Date of Award

6-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Education

First Advisor

Sherrie Wisdom

Second Advisor

Ronda Cypret-Mahach

Third Advisor

Bob Steffes

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 experience significantly lower postsecondary outcomes compared to same-aged peers, including lower graduation rates, higher unemployment rates, and difficulty establishing independent living arrangements. The scholar-practitioner identified a lack of consistent and meaningful transition support specifically designed for students with these disorders.

  • The Method: The study applied a human-centered, design-based mixed methods approach within an alternative special education program. Five special education teachers utilized a "Transition Toolkit" containing scaffolded grade-level checklists for an eight-week period. Data was collected using pre- and post-implementation surveys to assess teacher perceptions, alongside a post-implementation educator focus group.

  • Quantitative Finding: Educator confidence in supporting transition readiness demonstrated a statistically significant increase of t(4)=10.61 and p<.001; teachers reported statistically significant improvements in student self-advocacy at t(4)=3.16 and p<.05 alongside self-determination skills at t(4)=3.21 and $p<.05; teachers' perceptions of students' overall transition readiness increased from a pre-test mean of 1.6 to a post-test mean of 2.2, but the change did not reach statistical significance.

  • Qualitative Finding: Focus group results demonstrated the toolkit improved the structure and consistency of transition planning; relationship-building and strengths-based interventions led to improved outcomes for students with emotional and behavioral disorders rather than standard procedural compliance; the study identified time constraints, inconsistent attendance, and low family engagement as substantial implementation limitations.

Creative Commons License

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

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