School transitions: A qualitative study of the supports provided by Washington state special education administrators

This study investigated the role of special education administrators in the transition planning process for children with disabilities ages 3-21 in selected Washington school districts. A basic qualitative study was selected to construct meaning from a described phenomenon. The study sought to identify and explain how special education administrators supported the transition process for students with disabilities in public school environments. There were a total of four participants in this study: two special education directors and two special education coordinators. There were a total of three Washington state school districts out of the eight that agreed to participate. The interviews focused on three main areas: knowledge of transition planning requirements and best practices; barriers that exist in each school setting; and recommendations for strategies with positive impact in the each school setting. The results were filtered by the framework of human growth development. Implications from the data collected from this study on the supports and strategies accessed by special education administrators to effectively support transitions of children with disabilities indicate that these key leaders need a strong background in special education and a deep knowledge of disability characteristics. Additional major findings from the study were that a focus on social skill development based upon the structure of human growth development was a critical component of effective transition programs for children with disabilities. By focusing efforts on developmentally appropriate social skill development in the curriculum and collaborating with stakeholders, special education administrators can immediately begin the positive impact on the successful transition of students with disabilities. The results of this study can be utilized by leaders in special education programs to make recommendations for improvement strategies for developing effective transition programs for young children and adolescents.