study was to conceptually replicate a multi-indicator construct of economic hardship in a national sample of adolescents with and without disabilities (N = 9,230). Using data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 (NLTS2012), the latent construct economic hardship was confirmed from six theoretically relevant indicators: household income, parent education level, parent employment status, one- or two-parent household, household internet access, and participation in government-assisted social programs (e.g., Supplemental Security Income benefits, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). In addition, we examined group differences on the latent mean of economic hardship based on disability category, race and ethnicity, and school and family factors. Mean differences showed significantly lower economic hardship for youth on 504 plans, youth with autism, and for White non-Hispanic youth; whereas there was significantly greater hardship for youth with intellectual disability and youth with emotional disturbance and among youth of color. The implications of the replicated and expanded findings for adolescents with and without disabilities are discussed.

Previous research reported differences in student self-determination based on disability status. Specifically, students without disabilities consistently self-report higher self-determination compared with their peers with disabilities, suggesting differential opportunities and supports for self-determination exist within school contexts. To further examine potential differences in student self-determination, the present study examined the impact of an evidence-based practice designed to promote student self-determination, the "Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction" (SDLMI), on student self-determination outcomes when implemented in inclusive, secondary core content classrooms as a universal (i.e., Tier 1) support across an academic year. Findings suggested a relatively small change in overall self-determination during the first year of a multiyear study, but consistent patterns across students with and without disabilities. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

In this study, we estimated the cost of implementing the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI), an evidence-based practice in secondary transition, at scale in 17 U.S. school districts to enhance self-determination and transition goal attainment outcomes among 340 transition-age adolescents with intellectual disability. An advantage of the SDLMI is that it can be overlaid upon any curriculum and, therefore, can minimize opportunity costs for self-determination instruction. Using the ingredients method, the current study: (a) identified and described the essential ingredients of SDLMI implementation in typical high school settings, (b) assigned and described the cost of needed ingredients, and (c) calculated a generalizable estimate of the average cost of using the SDLMI with 340 students for one school year across 17 school districts to be $40,221.26 (or $118.30 per student). We discuss how decision-makers considering using the SDLMI in their context can minimize costs while maximizing effects on transition goal attainment outcomes. Several implications of these findings for the field of transition are also described.

Secondary data analyses occur when new analyses are proposed for existing data. Although they are prevalent in special education research, there is little guidance on how to prepare secondary data analyses studies. Preregistration of secondary data analyses studies provides a nice opportunity and structure for fellow researchers to share innovative questions and analytic approaches to existing data sets as well as increase transparency. In this manuscript, we (a) describe quality indicators of secondary data analyses consistent with open science practices and (b) provide applied examples of these indicators from a sampling of published studies based on two iterations of data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS2 and NLTS2012) with the overall goals to provide guidance to authors and peer reviewers and promote collaboration among fellow researchers engaged in secondary analyses for a range of purposes.

A major instructional focus of interventions designed to promote self-determination, such as the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI), is to engage students in learning to set their goals, identify action plans, and evaluate their performances. However, little is known about how students define their goal attainment outcomes, or the degree to which students and teachers agree on the attainment of goals set using the SDLMI in inclusive general education classes. This study examined the relation between student and teacher ratings of goal attainment during the first semester of a longitudinal, cluster randomized controlled trial of the SDLMI, as well as the impact of student disability status and teacher supports for implementing the SDLMI (i.e., online resources vs. online resources + in-person coaching) on goal attainment. Findings suggested the feasibility of engaging students with and without disabilities in rating their goal attainment process during SDLMI in secondary schools, with kappa analysis indicating that, when credit is given for at least partial agreement between students and teachers, there is a fair amount of interrater agreement using conventional interpretation criteria. Importantly, however, conclusions drawn about the impact of student (i.e., disability status) and teacher factors (i.e., teacher implementation supports) on goal attainment outcomes are impacted by whether student or teaching ratings of goal attainment are utilized as the outcome measure. Implications for future research and practice are described. [For the Grantee Submission, see ED607065.]

This study investigated the measurement invariance of school and teacher Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) readiness among 57 countries that participated in the Program in International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 assessment. School and teacher ICT readiness scale is 11-item scale with two subfactors: school ICT readiness and teacher ICT readiness subscales (Bozkus, "International Online Journal of Education and Teaching," 8(3), 1560-1579, 2021). With the novel alignment optimization method, we revealed that the school ICT readiness subscale was invariant for unbiased country comparisons but overall noninvariance was identified for the teacher ICT readiness subscale. Additionally, the rank of the school ICT readiness factor means indicated that Singapore, Sweden, B-S-J-Z (regions of China), United Arab Emirates and United States were among the top league, while countries like Indonesia, Poland, Ireland in between, and Japan, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Brazil ranked comparatively the lowest. Measures of school location, school type and class size further confirmed the validity of the school ICT readiness subscale. It was expected that the study would enhance our understanding of school and teacher ICT readiness across countries with the application of an alternative alignment optimization approach in examining ICT related scales.

