What Principals Need to Know and Be Able to Do to Support Effective Secondary Transition Programming
Open AccessDespite decades of research, practice, legislative efforts, and policy implementation in the field of secondary transition, students with disabilities are still less likely to enroll in postsecondary education or training, secure competitive employment, and live independently than their nondisabled peers. This disparity in postsecondary outcomes between youth with and without disabilities exists, at least in part, due to the persistent challenges associated with the delivery of effective secondary transition programming.Based on the standards outlined in the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders 2015 (PSEL 2015) (NPBEA, 2015), vital components of secondary transition programming fall directly within school principals’ roles and responsibilities. Although the field of secondary transition has long recognized school-based administrators as vital stakeholders in program implementation, research into what educational leaders need to know and be able to do to support effective secondary transition in their schools was limited and lacking in both breadth and depth. A qualitative study was used to explore the research question: What should school principals know and be able to do in order to ensure the development and implementation of effective secondary transition programming at their schools? Nineteen experts in secondary transition programming currently working in the field at a school, local education authority (LEA), or state education authority (SEA) completed an online survey. Findings from this study point to six key actions that principals can take to support the development and implement of effective secondary transition programming in their schools: (1) make secondary transition a priority when allocating school-based resources; (2) recognize, respect, develop and leverage and secondary transition staff expertise; (3) incorporate a coherent system of secondary transition curriculum, instruction, assessment and student support services into the school’s structure; (4) create a positive school culture that supports family engagement in the secondary transition process; (5) actively support community engagement and interagency collaboration for students with disabilities; and (6) include a vision of effective secondary transition programming in their school’s educational mission as a means of articulating and advocating for an inclusive school culture with high expectations for all students.
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