Transition Plans in Special Education - Essay Example

Transition Plans in Special Education Jennifer Redford Brandman EDUU 688 Transition plans in special education: Do school districts practice student-centered collaboration in the student transition planning process? Annotated bibliography Article 1: Michaels, C. and Ferrara, D. (2005). Promoting post-school success for all: The role of collaboration in person-centered transition planning. Journal of Education and Psychological Consultation. (16.4): 278-313. DOI: 10.1207/s1532768Xjepc1604_4 The authors aimed at evaluating person-centered-planning and its effects on collaboration and transition planning. They achieved this through review of existing literature on “the role of collaboration in transition planning, promoting self determination, and person-centered planning” (Michaels and Ferrara, 2005, p. 288) and identified a gap in collaboration between parents and students and a variation between reported and actual levels of collaboration. Importance of collaboration, self determination, person-specific planning, and empirical studies for effective transition planning are explored with recommendations for empirical studies on collaboration based person-centered planning for planning and implementation of transition process (Michaels and Ferrara, 2005). The article is explorative of its objectives and its reliance on external sources and scope as a peer-reviewed article identifies its credibility and reliability to inform a new study. Its theme is also consistent with my topic on transition plans in special education and this makes it a suitable source for developing background information into my study (Michaels and Ferrara, 2005). Article 2: Thoma, C., Baker, S. and Saddler, S. (2002). Self-determination in teacher education. Emerald and Special Education. (23.2): 82-89. The article is based on an empirical study towards a model for improving transition planning for students with disability. The authors note that while self-determination concept is recommended for effective transition plans, students are seldom involved in meetings for developing transition plans. The students’ interest that would facilitate development and implementation of transition plans is therefore not captured and teachers’ failure to include instruction on self-determination in their course materials is a factor. Barely 50% of the study’s participants reported inclusion of instruction on self-determination in their lectures and they regarded importance of the instructions (Thoma, Baker and Saddler, 2002). The study’s small sample size threatens reliability of its results but its empirical approach and reliance on other author’s knowledge resolves this weakness and develops its validity. It also relates to my proposed study and will therefore offer significant background hypothesis for development of problem statement and research questions (Thoma, Baker and Saddler, 2002). Article 3: Trach, J. (2012). Degree of collaboration for successful transition outcomes. Journal of Rehabilitation. (78.2): 39-48. Trach identifies inefficiency in definition of collaboration, its associated activities, and its impacts. This inefficiency limits the scope of collaboration and transitions in life. He, however, identifies the need for transition that targets lives outside high school environments and the role of collaboration in the transition. Empirical studies however offer a strategy to understanding the knowledge gap on collaboration and transition and professionals such as transition officers and rehabilitation counselors are important data sources. Using research tools and models, the author explains that theoretical frameworks can be developed on collaboration and transition. Legal and cultural changes for a wider scoped transition are core to the interest in collaboration and transition that still report inefficiencies. The author focuses on the scope of transition and collaboration, conceptual framework of collaboration, lack of application of the collaboration concept and the need for an empirical approach facilitating collaboration into transition (Trach, 2012). Many resources inform the article and this establishes its reliability and validity. It is also retrieved from a reliable source and the author’s affiliation to an academic institution confirms reliability of the content that offers a basis for my topic of transition plans (Trach, 2012). Article 4 Kellems, R. & Morningstar, M. (2010). Tips for transition. Teaching exceptional children, (43.2), 60-68. Kellems and Morningstar highlight some of the essential tips necessary during the transition planning phase for students with disability. The due recognizes that preparing for the future of students before they actually graduate from high school is essential for securing the future of the students and building their self-esteem and determination to accomplish their life goals. To further their cause and highlight the essential benefits of transition planning, Kellems and Morningstar have highlighted some of the scientific research findings on students during their post-secondary lives. Most of the disabled students are disadvantage in job appointments, financial planning and independence and post-secondary education