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, students with and without disabilities (n = 816) in general and special education settings in Grades 9 through 12 were participants in a quasi-experimental design to examine the main effects of an online curriculum intervention with transition-related content on career readiness. Setting and teacher characteristics were examined for moderating effects. Results showed a main effect across settings (general and special education, self-contained, resource rooms) as well as differentiating effects based on teacher fidelity and the number of lessons taught. Implications are discussed with regard to the need for further examination of these contextual factors in high schools so all students, with and without disabilities, are provided career readiness opportunities.

While peer mentor programs for students with disabilities in higher education are increasing in prevalence, the research examining the effectiveness of these programs remains limited. In this study, the effect of one college peer mentoring program on academic performance at a small, private four-year university was examined. The sample was drawn from all students registered with the Office of Disability Services (n = 287), some of whom participated in a peer mentoring intervention as well as a comparison group comprised of non-participants. In light of the observational nature of the data, propensity score weighting and matching were used to adjust for possible confounding variables and to explore robustness to different methodological approaches. Logistic and linear regression methods were used to examine the effect of peer mentoring on academic probation status and grade point average (GPA), respectively, while incorporating propensity score-based adjustments. There were no significant differences between the intervention and comparison groups for either outcome; however, intervention group students had a statistically significantly higher number of accommodations available to them. The study illustrates that extant data, when used in conjunction with appropriate statistical adjustments, is a viable alternative to randomized studies. Implications for higher education researchers and practitioners are discussed, including suggestions to collect various types of non-academic data (e.g., satisfaction, well-being, self-determination surveys) as well as examine structural factors of the program (e.g., mentor-mentee relationships, mentor training) in order to better understand the possible benefits of peer mentor programs and the need for collaborative partnerships between disability services, student affairs, researchers, and institutional research staff.

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.

This study explores the psychometric properties of "Self-Determination Inventory: Student Report" (SDI:SR) in students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and without disabilities in China. The paper-and-pencil version of SDI:SR Chinese Translation (SDI:SR Chinese) was used to explore self-determination across students with IDD (n = 245) and students without disabilities (n = 315) from 16 schools across six cities in China. We examined the factor structure of the measure, conducted analysis of measurement invariance, and compared the latent means across students with IDD and without disabilities. Findings suggest that the data fit a one-factor model better than a three-factor model. We found greater variability in self-determination among students with IDD than students without disabilities. However, the two groups did not differ in latent means.

This secondary analysis examined the impact of respondent-level factors on scores on the Supports Intensity Scale-Adult Version (SIS-A) to determine if there were patterns of differences in SIS-A scores based on the number of respondents and the pairings of respondents that were included in SIS-A interviews. Results indicated that having fewer respondents led to a greater variability in SIS-A scores whereas having more respondents led to higher mean, overall support need scores. When respondents included an adult with intellectual disability (ID) the mean score was significantly lower. However, there were complex influences of pairing an adult with ID with either a professional or family member on SIS-A scores. Implications for administering and using the SIS-A are discussed.

Information technology (IT) literacy skills are increasingly important for all adolescents to learn, as the majority of post-school pursuits will require at least some amount of computer skills. For adolescents with disabilities, this urgency is perhaps more pronounced, as this subpopulation typically experiences more dismal post-school outcomes than their peers without disabilities. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the "Envision Information Technology Literacy" (EITL) scale based on pretest and posttest responses of students with and without disabilities (N = 150). Findings show promising validity and reliability of the EITL scale. Implications for practice are discussed with regard to uses in high school career courses and as an age-appropriate transition assessment.

This study investigates the impact of an online transition curriculum embedded with literacy strategies on reading outcomes for secondary students in grades 9-12 across two states. The quasi-experimental pretest/posttest design had a sample of 338 students with and without disabilities and utilized the "AIMS Web Maze Test for 8th Grade Reading Prompts" to measure gain scores in reading comprehension. Multilevel linear modeling methods were used to examine the effects of the curriculum intervention on students nested within teachers. Findings show that while both groups increased in reading, the intervention group made larger gains that were statistically significant and corresponded to a large effect size. These results emphasize the importance of embedding reading comprehension strategies within transition services.

