Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Transition from school'

A feature ofthe education system in the United Kingdom is the transfer of children, at approximately age of 11, from a smaller primary school to a larger secondary school. Evidence suggests this transition is an important time in a child's life and whilst many children make a smooth transition, some find this change very difficult. This thesis reviews the literature regarding parental influence on the transition from primary school to secondary school. Research has identified tha,t parental involvement in a child's education can have a considerable effect on a child's academic and psychological adjustment. However, during transition, when children typically have to manage a number of competing demands, parental involvement generally declines substantially. To contextualise and facilitate an understanding ofthe factors which effect parental involvement during transition, th~ review aisp considered the influence oftransition on adolescent adjustment and parental influence on adolescent adjustment. The experimental paper explored the long term effects oftransition on adolescent adjustment by investigating how pre transition levels of cognitive ability, levels of psychopathology and emotional intelligence have an effect on transition. Pre transition (year 6) pupils comple.ted measures ofcognitive ability, emotional intelligence and psychopathology. Post transition (year 7 and year 8) pupils completed measures ofemotional intelligence, psychopathology and answered questions abouttransition. The results demonstrated low self concept and/or high anxiety scores were significant predictors ofa negative report oftransition. Furthermore, a higher score on one measure ofemotional intelligence proved a significant predictor ofa positivereport oftransition.

The purpose of this study is to identify critical elements that impact the transition of students who return from an alternative program back into their high school. In order to address the purpose of this study the following research questions have been investigated: a. What are the critical elements that are reported as having impacted students' success or failure in making the transition from an alternative program back into high school? b. What types of intervention strategies occur when students return to high school from alternative programs? c. How are students returning from alternative programs achieving in terms of their grades, attendance and behavior? In this study students and parents, along with administrators, counselors and teachers, share their understandings about the value of interactions and interventions. Their descriptions will help explain why some students achieve success and why some experience failure when they return to high school from an alternative setting.<br>Ed. D.

<p> The focus of this qualitative study was to explore the parental experience of raising an undocumented child, particularly during the transition from high school. The sample consisted of 11 parents. Parents reported several negative feelings, including <i>impotencia</i>, guilt, fear, worry, and frustration. Many stated that their undocumented children's challenges increased as they entered high school. These challenges included school trips, driving without a license, and planning for further education. Coping methods for parents included hope, faith and spirituality, and seeking information about educational and immigration options. Parents spoke of instilling in their children a drive to not give up despite the barriers ahead of them. Several mentioned that their undocumented children's experiences inspired their other children to succeed. The results suggest that social workers should provide information and counseling to these families and should advocate for policy changes to help this vulnerable population.</p>

Some first-generation and low-income students enrolled in an Upward Bound (UB) program in a university in the southeastern United States are not prepared to transition from high school to college; therefore, they may need additional guidance, support, resources, and tools to help them with the process. For this reason, precollege programs such as the UB program were designed to prepare first-generation, low-income students for transitioning from high school to college. The purpose of this bounded qualitative case study was to describe first-generation, low-income students' perspectives of the UB program. The conceptual framework for this case study was Tinto's student integration model. Purposeful sampling was used to select 7 UB graduates who were enrolled in the program for at least 2 years. Opened-ended interview questions were used to gather data for open coding and axial coding data analysis process. The results of this study were used to develop an UB Report which described UB gradates' perspectives of the program. Included in the report are the findings, which revealed that UB graduates identified benefits (motivation, social exposure, and student experiences) and resources (services and guest speakers) as major components of the program that contributed to their transition from high school to college. Reporting the perspectives of UB graduates will help UB directors and secondary and postsecondary administrators better understand how the UB program positively affects first-generation, low-income students' successful transition from high school to college.

Much of the literature on the transition of young people from school was undertaken at a time when employment opportunities for young people were quantitively and qualititavely different from the 1980's. This thesis uses data collected in a longitudinal study in order to examine the youth transition in the 1980's. The young people whose experiences are studied, follow various post-sixteen routes. Not all the young people in this study have direct personal experience of unemployment, yet high levels of youth unemployment in a local labour market are shown to have far reaching consequences. On an empirical level, this thesis makes a number of contributions to sociological and social-psychological knowledge of the transitional period. It examines the relationship between schooling and the local labour market, paying particular attention to the development of occupational aspirations. It looks at the development of work attitudes and shows how young people may develop "image maintenance" strategies in order to maintain their aspirations in the face of adversity. On a theoretical level, the thesis enhances sociological understanding by using an experiencial dimension to bridge the gap between the structural approaches which are often neglectful of the effects of human action and interpretive approaches which are sometimes guilty of neglecting the very real constraints on action. In doing so, it goes some way towards bringing together theoretical traditions which have long been seen as irreconcilable.

