Three Essays on How Students with Disabilities Experience the Transition from Secondary to Postsecondary Life

Abstract

Paper 1. Existing research shows that participation in secondary CTE can improve transition outcomes for SWD (Baer et al., 2003; Harvey, 2002; Lee et al., 2016; Plasman, 2019; Wagner et al., 2017). While ample research connects CTE with improved employment opportunities, research linking CTE to college-going is thin (Cellini, 2006; Gottfried & Bozick, 2016; Plasman et al., 2017). Further, while existing work on the impact of CTE on adult outcomes focuses on SWD in general, less is known about the effect of CTE completion on students in specific disability categories (Baer, Daviso, Flexer, et al., 2011; Lombardi et al., 2018; Mazzotti et al., 2013; Test et al., 2009; Theobald, Goldhaber, et al., 2019; Trainor et al., 2020). Thus, Paper 1 uses quantitative methods to determine the association between CTE and employment and postsecondary enrollment for students across multiple disability categories. To further stratify disability type, we use additional Individualized Education Program (IEP) elements (number of special services and level of inclusion in general education) as controls in our model. Paper 2. Disability diagnosis plays a critical role in defining identity and life quality (Cadwgan, & Goodwin, 2018). Still, we know little about how students and their parents experience their disability diagnosis (Ash et al., 2020; Dale et al., 2006; Gillman et. al, 2000; Kenyon et al., 2006, 2014; Roulstone, 2015; Ruggero et al., 2012). Currently, existing literature categorizes the diagnosis experience as either positive or negative and predominantly focuses on the experiences of parents. In response, Paper 2 uses generalized inductive methodology and critical realist methodology to support a more nuanced inquiry into disability diagnosis. I identify six typologies of disability diagnosis: (1) the Missed Diagnosis, (2) the Misdiagnosis, (3) the Unwelcomed Diagnosis, (4) the Welcomed diagnosis, (5) the Unsurprising Diagnosis, and (6) the Surprising Diagnosis. Paper 2 centers findings on the experiences of disabled students and their parents to understand the ever-complex and context-specific nature of learning about one’s disability. Paper 3. Parents’ involvement and high expectations are established as hallmarks of transition services; both are repeatedly linked to enhanced outcomes for SWD in the areas of high school graduation, employment, and PSE enrollment (Doren et al., 2012; Mazzotti et al., 2016; Papay & Bambara, 2014; Test et al., 2009; Wagner et al., 2014). Yet, limited involvement in IEP meetings, inaccessible information, and negative teacher attitudes often lead to exclusion of parents/guardians during transition planning (Hirano et al., 2018; Miller-Warren, 2016; Wilt & Morningstar, 2018). Like their parents, SWD frequently cite minimal engagement with their postsecondary transition planning process (Hetherington et al., 2010). As a result, existing research shows that parents and SWD experience feelings of ambivalence, stress, and anxiety during the transition planning process. Still, little is known about how this transition planning context impacts dynamics in the parent-child relationship and vice versa (Van Hees et al., 2018). In response, Paper 3 uses phenomenology to prioritize and privilege the self-told stories of students with disabilities and their parents to explore the lived postsecondary transition planning experience. Collectively, these papers aim to enhance our understanding of how disabled students and their parents experience secondary special education and the impact postsecondary transition planning has on the development of self and postsecondary success.