摘要 53% American Secondary School Special Educators' Interagency Collaboration and Transition Practices

Jen-Yi Li, Jen-Yi Li
2014 unpublished
This study applied structural equation modeling to investigate perceived level of involvement in transition services among secondary school special educators, in relation to their perceptions of interagency collaboration, as well as special educators' personal and school characteristics. Fifty-three percent of recipients who responded to the survey were special education teachers and transition coordinators/specialists in the United States. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used
more » ... to refine and validate the measurement scales applied. The evidence of reliability and validity of four measurement scales were provided first, followed by an analysis of structural relationships among four latent constructs. Results of the study distinguished the effects of personal characteristics of secondary special educators from the effects of school characteristics and educators' perceptions of interagency collaboration. Personal characteristics of secondary school special educators are the key to educators' perceptions of interagency collaboration and their transition involvement, and also 43 overshadow the relationships among other factors in the model. Secondary school special educators with higher levels of professional preparation perceive a greater importance in interagency collaboration, and are more likely to be involved in interagency collaboration activities in their transition practices. Accordingly, the author of this paper provides suggestions for teacher training and preparation as well as recommendations for future studies. Introduction The field of special education in America has adopted the term "transition" to specifically refer to a changing process for students with disabilities from secondary to post-secondary lives. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has since 1990 mandated the provision of transition services and described the transition outcomes for students with disabilities, including community and independent living, further education, employment and instruction, and mandatory linkage with vocational rehabilitation and other adult service agencies. Adjustments to the world beyond secondary school, students with disabilities need structured planning and substantial support to help them prepare needed skills. The planning process should be focused on the future, delivered consistently by both transition and school staff, and tracked and monitored in relation to the goals for positive-school results. Transition services, then, indicate a series of various dimensions and activities and increase the emphasis on post-school results.
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