A study has been carried out at the University of Edinburgh in order to examine how physics students’ abilities and attitudes towards study change during their time at university. This is a large topic with numerous possible avenues of research, as a result the field has been narrowed for this thesis in order to focus on three main subject areas; how students adapt during the transition from school to university, how students attitudes towards studying physics change during an undergraduate degree and, finally, student data handling skills in the undergraduate laboratory with links to whether student perceptions of their data handling skills are consistent with their ability. It has been found that students may face difficulties going from school to university study. Students potentially face gaps in their prior learning due to differences in school leaving qualification syllabi, which is compounded by instructors having expectations of student ability that are higher than student actual ability. It has been seen that students become less positive in their attitudes towards study over the course of their first year of instruction, potentially due to a drop in confidence. In the subject area of attitudes towards study, longitudinal studies have been carried out in order to examine the expert-like thinking of students. Results gathered are suggestive of a selection effect with the most expert-like thinkers possessing levels of expert thinking similar to those of physics instructors, even when initially entering the degree program. Investigation of student laboratory work has shown that there is a large gap between student estimations of their own ability and the reality of such skills. This has been demonstrated by contrasting the results of surveys examining student perceptions towards practical work with data gathered from a data handling diagnostic test that has been designed and implemented as part of this thesis.

Greater centralised control over teacher education across the United Kingdom over the past twenty years or so, driven by neo-liberal managerialist approaches to education in general and the ‘standards’ agenda in particular, has led to a discourse of competence-based preparation for teaching. The locus of all teacher education in Scotland has moved from ‘colleges of education’ and become firmly situated within university faculties or schools of education; achieving the Standard for Initial Teacher Education is inextricably linked with an undergraduate degree or post-graduate qualification. Thus school teachers who make the move into teacher education must enter the different world of Higher Education. This professional doctoral thesis had the aim of identifying key issues in the transition of teachers from a school setting to working as teacher educators in a university Faculty of Education and investigates the experiences of a group of educators, including the author, who moved from teaching posts in schools or local authorities into teacher education in a single Scottish faculty of education within a year of each other. Through examining the narrations of their transition into the world of Higher Education, gathered after approximately three years in post, issues of professional identity and its construction, conceptualisations of learning and teaching in HE, and factors relating to induction and ongoing professional development for those entering the new work context are identified. Some of the particular moral and ethical considerations in relation to ‘insider research’ are highlighted throughout the thesis, and there is reflection on the process of the research itself, with significant analysis and justification of the narrative approach used in the project. While the experiences of the participants mirrored those of new teacher educators in England and Wales, the small-scale nature of this project allowed a closer look to be taken at some of the individual factors which impact both on transition into HE and on the development of professional identity of educators. Comparisons are drawn between political and professional factors impacting on teacher educators in Scotland and England. In addition, issues relating to the development of research cultures in relatively new faculties of education have been identified. The stories told by the participants reveal some interesting and important issues. They suggest that the teachers were surprised by the extent to which the culture of Higher Education is different from schools; this leads to some initial, unexpected, difficulties in the new post. On the other hand, however, they demonstrate that most did not feel that their role as ‘teacher’ had significantly changed with the move into Higher Education (HE), and expressed professional identities did not tend to be located in HE. Issues relating to the structure of the faculty are identified as being relevant to this. In addition, it is suggested that the role of ‘university teacher’, taken on by most participants, is an important factor in limiting the sense of movement into a different context. Some of the narrations revealed a strong sense of hierarchy amongst the different educational sectors. Also evident is the fragile nature of teacher confidence which, it is suggested, is due to a significant extent to the way in which teachers’ lives and work are organised, both within institutional structures and also in relation to society’s changing perspectives on the teaching profession. Importantly, this research identifies that connection to individual disciplines seems to be fundamental to the professional identities of participants, both before and after the move to Higher Education. Most took on roles located in particular curricular areas and tended to have little engagement with issues relating to ‘education’ or to teacher education as subjects in themselves. It is argued that this is likely to sustain the gap between the theory and practice of education in the minds of both staff and students. In addition, it is suggested that, when new teacher educators enter particular ‘communities of practice’ (Wenger, 1998) linked to disciplinary ‘tribes’ (Becher & Trowler, 2001), assumptions, implicit theories and recurrent practices relating to learning and teaching within specific disciplines may not be identified or critiqued beyond each particular group. These findings lead to the conclusion that in addition to extending their knowledge of learning and teaching into the context of HE on transition, teacher educators should have opportunities during induction and in ongoing professional development to reflect on and develop their understanding of the pedagogy, discourse and philosophy of teacher education, and the discipline of education itself.

This study examines via questionnaire and interview data, various aspects of the transition from school to work experienced by young people in the Durham Coalfield during the 1980s. The aspects covered are those of education and careers guidance, unemployment, occupational choice, experience of work and its financial rewards, trade unionism, changes in family and leisure patterns, migration and certain political issues relating to youth unemployment. Analysis of data from prospective school leavers and young workers relating to these areas form the bulk of the study, but the context(s) foranalysis are also of crucial importance. Data are analysed within two related contexts. The first is that of the history of the Coalfield - its economy and culture, class structure, sexual divisions and internal spatial variations. Particular attention is given to the decline of an economy based on coal and steel, and the rise of a 'branch plant' economy where factory employment suffers from considerable instability. The recent collapse of the youth 1 abour market and its progressive replacement by state sponsored schemes provide the immediate context for the study. A second concern is to relate study of the transition to three major debates with industrial sociology, namely those relating toorientations to work, to labour market divisions and the issue of a 'dual labour market', and to the arrival of a 'post-industrial' society. Throughout, a critique is offered of empiricist and reductionist accounts of the transition and an attempt is made to provide a more adequate analysis based on concerns with structure, consciousness andaction as catalogued in the testimony of prospective school leavers and young workers. It is also argued that the exchange of labour-power provides a crucial element in the framework for understanding the transition.

