Date of Award

6-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Education

First Advisor

Tonya Thompson

Second Advisor

Sherrie Wisdom

Third Advisor

Ronda Cypret-Mahhach

Abstract

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) experienced significantly lower postsecondary outcomes when compared to same-aged peers. These outcomes included lower graduation rates, higher unemployment rates, and difficulty establishing independent living arrangements (Wagner & Newman, 2015). Following a human-centered, design-based approach, the scholar-practitioner found a lack of consistent and meaningful transition support specifically designed for students with EBD. Working with a stakeholder team of educational professionals directly involved in supporting transition for students with EBD at an alternative special education program, the scholar-practitioner developed a "Transition Toolkit". The toolkit contained scaffolded grade-level checklists (for grades 6–12) with self-advocacy and goal-setting prompts. These components were designed to shift transition planning from a compliance-driven process to a continuous, individualized process. A total of five special education teachers utilized the toolkit weekly for an eight-week period. A pre- and post-implementation survey was completed to assess teachers' perceptions of students’ transition readiness, self-advocacy skills, and self-determination skills. Additionally, the five teacher participants attended a post-implementation focus group to gain further insight into the toolkit intervention's usability and outcomes. The results showed a statistically significant increase in teacher confidence in supporting transition after using the toolkit. Teachers also reported statistically significant improvements in student self-advocacy and self-determination skills. Teachers' perceptions of students’ readiness to transition showed a positive change; however, the increase did not reach statistical significance. Additionally, qualitative results of the focus group found the toolkit improved the structure and consistency of transition planning. While the findings were mostly positive, the study encountered several challenges. Time constraints, inconsistent attendance, and low family engagement were identified as limitations of the study. Ultimately, the study found relationship-building and strengths-based interventions led to improved outcomes for students with EBD, rather than standard procedural compliance. The scholar-practitioner discussed future recommendations to improve accessibility and address systemic barriers to family engagement.

Research Highlights

  • The Problem: Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) experience disproportionately poor postsecondary outcomes—including low graduation rates, elevated unemployment, and challenges with independent living—often compounded by compliance-driven, fragmented transition planning.

  • The Method: Utilizing a five-phase design thinking framework and the Burke-Litwin Change Model within an alternative special education program (Horizon Ridge School in Cedar Ridge School District, Missouri), the researcher developed and evaluated a scaffolded 6th–12th grade "Transition Toolkit" implemented by five certified special education teachers across an eight-week intervention period using pre- and post-intervention Likert surveys and a qualitative focus group.

  • Quantitative Finding: Paired-samples t-tests demonstrated statistically significant increases in teacher confidence supporting transition readiness (M = 2.0 to M = 4.6, t(4) = 10.61, p < .001), teacher perceptions of student self-advocacy (M = 1.6 to M = 2.6, t(4) = 3.16, p < .05), and teacher perceptions of student self-determination (M = 1.2 to M = 2.4, t(4) = 3.21, p < .05); perceived overall student transition readiness (M = 1.6 to M = 2.2, t(4) = 1.50, p > .05) and postsecondary skill readiness (M = 1.8 to M = 2.2, t(4) = 1.63, p > .05) increased but did not achieve statistical significance.

  • Qualitative Finding: Thematic analysis indicated that the toolkit established structured consistency for weekly check-ins, increased student awareness of postsecondary vocational pathways, and shifted teacher-student interactions from behavioral discipline toward collaborative problem-solving; primary implementation limitations included instructional time constraints, student attendance instability, behavioral crises, and systemic barriers to family engagement.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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