This qualitative narrative inquiry aimed to learn about the experiences associated with adapting to post-secondary life when students graduate from high school with work-related skills. A narrative inquiry was used to interview graduates who participated in a work-based learning program while attending a public high school in the coastal Northeast…

College education plays a crucial role in upward social mobility. However, despite applying to and being accepted by colleges, students often fail to matriculate -- a phenomenon known as "summer melt". The summer after high school graduation is a vulnerable period for these students due to limited counseling support from both high…

Non-degree postsecondary programs are often seen as complements to, rather than substitutes for, other postsecondary credentials. However, many of these programs could serve as entry points into high-wage, stable careers for students right out of high school. Increasing and equalizing participation in high-quality non-degree postsecondary programs…

The following dissertation study will evaluate how, if at all, does participation in the La Comunidad de Latnios (LCL) small group improve the perceptions and high school experiences with regards to post-secondary options for Latino students. Focus groups were evaluated and discussed, and recurring themes were considered to understand how Latino…

Navigating school can be tough, especially if you're neurodivergent. Sensory overload, confusing social situations, misdiagnoses, and the stress of masking it all can leave you feeling lost and misunderstood. But it doesn't have to be this way--this guide is here to help! Written by an autistic person who's been there, Gracie Barlow has lots of…

Education improvement has become a national imperative. Low graduation rates, standardized test failures, and overall success rates falling significantly behind in global competition have forced the dialogue towards alternatives to public education (Stewart, 2012). As the United States continues to trail other countries in educational success, it…

In the United States, individuals with disabilities experience much higher rates of unemployment compared to non-disabled individuals. When an individual with a disability is unemployed, they are unlikely to achieve independence, which can lead to a lower quality of life. The Ohio Youth Leadership Forum (OYLF) is a program that was created to…

This is a brief overview of the complete findings shared in the Annual Report of the Cohort 3 TPSID Model Demonstration Projects (Year 2, 2021-2022). Information is provided about the TPSID (Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disability) projects including program characteristics, student characteristics,…

The present study investigated the perceptions of K-12 related service professionals and higher education disability service professionals about the need for postsecondary transition planning and strategies for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Twenty-two female participants participated in the study. The K-12 participants are…

Transitioning from high school to the real world is a difficult issue for students with disabilities. Special education students may get lost not knowing what their future holds. Special education teachers are most times challenged in the process of linking transition plans to academic Individual education plan(IEP) goals. The problem addressed by…

Previous research has identified "UPGRADE Your Performance" as a method for teaching employment soft skills to students with disabilities. "UPGRADE Your Performance" instruction is a multicomponent intervention including self-evaluation, self-graphing, goal setting, and technology-aided instruction. This pilot study…

Since 2019, the world has irrevocably changed, and public education is not exempt. The pandemic and related political, social, economic, and technological developments have indelibly changed the K-12 landscape. Over the past five years, the Canopy Project has documented innovations in K-12 education, uncovering how schools are addressing systemic…

In this article we describe the Books 2 Basketball (B2B) program created by a school counselor for Black youth along with some preliminary outcomes examined after its implementation. This program was not evaluated for effectiveness but to determine if the program was feasible and to share feedback from some of the participants. The B2B program is…

This study explores the perceptions of academic and labor market adaptation among graduates with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), in comparison to neurotypical counterparts. Contrary to the expected significant differences attributed to the unique challenges associated with ASD, the findings did not indicate major disparities in…

Think College Reports present descriptive data in narrative and tabular form to provide timely information to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers for review and use. This report provides an overview of descriptive program- and student-level data provided by Cohort 3 TPSIDs (Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with…