Transitions from one life stage to the next are considered to be a normal part of every person's life. Transitions have been described as important landmarks in the educational career of youth, as successful transitions prepare them for adult life. When youth with disabilities leave school, the transition to post school does not occur naturally. Research has found that youth with intellectual disabilities and their families find the transition from school to post school to be challenging. In South Africa, Education White Paper 6 on special needs represents the country's plan for addressing shortcomings in the education system. There is still very little information available on the preparation of intellectually disabled youth for their post school future in the South African context. Consequently, parents of intellectually disabled youth face tremendous challenges when their child reaches this transition age. This study aimed to describe parents' experience of the transition of their intellectually disabled youth from special school to post school in the West Coast. A qualitative descriptive study using in-depth interviews was conducted with five parents of youth with intellectual disability. Inductive analysis of the transcripts yielded two themes and six categories. Theme one, "It really hit us hard" had three categories: "feeling uncertain and confused", "managing without peer support" and "mixed feelings". Theme two, "Parental adjustment to post transition life" had three categories: "setting up a routine", "negotiating everyday occupations" and "accessing resources and a support system". The research found that the meanings parents attribute to their experience of transition are significantly influenced by their personal responses and coping strategies in the context they find themselves in during the transition period.

The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate the transition from middle level education to high school, focusing on the 8th to 9th grade transition into a four-year high school. The experimental hypotheses were designed to answer the following questions: (1) What are the transitional effects on the early adolescent self-image? (2) What is the impact of age upon transition? (3) What information can be gained relative to intensity and duration of transition effects? (4) How can the information gained be used to ease the transition from middle level education to a four-year high school? The research design included the spring population of students from two 6-8 grade configuration middle level schools (School 1 and School 2) who will attend a 9-12 senior high school in the fall. A questionnaire composed of seven self-image measures was administered two weeks prior to the end of the 1984/85 school year, three days into the 1985/86 school year, and three days prior to the end of the first quarter of the 1985/86 school year. The findings of this study indicate that the null hypotheses are not supported in their entirety by each of the seven dimensions of self-image. Transition effects, as reported by Occasion 1 and Occasion 2 data, yielded an unexpected decrease in perceptions of victimization, and an expected increase in feelings of anonymity. School 1 revealed no visible effects to self-esteem by the transition, with School 2 reporting an increase in self-esteem 3 days into the transition. For impact of age upon transition, this age group of early adolescents (13 or 14 years old) did not report a decrease in self-esteem or an overwhelming feeling of victimization. Transition effects for the 13 or 14 year old were minimal. Analysis of data from the third administration of the POS would indicate the self-esteem of the population was not negatively effected by the transition. Based on this study, there were decreased perceptions of victimization, and increased perceptions of anonymity by 13 or 14 year olds in transition from the 8th to 9th grade.

The transition from primary to secondary school is a very important but potentially difficult time for all children. However, theory and statistics at local and national levels indicate that for children who are 'Looked After' this transition is likely to be particularly challenging, although there appears to be little current published literature on the subject. The present study aimed to find out the key factors that support children Looked After through this transition, as perceived by the main stakeholders: children Looked After who had recently gone through, or were about to go through the transition; their carers; their teachers; and other professionals involved in supporting them. This qualitative study took place within a semi-rural borough in Wales. Data were gathered in two parts, using semi-structured interviews. These were analysed using thematic analysis and within this, framework analysis. Analysis of the results indicates that a range of factors are perceived as supporting or hindering the transition, including within-child factors, supports within children's immediate environments, the way those supporting children work together, and wider systemic factors. Four key principles emerged from the results. Support for children in public care going through the transition from primary to secondary school should: 1. be holistic; 2. be individualised; 3. seek to minimise children's differences; and 4. have an emphasis on information sharing and planning. These principles, along with a series of recommended actions, may be used to inform tailored transition packages to support children in this vulnerable group through transition.

Students with ASD may experience challenges in school; however, literature suggests that they should still have access to public education with appropriate services and supports (Burge, Ouellette-Kuntz, Hutchinson & Box, 2008; Levy & Perry, 2008; Mesibov & Shea, 1996; Odom, 2000; Porter, 2008). The purpose of the current study was to examine the views and perceptions of those involved in the transition of students with ASD from IBI to school in Northern Ontario. Using a mixed-methods approach, members of multiple transition teams were asked to complete The Transition Beliefs Inventory (Levy & Perry, 2008) and the Transition Practices Questionnaire (Levy & Perry, 2008) to assess their transition beliefs and experiences. The results of this study suggest that the transition is occurring as outlined by the North region Autism Intervention Program (AIP) and the Connections for Students model and could be used to inform continuous improvement of service and practices.

Researchers have shown the importance of effective transition services for students with learning disabilities entering college. Few studies, however, have explored the perceptions of students with learning disabilities going through the transition process while pursuing postsecondary options. To address that gap, this study analyzed how students with learning disabilities perceive the effectiveness of their secondary transition services and preparedness for college. The conceptual framework was based on Rogers's theories of learning, which suggest learning includes feelings and emotions as well as cognitive development. Education should promote the type of learning that leads to this personal growth and development. A phenomenological approach was chosen, and a research protocol was developed for the participants. Nine students with learning disabilities who completed at least 1 year of college were interviewed about their perceptions of the effectiveness of their secondary transition services and their perceptions of their preparedness for college. These interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. The data was hand coded, analyzed, and organized to discover emerging themes. The data revealed the majority of the participants had not perceived their transition plans and services to have prepared them for college. The participants' role was minimal in their individualized education program meetings and in the development of their transition plans. The implication for positive social change is to develop the resources required for school districts, administrators, and teachers to better prepare postsecondary students with learning disabilities for the rigors of higher education.

