Effective Transition Services for Students with Disabilities: Examining the Roles of Building Principals and School Counselors.

As educators prepare secondary students for post-graduate experiences, students with disabilities are often exposed to fewer opportunities that prepare them to be responsible and productive members of society. Building level administrators and school counselors are vital members in assuring that students with disabilities are included in as many post-secondary opportunities as their non-disabled peers. A collaborative effort between students, parents, teachers, counselors, and principals must occur in order to provide students with disabilities effective transition services that will allow them to become contributing members of the community. Effective Transition Services 3 Effective Transition Services for Students With Disabilities: Examining the Roles of Building Principals and School Counselors Transition is a natural part of life that we all experience at some point in time. This may be experienced when we are transitioning from pre-school to kindergarten, middle school to high school, or from work to graduate school. Transition for students with disabilities is not always described as a smooth process. In fact many students with disabilities and their families experience difficulty when accessing necessary transition services (Johnson, Stodden, Emanuel, Luecking, & Mack, 2002). Recent literature and research have not intertwined the elements of administration, school counselor, special education, and transition services for students with disabilities. This position paper will attempt to explore some of the educational obstacles and administrative barriers that prevent secondary students and families from receiving effective transition services. Also, the roles of building principals and school counselors are examined as necessary team members to provide effective transition planning, coordination of services, and access to services. Current educational structures view special education as a separate entity from the general education curriculum and instruction (McLaughlin & Nolet, 2004). Historically, special education programs have been offered in isolated and segregated settings and received little or no administrative support (Pierangelo & Giuliani, 2004). Even the special education departments were housed in separate locations from the general education staff. More recently, there has been a move toward site-based management that encourages the participation and collaboration of the building Effective Transition Services 4 principal, school counselor, special education administrator, and general and special educators (Weishaar & Borsa, 2001). During the years of 1985 to 1993, the National Longitudinal Transition Survey (NLTS) was funded by Congress to assess the postsecondary outcomes and related transition services of special education students. In this study, a random sample of 8,000 special education students from various states, socioeconomic levels, school settings, and disability categories were surveyed (Blackorby & Wagner, 1996). The following NLTS data give a brief description of the outcomes for postsecondary students with disabilities: 1. High school dropout rates range from 28 to 48%, compared to 25% for nondisabled students. 2. 23% access postsecondary education, compared to 52% non-disabled students. 3. 16% of these students entering college receive a degree, compared to 27% of their non-disabled peers. 4. There is a 57% employment rate for students with disabilities after two years of graduation, compared to 73% for non-disabled students. 5. Almost 30% of all persons with disabilities who work earn below poverty level wages. As described in the above data, secondary students with disabilities do not fare as well as their non-disabled peers in maintaining and sustaining postsecondary employment and education. In a study conducted by DeStafano and Wagner (1991), it was discovered that students with disabilities who graduate from high school experience poor adjustments in the areas of friendships, community access, ability to live independently from their parents, and accessing postsecondary environments. There are implications for all stakeholders, especially principals, school counselors, and Effective Transition Services 5 general and special educators when providing effective transition services for students with disabilities. Research Synthesis Rationale for Transition Planning and Promising Practices The widespread concern over quality-of–life outcomes resulted in a legal mandate for transition planning and service provision in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1990. This legislation required that public schools develop a “statement of needed transition services” for students with individualized education programs (IEPs) age 16 or older, or younger if appropriate (IDEA Amendments of 1990, 20 U.S.C. §1401). The IDEA was amended in 1997 to include an additional “statement of transition needs” that was designed to support a student’s high school course of study (e.g., career and technical education or advanced academics) (IDEA Amendments of 1997, 20 U.S.C.§ 1414). In the context of IDEA, the term “transition services” means a coordinated set of activities for a student with a disability that includes the following essential elements that: (a) consider a student’s needs, (b) are designed within an outcome-oriented process, (c) include a coordinated set of activities, and (d) promote movement from school to post school life (20 U.S.C. § 1401 [30]). Transition plans should identify roles and responsibilities of the school and agencies that will be assisting with transition services. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004 focuses on a results-oriented process that is designed to improve the academic and functional achievement of students with disabilities. According to Wagner, Cameto, and Newman, (2003), the basic requirement for transition planning is being met and at least 90 percent of secondary students are Effective Transition Services 6 receiving transition services. However, the resulting transition practices need to be examined to determine which have more promise for providing quality transition services. Transition services for students with disabilities are based on the student’s individual needs. This is a collaborative process that involves the active participation of parents, students, community organizations, agencies, institutions of higher education, and school professionals such as special and general education teachers, school counselors, and administrators (Walther-Thomas, Korinek, McLaughlin, & Williams, 2000). These needs are determined by the participants in the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process and outlined in the student’s IEP. Based on the definition of transition services, a coordinated set of activities includes a series of steps. According to the Training and Technical Assistance Center, School of Education, College of William and Mary, there are five steps involved in transition planning: (a) identify the student’s desired post-secondary outcomes; (b) identify the student’s present levels of educational performance; (c) design statements of transition service needs; (d) write the actual transition services plan; and (e) the IEP team constructs annual goals and objectives/benchmarks. Throughout this process the building administrator and school counselor play an important role in working with special educators to monitor the implementation of each student’s transition plan. The counselor’s training and expertise in career development and academic planning will definitely come into play during this time of need. An additional practice with promise for supporting the transition process is family involvement and participation. Research supports a strong family involvement to ensure Effective Transition Services 7 the success of the transition process. Repetto and Correa (1996) asserted that the involvement of families throughout their child’s life further promotes the positive impact of a seamless transition model. Aspects of this model include preparing families and students for self-determination and service coordination, locating service centers in the community, providing access to family and student support groups, and overseeing service delivery through community interagency cooperative councils. Implications for Counselors Secondary school counselors have a unique position when working with students who require transition planning. The services (i.e., career assessment, conflict mediation, identifying strengths and limitations, course planning, community resources, and college planning) that school counselors provide to general education students are just as beneficial to students with disabilities (McEachern, 2003). However, Clark (1996) identifies 11 types of assessment that counselors can use to support transition planning: achievement, adaptive behavior, aptitude, communication, functional capacity, learning styles, manual dexterity, occupational interest, personality/social skills, prevocational/ employability, and transition/community adjustment. Numerous tests and assessment measures are available commercially for each of these assessment areas. In addition, given the cultural and linguistic diversity represented in the special education population, counselors also need to develop a level of cultural competence in order to respond appropriately to the needs of students and families. Clark recommends a transition assessment approach that is not only culture/language fair, but also culture/language enhanced. Effective Transition Services 8 Another significant implication for school counselors is administrative support and improved understanding of the professional role of the school counselor in serving students with disabilities. In a conducted by Fitch, Newby, Ballestro, and Marshall (2001), perceptions of the counselor’s role as seen by future school administrators in 43 states a