Through quantitative and qualitative methods this study examined the transition planning process in Virginia's Henrico County Public School Division for secondary students with learning disabilities in an effort to determine the extent to which postsecondary outcomes identified in their transition plans were achieved. Specific objectives of the study were (a) to determine the congruence between written objectives in exiting students' transition plans and identified recommended practices in the literature, (b) to determine the congruence between the transition plans developed for students with learning disabilities and their postsecondary outcomes, (c) to determine the extent to which identified recommended practices in students' transition plans were implemented, and (d) to identify facilitating and inhibiting factors to the transition planning process from the students' perspectives. Findings showed congruence greater than 50% between only three of the eight identified recommended practices in the literature and students' transition plans: parent/family involvement, development of self-advocacy/self-understanding skills, and participation in academic skills training. Considerably less congruence was evident for each of the remaining five practices. Interagency collaboration was not identified in any of the transition plans. Information gathered to determine the congruence between the transition plans developed for students with learning disabilities and their postsecondary outcomes showed the employment outcome area as having the greatest degree of congruence and the education outcome area as being less than 50%. Data collected to determine the extent to which recommended practices were implemented revealed vocational training, parent/family involvement, and paid work experience had been implemented 100% while the remaining practices were found to be implemented to a much lesser degree. Facilitating and inhibiting factors to the transition process as reported by participants revealed practices found in the literature as well as those not identified in the literature. Academic skills training emerged as a dominant facilitating factor. The lack of this training was cited most frequently as an inhibiting factor. In addition, teacher attitude was reported frequently as an inhibiting factor.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:wm.edu/oai:scholarworks.wm.edu:etd-1550 |
| Date | 01 January 2001 |
| Creators | Sabel, Donna Marie |
| Publisher | W&M ScholarWorks |
| Source Sets | William and Mary |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects |
| Rights | © The Author |
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