This thesis draws on the experiences of 21 young people transitioning from a special school for students with labels of moderate learning difficulty, to further education college. Taking a disability studies approach, that is, viewing disability as a social and political response to human diversity, I examine some social processes through which student identity and agency meanings may be negotiated during transition. Times of change offer circumstances of opportunity in which new identity and agency meanings may be improvised and tested in various forms. Some students found emergent ways to subvert and transgress expectations, given the different labels applied to them. Transition, with its focus on future change, offers limbic moments which appear to support situations for such opportunistic transgression. Of particular interest are the environments and circumstances that support or promote broadening of identity and agency options, because an understanding of these may enable the engineering of such situations. Whilst the students were transitioning to college, my own researcher subjectivities and understandings of ‘knowledge’ were also in flux. I describe the considerable influence these changes had on the research processes and my understandings of identity and agency. I propose that identity and agency meanings, whilst fluid and ever-changing, are linked with particular people and situated in particular social sites. With this in mind, and as a provocation to new ways of thinking I discuss foundation level further education as an ethical project, envisaging circumstances that may support and promote broader, more positive opportunities for identity and agency negotiations amongst young people with labels of learning disability. In this context, further education is re-imagined as an opportunity for potential empowerment, repositioning learning disabled students as agents of social change.

This research project investigates first year mathematics students' transition from school to university mathematics. I focussed my attention on the messages that students receive from their lecturers during the teaching and learning of mathematics at this level. By decomposing each transmitted message into the underlying structures of power and control that it carries I investigated in what ways these affect students' adjustment to the new context. In order to examine students' interactions with the messages I took into account their previous experiences while working with mathematics. The results of the study reveal a direct influence of the degree of power and control of the transmitted messages on students' adjustment. This influence is highly dependent on students' interpretations of the messages which are mediated through their identities as mathematics learners. With this work I approached the secondary-tertiary transition as a multifaceted process which accounts for the development of students' identities as mathematics learners while they interact with the transmitted messages and try to position themselves in the new context.

Workers whose credentials and skills do not meet or exceed the required competencies for their jobs have been of interest to scholars investigating the transition from school to jobs. To understand how such mismatch arises in the transitional period, some scholars emphasize that the labor market cannot keep up with the pace of educational expansion. Thus, many highly educated workers do not find jobs that fit their schooling and skill level. Others locate the source of mismatch in the inability of education to produce enough workers with the desired skill levels in the labor market. By focusing on this mismatch, this dissertation aims to provide a better understanding of the relationship between education and work. In particular, this study examines data covering the past two decades to see how the number of workers with skill and educational mismatch has changed and how educational expansion and transformations in the labor market have contributed to the change. The results indicate that workers with such mismatch have generally increased over the past two decades, but educational expansion has minimally contributed to this change. Rather, it is more likely caused by business cycles or job characteristics. The study also explores how the practices applied to select suitable workers in the hiring process affects workers’ job matching. This study suggests that workers are classified into various types depending on strategies by which employers use to determine workers’ degree of fit. Subsequently, their earnings and job satisfaction vary according to workers’ membership in these types of groups.

Includes bibliographical references.<br>This thesis utilises, in the main, a unique panel survey of youth in Cape Town to gain insights into the functioning of the labour market in relation to transitions from schooling to work for youth. The Cape Area Panel Survey (CAPS) was conducted between 2002 and 2006, a period which coincides with upswing in the South African economy culminating in relatively high economic growth in recent history. The introductory chapters utilise cross-sectional data (Labour Force Survey, 2005) in order to contextualise the panel data analysis that follows in subsequent chapters. A large portion of the South African population is youth. Either this facet of the demography of the country can be converted to a positive social benefit through reaping a demographic dividend or a high price could be paid through carrying a large contingent of unemployed. Indeed, much of the country's social safety net, social returns on investments in education and health and even infrastructure depend on the absorption of youth into a productive place in society. The labour market sits centre stage of all of this. The softest version of the South African dream is that post-apartheid youth cohorts have better opportunities and possibilities than their parents. These intergenerational concerns require the delivery of better education and health care but also the opportunities to use these human capital investments in gainful employment. In the introductory chapter, the perspective taken is to look at the labour market entry situation through the eyes of the youth. What does the employment situation look like to the youth as they consider leaving education to enter the labour market? How does this labour demand picture mesh with their individual, household and community contexts that they bring into the labour market? Through this interrogation, the chapter teases out a few key barriers to youth labour market participation and employment. The operation of these barriers is then illustrated by looking at the reality of securing employment for South Africa's youth. In particular, the disparities in youth unemployment observed by age, race and gender are investigated in Chapter 2. This is done by using the Labour Force 2005 data (LFS 2005) and applying the residual difference method of decomposing group wage differences (Oaxaca, 1973) to discrete choice models. I find that most of the employment gap by age is explained by individual characteristics. Slightly more than half of the racial employment gap however is unexplained by individual characteristics while an even higher percentage of the gender employment gap is unexplained by individual characteristics. In Chapter 3 the nature and degree of duration dependence in the Cape Town labour market is examined using survival analysis. The CAPS has month-by-month data on job search and employment and is ideal for the duration analysis. I find positive duration dependence and a monotonically increasing hazard of exiting unemployment. Chapter 4 then investigates the extent to which the disadvantage experienced in securing employment translates into disadvantage in wages in the first job. A decomposition analysis of the race and gender wage gaps is also carried out. I find racial and gender wage gaps that are largely unexplained by observable individual characteristics.

