TAKE CHARGE for the Future: A Controlled Field-Test of a Model to Promote Student Involvement in Transition Planning

Abstract

This study investigated the efficacy of an intervention model to promote student involvement in transition planning. The intervention included the coaching of youths in the application of student-directed planning skills to achieve transition goals, peer-based mentorship and parent support, and in-service education for school transition staff. An independent groups, repeated measures design was used to evaluate the impact of the intervention with 43 youth who experienced diverse disabilities. Results indicated that students in the treatment group demonstrated significant increases in their involvement in transition planning activities, empowerment, transition awareness, and level of participation in transition planning meetings compared with youths in the wait-list or control group. Implications of these findings are discussed and the need for additional research emphasized.It is clear that adolescents and young adults with disabilities experience major barriers to employment, post-secondary education, and independent at Freie Universitaet Berlin on May 15, 2015 cde.sagepub.com Downloaded from

The Impact of Teaching Self-Determination Skills on the On-Task and Off-Task Behaviors of Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

“…Thus, the disparity in numbers of participants with LD and EBD may limit the findings of the current review, especially since six (50%) of the studies did not disaggregate results by disability (Hoffman & Field, 1995;Lancaster et al, 2002;Martin et al, 2003;Powers et al, 2001;Wehmeyer & Lawrence, 1995;. However, one group study did compare disability group differences for students with Learning Disabilities (LD), Intellectual Disabilities (ID) and EBD.…”

“…The lack of promoting vocational training is disappointing considering that research indicates that vocational training is a positive motivator for keeping students with EBD in school and a strong indicator of positive life experiences for this population (Carter, Lane, Pierson, & Glaeser, 2006;. Increasingly, researchers have cited the importance of self-determination and active student involvement in IEP or transition planning meetings (Arndt, Konrad, & Test, 2006;Powers, Turner, Westwood, Matuszewski, Wilson, & Phillips, 2001;Wehmeyer & Lawrence, 1995) as key components to successful adult outcomes for students with disabilities, including EBD. However, research also suggests that students with EBD tend to experience lower levels of selfdetermination and face inadequate preparation in this important skill area .…”

“…The remaining five (41%) quantitative studies used both experimental and quasi-experimental group designs. One group study (Powers et al, 2001) used an experimental random assignment treatment and control group design and provided group equivalency data. One study used a non-randomized treatment and control quasi-experimental group design (Hoffman & Field, 1995).…”

“…Six (50%) studies reported participant race/ethnicity. Of those reported, over half of the participants were Caucasian, as shown in Figure 1 Benitez et al, 2005;Konrad & Test, 2007;Lancaster et al, 2002;Powers et al, 2001;Wehmeyer & Lawrence, 1995). Unfortunately, studies that did report ethnicity did not disaggregate results based on ethnicity, which makes it difficult to generalize results.…”

Student Engagement and Leadership of the Transition Planning Process

“…L. E. Powers et al (2001) determined the effectiveness of the Take Charge for the Future lessons to increase students' involvement in transition planning activities and actual participation in transition planning meetings. Allen, Smith, Test, Flowers, and Wood (2001) taught a modified version of the Self-Directed IEP (Martin, Marshall, Maxson, & Jerman, 1996) lesson package and significantly increased the IEP participation skills of students with moderate intellectual disabilities.…”