This article analyzes the reliability and factor structure of the Self-Determination Inventory: Adult Report (SDI:AR) in adults with and without intellectual disability. There is a critical need for contemporary assessment tools given the emphasis on self-determination outcomes in disability supports and services. The findings suggest that the same set of items can be used across adults with and without intellectual disability. However, there are significant differences in overall self-determination across adults with and without intellectual disability, with adults with intellectual disability scoring lower on the SDI:AR. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

In this study (n = 5037) we further investigated the construct validity of the Georgia Brief School Climate Inventory (GBS). Despite containing ordinal items (e.g., ordered-responses), the GBS has only been examined using linear approaches. To fill this void, we employed confirmatory item factor analysis (IFA) to examine the factor structure because the observed data are polytomous. Using response data from adolescents with (n = 784) and without (n = 4253) disabilities in urban and suburban high schools, we tested for measurement invariance by estimating a series of multiple-group IFA models and examined the relationship between school climate and academic achievement. The study findings promote the use of non-linear methods for analyzing ordered response data and further support the importance of prioritizing students with disabilities in school climate studies.

The Self-Determination Inventory: Student Report (SDI: SR) was developed to measure the self-determination of adolescents and was recently validated for students aged 13-22 with and without disabilities across diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds. The SDI: SR is aligned Causal Agency Theory and its theoretical conceptualizations of self-determined action. The validation of the SDI: SR was undertaken in two forms--online, computer-based and paper-and-pencil. The present study examined overall self-determination scores of student participants (with and without disabilities) who took the SDI: SR via the online and paper-and-pencil format to inform future research and practice using the SDI: SR. Findings suggest that the same set of items can be utilized across administration formats, but that there appear to be differences in overall SDI: SR scores when online and paper-and-pencil formats are utilized although these differences are not influenced by disability status. Implications for future research and practice are discussed to provide direction to the field related to assessment development and use of the SDI: SR in educational contexts.

This study compared five common multilevel software packages via Monte Carlo simulation: HLM 7, M"plus" 7.4, R (lme4 V1.1-12), Stata 14.1, and SAS 9.4 to determine how the programs differ in estimation accuracy and speed, as well as convergence, when modeling multiple randomly varying slopes of different magnitudes. Simulated data included population variance estimates, which were zero or near zero for two of the five random slopes. Generally, when yielding admissible solutions, all five software packages produced comparable and reasonably unbiased parameter estimates. However, noticeable differences among the five packages arose in terms of speed, convergence rates, and the production of standard errors for random effects, especially when the variances of these effects were zero in the population. The results of this study suggest that applied researchers should carefully consider which random effects they wish to include in their models. In addition, nonconvergence rates vary across packages, and models that fail to converge in one package may converge in another.

Nonacademic skills related to college and career readiness (CCR) have become more prevalent in the literature as proposed conceptual models and frameworks, yet little empirical research exists in their support. We employed latent variable modeling to empirically test a previously proposed six-domain framework of CCR for adolescents with and without disabilities. Results support four specific factors of CCR: Academic Engagement, Critical Learning Processes, Mind-Set, and Transition Knowledge. Using a bifactor model, we confirmed one general factor (CCR) and one specific factor (Transition Knowledge), established measurement invariance on the basis of disability, and found latent mean differences between these groups; students without disabilities had greater overall CCR and transition knowledge. Findings support the use of a CCR measurement model with two potential factor scores in future research and practice and may inform efforts to measure CCR nonacademic skills.

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]

In this preregistered study, we confirmed a transition-planning construct and determined its relationship with an established economic-hardship construct using parent- and youth-reported data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 and following established quality indicators of preregistered secondary data analyses studies. Transition planning was made up of seven items relevant to individualized education program (IEP) meeting participation. We examined measurement invariance on the basis of disability category and race/ethnicity as well as the intersection of these student characteristics in order to make unbiased group comparisons on key latent parameters. Contrary to our hypotheses, there was no meaningful correlation between transition planning and economic hardship. Moreover, we were unable to establish measurement invariance of transition planning because the item "youth's role in IEP meeting" functioned differently on the basis of disability category. Implications for practice are discussed regarding how decisions about IEP meeting participation are made, by whom and why, and whether evidence-based practices are effectively disseminated. Future research should ensure adequate sampling plans for national survey attempts in order to conduct an in-depth examination based on intersectional student characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the results of a follow-up analysis of 779 students with disabilities who participated in group-randomized, control group studies designed to examine the efficacy of self-determination interventions in secondary school to examine the relationship between self-determination status when exiting high school and adult outcomes 1 and 2 years post-high school. Findings suggest that self-determination status upon exiting high school predicts positive outcomes in the domains of achieving employment and community access 1 year post-school, and that exposure to self-determination interventions in secondary school may lead to more stability in student outcomes over time. The complexity of the relationship between self-determination intervention and outcomes is discussed, as are recommendations for future research and practice.