A selected group of school superintendents and school board members who had served during the transition from appointed to elected school boards in Virginia from 1992 â 2006 were interviewed to determine their perceptions of the positive and negative effects of the change. Superintendents indicated the transition from appointed to elected school boards had a somewhat negative effect, while school board members said there was no effect. The law providing for the direct election of school board members in Virginia was approved April 1, 1992, and was &sect;22.1-57.1 through &sect;22.1-57.5 of the Code of Virginia (Elected School Boards Act, 1992). Prior to this time no provisions for the election of school boards in the state were set, and school boards were appointed, either by the local governing body (Underwood, 1992) or by a school board selection commission (Code of Virginia, 2009, &sect;22.1-36). The change in governance from appointed to elected school boards is an important phenomenon in Virginia , and the knowledge gained from the study could provide ways to lessen the stress which often exists in superintendent-school board relationships.<br>Ed. D.

This is a longitudinal study of patterns of children's early literacy development with a view to predicting literacy achievement after one year of schooling. The study fits within an emergent/social constructivist theoretical framework that acknowledges a child as an active learner who constructs meaning from signs and symbols in the company of other more experienced language users. Commencing in the final month of preschool, the literacy achievement of 114 young Australian students was mapped throughout Year 1. Data were gathered from measures of literacy achievement with the students, surveys with parents and surveys and checklists with teachers. Cross-time comparisons were possible as data were gathered three times from the students and teachers and twice from parents. Parents' perceptions of their children's personal characteristics, ongoing literacy development and family home literacy practices were examined in relation to children's measures of literacy achievement. Their perceptions were found to be accurate. Parents supported children's literacy growth at home in both the prior-to-school period and throughout Year 1. Teachers reflected on children's characteristics as members of their classes and on their knowledge of children's preparation for literacy. Generally, their predictions of literacy success were based on unsustainable connections with children's ability to concentrate, follow directions and stay on task. Children demonstrated a broad range of understandings about literacy in the prior-to-school period and teachers failed to acknowledge the extent of these. Children's prior-to-school understandings relating to the alphabet, environmental print, concepts about print and phonological awareness all predicted later literacy achievements. Alphabetic knowledge and environment print were found to be the strongest predictors. Results showed few significant school, age, home or gender effects. However, children's prior-to-school understandings of literacy were shown to predict later literacy achievement. Those with the greater level of knowledge prior-to-school generally maintained that advantage when later literacy achievements were measured.

ABSTRACT The importance of addressing and improving the outcomes for Children Looked After (CLA) has been a long standing national priority. Stability, as a key factor in improving outcomes for CLA is recognised in the literature, however this mainly focuses on moves and transitions within care. The transition from primary school to secondary school presents challenges for all pupils. However, a recent review of the literature revealed a very limited body of research exploring the transition from primary to secondary school for CLA, particularly from the perspective of the Designated Teacher (DT). The present exploratory study employed a sequential mixed methods design to address the following questions: 'What are DTs' experiences of supporting the transition from primary school to secondary school?' and, 'to what extent are the views of DTs in phase one, supported by DTs in phase two, regarding their experiences of supporting the transition to secondary school for CLA?' The first phase of the research employed the use of semi -structured interviews to explore DTs experiences of supporting the transition to secondary school for CLA. Qualitative data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA); which revealed four overarching concepts: 'the supportive role of the DT in the transition for CLA'; 'making sense of CL As' needs and experiences at transition'; 'working in a complex system' and, 'the psychological impact of working with CLA'. In phase two of the research, a semantic differential scale questionnaire, using polar adjectives, grounded in the qualitative data was distributed to a wider population of DTs in the same Local Authority (LA). The findings from phase one and two were integrated. Implications of findings across both phases of the research are discussed in relation to existing research and to Psychodynamic and Systemic theories.

Cette thèse portait sur la transition du primaire au secondaire des élèves atteints de troubles du spectre de l’autisme (TSA) en France, dans le contexte du développement de l’inclusion scolaire. L'étude 1 a permis de déterminer les critères d'une transition réussie. Elle a montré que la transition est complexe et touche plusieurs acteurs. L'étude 2 a permis de saisir les représentations sociales d’une transition réussie. Celles-ci sont largement cohérentes entre les gens, qu’ils considèrent ou non un élève atteint de TSA. Néanmoins, des différences subsistent et ont été étudiées plus en détail dans l'étude 3. Cette étude a produit des résultats concernant les expériences et les perceptions des acteurs clés. De plus, elle a permis d’identifier des stratégies pour une transition réussie ainsi que des obstacles. Les résultats des études ont été combinés pour élaborer des recommandations pour une transition primaire-secondaire réussie pour les élèves atteints de TSA. En raison de la complexité de la transition, chaque recommandation doit être adaptée à chaque cas et chaque intervenant. Les mesures existantes ainsi que les nouvelles recommandations sont discutées dans le contexte de l'ambition de parvenir à un système scolaire inclusif<br>This thesis investigated the transition from primary to secondary school of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in France. Study 1 provided criteria for a sucessful transition. It showed that the transition is complex and affects several stakeholders. Study 2 captured the social representations of lay people on a successful transition. These are largely congruent between lay people considering or not a student with ASD. Nevertheless, differences remain and were further investigated in study 3. This study delivered results concerning the experiences and perceptions of concerned stakeholders. Moreover, it identified strategies for a successful transition, as well as barriers. The results of these studies were combined to develop recommendations for a successful primary-secondary transition for students with ASD. Due to the complexity of the transition, every recommendation has to be adapted to each case and stakeholder. Existing measures as well as the new recommendations are discussed in the context of the ambition to achieve an inclusive school system

