Despite completing Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, Students with Disabilities (SWD) are less likely than their nondisabled peers to secure middle-skill employment related to their training. This discrepancy is due to insufficient support and interagency collaboration to help overcome transitional barriers and build relevant work…

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience difficulty with transitioning to competitive integrated employment following high school. Addressing this disparity in transitioning to competitive integrated employment can be supported through a high school transition program with community-based work experiences for…

This three-article dissertation analyzes the question of how to best prepare students transitioning from secondary education to post-secondary life. The first article examines the theories of self-determination, the self-advocacy skills needed for its success, and how the two relate to students with learning disabilities. The second article…

Although "the compilation of lists of best practices accelerated", significant resources have been allocated, and federal mandates requiring transition special education services for students with disabilities have been in place now for over three decades, post school outcomes for students with disabilities have still not improved…

Traditional high schools do not prepare students with disabilities to transition to employment after graduation as successfully as they prepare their peers without disabilities. Work experience can be a meaningful part of the transition process, though finding work placements in rural areas can be difficult. This qualitative study examined what…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the experiences of two community college interim presidents, their characteristics, and how they led institutions following an abrupt presidential departure. There were two fundamental questions framing this research study, 1. How do two interim community college presidents lead…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 requires school systems to plan systematically for the transition from school to post-secondary education and/or employment and include measurable post-school goals in students' IEPs. Schools are required to coordinate activities, such as work experiences, to assist students in meeting their…

Youth with disabilities face significant barriers in achieving positive post-high school outcomes, particularly when transitioning out of high school and entering the workforce, a problem that has been documented and studied by many researchers. The impact of previous work experience has long been viewed as related to positive outcomes when youth…