The Job Coaching Academy for Transition Educators: A Preliminary Evaluation

Abstract

There is a growing urgency to equip transition-age students with intellectual and developmental disabilities for competitive, integrated employment. Prior research demonstrates the positive effects of job coaching, yet no known training exists for educators to learn how to provide appropriate employment-related supports to promote student independence and social integration. We conducted a stratified quasi-experimental design to evaluate the efficacy and social validity of a professional development pilot program for 46 transition educators across three school districts. Our findings indicate the Job Coaching Academy contributed to increased feelings of self-efficacy related to job coaching and modest growth in educators’ coaching behaviors. We share implications for practice and research in expanding targeted training opportunities for transition educators.

Special Educator Knowledge and Perspectives About Inclusive Postsecondary Education Programs

“…Educators who reported formal coursework or training addressing college options for students with IDD were more knowledgeable about the full range of postsecondary options and expressed higher postsecondary expectations of their students with IDD. This affirms findings from prior research that links transition-focused professional development and educator knowledge, self-efficacy, capacity, and instructional practices (e.g., Erickson et al, 2012; Gilson et al, 2021).…”

“…Special educators who participated in professional development (vs. those who did not participate) were more likely to feel prepared to plan and deliver transition services, and they implemented transition practices with more frequency. In another study evaluating the impact of a job coaching training for secondary special education teachers and paraprofessionals, educators reported the benefits of a targeted transition training, including increased self-efficacy in their responsibilities as well as an increase in the independence and social skills of their students (Gilson et al, 2021).…”

Employment outcomes and support needs of Michigan Project SEARCH graduates with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A mixed-method study

“…As an additional component of follow-along and retention support, participants' positive or negative appraisals of job coaches are critical for graduates' successful adjustment and retention at work (Cheng et al, 2018;McInnes et al, 2010;Parsons et al, 2001). Despite the importance of job coach support, especially during the initial period of employment, job coaches rarely receive meaningful training or support for providing vocational skills instructions and effective support to students with disabilities (Gilson et al, 2021;Rogan & Held, 1999). In response to such emerging needs for well-trained job coaches, job coach training programs have recently been developed and evaluated (Brock et al, 2016;Gilson et al, 2021;Wenzel et al, 2022) and they have shown positive outcomes of job coaches' skills to teach vocational tasks to students with disabilities.…”

MADE 2 FADE: A Practical Strategy for Empowering Independence for Students With Disabilities

“…Fading in response to data ensures the students have adequately grasped the material and that they can apply what they learned. This can be monitored through a hierarchy of reducing supports related to prompting, proximity, and presence (Gilson et al, 2021).…”