This study commences with the assumption that action can be taken to lessen the disruption to the mathematical progress of Year 11 students in the Australian Capital Territory senior secondary colleges. If students are to perform their best in mathematics they need their transition from high school to college to be as smooth as possible. Nevertheless, many students change their mathematics enrolment soon after commencing college. The study relies particularly upon The Theory of Reasoned Action to determine whether students have the intention both before and during the transition of performing well in mathematics at college. Although this measure provides a predictor of the intention, it does not necessarily follow that the conditions allow the student to comply with the prediction. Statistical instruments were also used - to determine whether students initially enrol in appropriate courses and whether they perform as well in their first semester at college as in Year 10. A small sample of students was interviewed to elicit whether there was supporting evidence for some conclusions drawn from the results and the literature survey. Analyses of the predictor of intention indicate that during the transition period a very high proportion of students intends to perform well in mathematics at college. Analysis of the components of the measure pinpoints some small differences between high schools. The statistical analyses show that a significant proportion of students completes Semester 1 in mathematics courses other than those of initial enrolment and that performance by the Year 11 students correlates well with Year 10 performance. Discussion centres around actions of intervention and their focus. Parents and guardians are possible recipients of further information since the evidence suggests they are the most influential advisers in the lives of this age group. College teachers are possibly the best current providers of that information, although, high school teachers and careers advisers could take a more prominent role following appropriate training. Recommendations are made concerning the enrolment procedure and the beginning of Year 11 routine. Other conclusions and recommendations concern action by classroom teachers that could ensure more students succeed in the course of initial enrolment, whether they are in the course most suited to their previous performance or are attempting a more difficult course.