opportunities. The only way to increase their chance of leading a meaningful and viable life is to follow the indicated steps during the planning process for post-secondary transition. Hamblet, C. (2014). Nine strategies to improve college transition planning for students with disabilities. Teaching exceptional students, (46.3), 53-59. College education for students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is filled with a number of challenges that affects their ability to finish in time or even finish at all. This can only be changed if students are prepared for the actual transition through involvement in the programs aimed at improving their personal abilities. Hamblet (2014) highlights the changes that have occurred in the special education system since laws were enacted to protect the rights of the students with disabilities and to ensure their personal development after secondary education. Adopting a transition plan that is centered on the desires and needs of the student’s results into the elimination of the disability focused and deficit driven transitional planning. Such a plan is thus based on an individual’s abilities and desires for the actual process and transition and driven by the inner self determination. Hamblet also highlights the benefits of developing a district wide transition program that involves the adoption of strategies that are harmonized for schools within and involving all the stakeholders in the sector. Li, J., Bassett, D. & Hutchinson, S. (2009). Secondary special educators’ transition involvement. Journal of intellectual and developmental disability, (34.2), 163-172. The successful implementation of special education planning requires the use of different professionals and individuals within the education sector with special abilities and responsibilities. Such professionals have the ability to facilitate the successful change of learners from school to post school lives. Li et al (2009) highlights the role of special educators in the successful implementation of transitional plans for students with disability. This result into a situation where the transition plans adopted by the institution reflects the desires of the professionals and what they think is best for the students. This can never be similar to what the students themselves and their parents may deem fit thus resulting into a crisis and conflict of interest. Involvement of all the facilitators and professionals will form a group of professionals with the required abilities and skills to handle the different challenges arising from students with disabilities. The adoption of collaborative transition planning for students with disability has a number of benefits and advantages especially to the students who acquires an increased self-esteem and desire to chart own destiny. Teachers play an essential role in the improvement of student’s personal abilities and motivation in life and this is even more critical in students with disability Lomdardi, A., Doren, B., Gau, J. & Lindstrom, E. (2013). The influence of instructional settings in reading and math on post-secondary participation. Journal of disability policy studies, (24.3), 170-180. DOI: 10.1177/1044207312468766 Despite the lack of information of least restrictive environmental provisions of individuals with disability education act, the law highlights the importance of transition planning for students in such an environment. Through collaboration, new roads are forged that allow the professionals to meet and understand the special needs of the students and their families and to enable them develop a more comprehensive and informed plan for the students before they graduate from high school. Post-secondary participation in transition planning for students with disabilities prepares the students for the rigors of life after school and increases their personal abilities to overcome the challenges. In this paper, Lambordi et al (2013) examined the instructional settings used in English and mathematics among secondary school students with disability. From this survey, it was noted that students with disability are less likely to participate in two to four year programs if they are not actually prepared for the same. Daviso, A., Denney, S., Baer, R. & Flexer, R. (2011). Transition services for students with learning disabilities. American secondary education, (39.2), 77-93. Denny et al (2011) participated in the Ohio Longitudinal Transition Study for students with learning disabilities to identify the benefits of transition planning. The areas for study for students in secondary schools determined their post-secondary goals and the areas they desired to pursue. This highlighted the benefit of ensuring that the students are adequately involved in all the process to enable the professionals overseeing the transition to understand the individual goals of the students. Most students with disability have been shown to lack any proper idea about their future plans and most resort to familial support whenever they are developing plans for their future. This demonstrates the lapse in the development of student centered transitional plan in the district schools and the extent by which it has affected the personal development of students with disability. A collaboration