This manuscript describes the results of a research study conducted in tWo Western states, investigating special educator knoWledge and use of various transition assessment strategies. Eighty-four special educators responded to a survey on transition assessment that asked questions about What they kneW about transition assessment strategies and Which ones they used. Assessments Were divided into three main categories: standardized, informal, and alternative. Questions Were also asked about student roles in the transition assessment process and the use of various self-determination assessment and curricula packages. Although most educators indicated that they Were aWare of all types of assessment strategies, they still relied heavily on those that Were either standardized or teacher-prepared. The results of the study indicated that special educators did not use transition assessment strategies that had been demonstrated to support student self-determination in the process (i.e., person-centered planning, student-led meetings, and self-determination curriculum-based instruments). More Work is needed to ensure that teachers have access to, and knoW hoW to use, these strategies in their classrooms.
Universal design for transition (UDT) refers to an approach to instructional planning, delivery, and assessment that bridges the gap between teaching academic and functional/transition goals. It builds upon the principals of universal design for learning (UDL) assuring that instructional practices are designed to meet the needs of diverse learners through the use of multiple means of engagement, expression, and representation. UDT assures that instruction includes multiple transition domains, multiple transition assessment, multiple resources/perspectives and student self-determination to support academic achievement and the transition to adult life. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of a UDT approach to instructional design and delivery had the results predicted when used in a high school social studies class. A single subject multiple-treatment design was used to determine the impact of each instructional approach. Quantitative data was gathered through observation and survey of 6 students at the secondary-education level. The findings indicated that students with disabilities were more interested and engaged and had better academic achievement when a UDT approach was used compared to the other two approaches. Implications for UDT being an effective evidence-based approach to instruction and assessment, as well as future research on UDT are presented.
Although best practices recommend that transition plans from school to adult life for students with disabilities be developed based on student preferences and interests, evidence from student transition planning meetings has demonstrated that students are not involved in or even present for many of these meetings. One hypothesis for this occurrence was that teacher preparation programs had not included instruction in this area for the majority of special educators. Results of a survey of faculty members at institutions of higher education supported this hypothesis. The authors developed a course on transition planning that uses best-practice recommendations from teacher preparation literature to ensure that special educators obtain the skills, knowledge, and dispositions necessary to support the development of self-determination skills in the students they teach.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.