plan that has incorporated the parents, the students, the professionals and other facilitators creates a powerful system that has the ability to produce viable results as compared to lack of involvement. Better collaboration thus leads to better outcomes according to a number of research article published but this can only be achieved if a vehicle that brings all the stakeholders together is developed. Students with disabilities according to this study benefit more from transition planning as it not only exposes them to rigors of afterschool life but also makes them chose the directions of their lives. Hagner, D., Kurtz, A., Cloutier, H., Arakelian, C., Brucker, D. & May, J. (2012). Focus on autism and other developmental disabilities. Focus on autism and other developmental disabilities, (27.1), 42-50. DOI: 10.1177/1088357611430841 The enactment of the individual with disabilities education act in 1990 set the foundation for transition planning for students with disabilities. This created an environment that allowed for the preparation of students for their future educational and life goals despite the inequalities available in the job market. In Hagner et al (2012), transition planning should be family centered and straightforward, a process which is readily implementable and involves the involvement of all the stakeholders involved. This result into a situation where the policies and approaches adopted are not student centered as they were actually not represented in the meetings. Most students and their parents are also not well equipped to understand the services and supports that they need as special cases and this affects their ability to participate in the processes with success. This will assist in the identification of the weaknesses of the students and the desires of the family after secondary education. Hetherington, S., Jones, L., Johnson, K., Nolan, K. & Smith, E. (2010). The lived experiences of adolescents with disabilities and their parents in transition planning. Focus on autism and other developmental disabilities, (25.3), 163-172. DOI: 10.1177/1088357610373760 The number of adolescents with disability has increased tremendously and this increases the need for planning their future through the adoption of transition planning approaches. Hetherington et al (2010) conducted a research that provided insightful information on the processes of transition planning and policy formulation for the stakeholders. The perception of the adolescents and their parents about a number of things that affect their lives is an essential consideration in the transition planning process. The education system, the schools and the teachers tasked with initiating and monitoring the transition plan has been accused of being bureaucratic and adopting a system that does not favor families who may demand personalized approaches in transition. The development of a mutual understanding among individuals involved in planning for transition is necessary for the efforts to succeed. This understanding involves the understanding of the roles and responsibility of each and every individual including the students and parents involved in the process of planning for the post school life for students with disability. Such information can however only be attained if the students and their parents are involved in the actual transition planning to enable the factoring in of their wishes and perception of their future. References Michaels, C. and Ferrara, D. (2005). Promoting post-school success for all: The role of collaboration in person-centered transition planning. Journal of Education and Psychological Consultation. (16.4): 278-313. DOI: 10.1207/s1532768Xjepc1604_4 Thoma, C., Baker, S. and Saddler, S. (2002). Self-determination in teacher education. Emerald and Special Education. (23.2): 82-89. Trach, J. (2012). Degree of collaboration for successful transition outcomes. Journal of Rehabilitation. (78.2): 39-48. Hetherington, S., Jones, L., Johnson, K., Nolan, K. & Smith, E. (2010). The lived experiences of adolescents with disabilities and their parents in transition planning. Focus on autism and other developmental disabilities, (25.3), 163-172. DOI: 10.1177/1088357610373760 Hagner, D., Kurtz, A., Cloutier, H., Arakelian, C., Brucker, D. & May, J. (2012). Focus on autism and other developmental disabilities. Focus on autism and other developmental disabilities, (27.1), 42-50. DOI: 10.1177/1088357611430841 Daviso, A., Denney, S., Baer, R. & Flexer, R. (2011). Transition services for students with learning disabilities. American secondary education, (39.2), 77-93. Lomdardi, A., Doren, B., Gau, J. & Lindstrom, E. (2013). The influence of instructional settings in reading and math on post-secondary participation. Journal of disability policy studies, (24.3), 170-180. DOI: 10.1177/1044207312468766 Li, J., Bassett, D. & Hutchinson, S. (2009). Secondary special educators’ transition involvement. Journal of intellectual and developmental disability, (34.2), 163-172. Hamblet, C. (2014). Nine strategies to improve college transition planning for students with disabilities. Teaching exceptional students, (46.3), 53-59. Kellems, R. & Morningstar, M. (2010). Tips for transition. Teaching exceptional children, (43.2), 60-68. Read More