Des de diferents disciplines, corrents i tradicions s’ha posat el focus en l’estudi de les actituds i l’engagement de l’alumnat a l’escola, sent de particular interès des de la sociologia de l’educació per comprendre els processos escolars, les desigualtats educatives i les trajectòries de l’alumnat. La present tesi doctoral realitzada en forma de compendi de publicacions aplica un enfocament interseccional amb dades longitudinals per analitzar les actituds i l’engagement de l’alumnat al final de l’Educació Secundària Obligatòria (10è grau). L’objectiu principal és analitzar la relació entre l’engagement escolar de l’alumnat al final de l’Educació Secundària Obligatòria, i les trajectòries educatives post obligatòries que segueixen. Per a això es realitza una revisió la literatura prèvia i a partir dels dades de l’International Study of City Youth (ISCY) es presenta una classificació de les actituds de l’alumnat enfront de l’escola i una proposta més amplia de l’engagement de alumnat a on s’incorpora un element de comparació internacional. A partir d’aquí s’aprofundeix en els factors individuals, antecedents socials i familiars, el context institucional i les pràctiques educatives per comprendre millor el fenomen. Finalment s’analitzen la influència i els canvis en l’engagement i el rendiment acadèmic en la transició de l’educació obligatòria a la post obligatòria. D’aquesta manera, es proporciona una visió dinàmica que no es centra exclusivament en l’abandonament escolar. La tesis incorpora diferents tipus d’anàlisi que permeten aprofundir en els diversos aspectes de l’engagement de l’alumnat. D’una banda, s’aplica una anàlisi SEM de modelització de variables latents per validar l’instrument de mesura de l’engagement. D’altra banda, es realitza una anàlisi multinivell per aprofundir en l’efecte del centre escolar sobre l’engagement de l’alumant. També s’aplica una anàlisi cross-lagged per analitzar l’engagement conductual i el rendiment acadèmic des d’una perspectiva longitudinal. Finalment, s’analitzen entrevistes semiestructurades realitzades a joves que van participar a l’estudi panel del projecte ISCY. A partir d’aquestes entrevistes s’aprofundeix en alguns dels resultats quantitatius aplicant mètodes mixtes. Pel que fa als resultats, les anàlisis mostren que la resistència o les actituds anti-escolars no són exclusives de la classe treballadora, i que els estudiants i les dones d’origen immigrant tenen un major engagement escolar i tenen en major mesura actituds d’adhesió escolar. Malgrat això, les característiques socioeconòmiques i familiars i el rendiment escolar de l’alumnat són més importants que les actituds i l’engagement escolar a l’hora d’explicar els itineraris educatius postobligatoris. D’aquesta manera, les desigualtats socials exerceixen el paper més important a l’hora d’explicar la transició a estudis postobligatoris. Tot i així, el context escolar apareix com un element important i que ha de ser considerat a l’hora d’entendre i treballar l’engagement escolar de l’alumnat. Elements com la participació en activitats no curriculars i el tipus d’escola tenen pes a l’hora d’explicar l’engagement de l’alumnat. Els estudiants de les escoles que no segreguen per grups de nivell i que tenen una alta participació en activitats no curriculars dins de l’escola tenen un major engagement conductual, menor absentisme i menys comportaments disruptius a l’escola. Finalment, els resultats mostren que l’engagement i el rendiment acadèmic tenen efectes diferenciats segons el tipus d’estudis postobligatoris -acadèmics o professionals-. En conclusió, la tesi doctoral contribueix amb un major coneixement específic per aprofundir en el debat sobre la importància de l’engagement de l’alumnat a l’escola i com aquest afecta el rendiment acadèmic i a les trajectòries educatives. Els resultats d’aquesta investigació permeten reflexionar i millorar els mecanismes de prevenció de l’abandonament escolar i d’acompanyament als joves.<br>Desde distintas disciplinas, corrientes y tradiciones se ha puesto el foco en el estudio de las actitudes y el engagement del alumnado hacia la escuela, siendo de particular interés desde la sociología de la educación para comprender los procesos escolares, las desigualdades educativas y las trayectorias del alumnado. La presente tesis doctoral realizada en forma de compendio de publicaciones aplica un enfoque interseccional con datos longitudinales para analizar las actitudes y el engagement del alumnado al final de la educación secundaria obligatoria. El objetivo principal es analizar la relación entre el engagement escolar del alumnado al final de la Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (10º grado) y las trayectorias educativas postobligatorias que siguen. Para ello se realiza una revisión de la literatura previa y a partir de los datos del International Study of City Youth (ISCY) se presenta una clasificación de las actitudes frente a la escuela y una propuesta más amplia del engagement del alumnado donde se incorpora un elemento de comparación internacional. A partir de aquí se profundiza en los factores individuales, antecedentes sociales y familiares, el contexto institucional y las prácticas educativas para comprender mejor el fenómeno. Finalmente, se analizan la influencia y los cambios del engagement y el rendimiento académico en la transición de la educación obligatoria a la post-obligatoria. Proporcionando una visión dinámica que no se centra exclusivamente en el abandono escolar. La disertación incorpora distintos tipos de análisis que permiten profundizar en los diferentes aspectos del engagement del alumnado. Por un lado, se aplica un análisis SEM de modelización de variables latentes para validar el instrumento de engagement. Por otro lado, se realiza un análisis multinivel con el que se profundiza en el efecto del centro escolar sobre el engagement. También se aplica un análisis cross-lagged para analizar el engagement conductual desde una perspectiva longitudinal. Finalmente se analizan entrevistas semiestructuradas realizadas a jóvenes que participaron en el estudio panel del proyecto ISCY. A partir de estas entrevistas se profundiza en algunos de los resultados cuantitativos aplicando métodos mixtos. Respecto a los resultados, los análisis muestran que la resistencia o las actitudes anti-escuela no son exclusivas de la clase trabajadora, y que los estudiantes y las mujeres de origen inmigrante tienen un engagement escolar y desarrollan en mayor medida actitudes de adhesión escolar. A pesar de esto, las variables sociodemográficas y el rendimiento escolar son más importantes que las actitudes y el engagement escolar a la hora de explicar los itinerarios educativos. De este modo, las desigualdades sociales desempeñan el papel más importante a la hora de explicar la transición a estudios postobligatorios. A pesar de esto, el contexto escolar aparece como un elemento importante y que debe ser considerado a la hora de entender y trabajar el engagement del alumnado. Elementos como la participación en actividades no curriculares y el tipo de escuela tienen peso a la hora de explicar el engagement del alumnado. El alumnado en escuelas que no segregan por grupos de nivel y que tienen una alta participación en actividades no curriculares tienen un mayor engagement conductual, menor absentismo y menos comportamientos disruptivos en la escuela. Finalmente, los resultados muestran que el engagement y el rendimiento académico tienen efectos diferenciados dependiendo del tipo de estudios postobligatorios -académicos o profesionales-. En conclusión, la tesis doctoral contribuye con un mayor conocimiento específico para profundizar en el debate sobre la importancia del engagement del alumnado en la escuela y cómo éste afecta al rendimiento académico y a las trayectorias educativas. Los resultados de esta investigación permiten reflexionar y mejorar los mecanismos de prevención del abandono escolar y de acompañamiento a los jóvenes.<br>From different disciplines, currents and traditions, the focus has been on the study of the attitudes and engagement of the students towards school. It has been a subject of particular interest from the sociology of education to understand school processes, educational inequalities and students' trajectories. This doctoral thesis presented as compendium of publications applies an intersectional approach with longitudinal data to analyse the attitudes and engagement of students at the end of compulsory secondary education. The main objective is to analyse the relationship between student engagement at the end of Compulsory Secondary Education (10th grade) and educational pathways followed by students. For this purpose, a review of the previous literature is carried out and, based on the data from the International Study of City Youth (ISCY), a classification of attitudes towards school is presented. As well as a broader proposal of student engagement instrument which incorporates an element of international comparison is presented. From this point onwards, individual factors, social and family background, institutional context and educational practices are examined in greater depth in order to better understand the phenomenon. Finally, the influence and changes of engagement and academic performance in the transition from compulsory to post-compulsory education are analysed; providing a dynamic vision that does not focus exclusively on school drop-out. The dissertation incorporates different types of analysis that allow for an in-depth study of the different aspects of attitudes and students engagement. First, a SEM analysis of modelling of latent variables is applied to validate the measurement instrument of engagement. Second, a multilevel analysis is carried out to analyse the school effect on student's engagement. Third, a cross-lagged analysis is applied to analyse behavioural engagement and school performance from a longitudinal perspective. Last, semi-structured interviews people who participated in the ISCY panel are analysed using mixed methods in order to go deeper into some quantitative results. Regarding the results, the analyses show that resistance or anti-school attitudes are not exclusive to the working-class students, and that migrant students and women are more engaged and have a greater attitude of adhesion towards school. Despite this, socioeconomic and family background and school performance are more important than attitudes and school engagement in explaining educational pathways. Thus, social inequalities play the most important role in explaining the transition to post-compulsory education. Despite this, the school context appears to be an important element that must be considered when it comes to understanding students' engagement. Elements such as the participation in non-curricular activities and the type of school have a weight in explaining student engagement. Students in schools that do not divide students into ability groups and have high participation in non-curricular activities within the school have higher behavioural engagement, lower absenteeism and less disruptive behaviour in the school. Finally, the results show that engagement and academic performance have differentiated effects depending on the post-compulsory educational track - academic or professional. In conclusion, the doctoral thesis contributes with greater specific knowledge to deepen the debate on the importance of student engagement in school and how this affects academic performance and educational trajectories. The results of this research make it possible to reflect on and improve the mechanisms for preventing school dropouts and for accompanying young people.<br>Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Programa de Doctorat en Sociologia

Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Education White Paper 6, implemented in 2001, completed a significant period of policy development and change after the end of Apartheid in South Africa. The change in South African educational policy and the schooling system has given rise to many changes in the governance of special schools; this has further influenced this study. Education White Paper 6 (2001) introduced a comprehensive range of educational support services; schools now include mainstream schools, full-service schools and special schools. These schools offer varying levels of support with the view to minimise barriers to learning. While this research was conducted in a private special school, the parents who participated had all transitioned their child from a mainstream school. This research study attempted to understand parents’ perspectives of transitioning their child from a mainstream school to a special school, focusing in particular on parents whose children were in the Senior Phase of their school career. Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological model was used as the theoretical framework for this study because of the overlapping systems that are interconnected and influence the participants’ lives and the lives of their children. For the research study, the parents were placed in the centre of the model; the other microsystems include the school, family and the child. This study made use of a qualitative case study design and a qualitative methodology which is rooted within an interpretive paradigm. Purposeful sampling was used to select the parents from the selected special school in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, as participants for the study. The study made use of three measures to collect data; a semi-structured interview, a life-line activity, as well as an open-ended questionnaire the parents were asked to complete at home. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data generated by means of the three data collection methods. The findings of this research paper suggest that the transient process at a later stage in the child’s academic career was a difficult experience for the parents who participated in the study. However, as the children gradually adjusted to the change, the parents felt the move had been worth it and had experienced a positive change in their children’s academic achievements. It should also be noted that the parents’ perspectives on special education were not based on the policy documents governing the South African school system and more parental education is needed regarding this area. While the findings of the study cannot be generalised to all schools in South Africa, from this research study recommendations could be made to the special school to assist in ensuring a smoother transition for both the parents and the learner.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Onderwyswitskrif 6 wat in 2001 geïmplementeer is het die periode van die beleidsverandering ná die beëindiging van apartheid in Suid-Afrika voltooi. Die verandering in die Suid-Afrikaanse opvoedkundige beleid en die skoolstelsel het aanleiding gegee tot baie veranderinge in die bestuur van spesiale skole, en dit het hierdie studie beïnvloed. Onderwyswitskrif 6 (2001) het 'n omvattende reeks van opvoedkundige ondersteuningsdienste voorgestel wat die volgende strukture insluit; hoofstroom-, voldiens- en spesiale skole. Hierdie skole bied verskillende vlakke van ondersteuning aan met die oog om die hindernisse tot leer te oorbrug. Die navorsing is vanuit 'n privaat spesiale skool gedoen. Die ouers wat deelnemers aan die navorsing was, het hulle kinders uit 'n hoofstroomskool gehaal en oorgeplaas na ‘n spesiale skool. Hierdie navorsingstudie het gepoog om ouers se perspektiewe te verstaan rakende die oorplasing van hulle kind vanuit ‘n hoofstroomskool na 'n spesiale skool, met spesifieke fokus op die ouers wie se kinders in die Senior Fase van hul skoolloopbaan was. Bronfenbrenner se bio-ekologiese model is as die teoretiese raamwerk vir hierdie studie gebruik in die lig van die klem op die oorvleuelende sisteme wat met mekaar verbind is en die invloed daarvan op die deelnemers se lewens en die lewens van hul kinders. Vir hierdie navorsingstudie is die ouers in die middel van die model geplaas, met die skool, gesin en die kind as verdere mikrosisteme. Hierdie studie het van 'n kwalitatiewe gevallestudie en 'n kwalitatiewe metodologie gebruik gemaak wat in 'n interpretatiewe paradigma gegrond is. Doelgerigte steekproefneming is gebruik om die ouers te kies uit die aangewese spesiale skool in die suidelike voorstede van Kaapstad, as deelnemers vir die studie. Die studie het gebruik gemaak van drie maatreëls om data in te samel: 'n semi-gestruktureerde onderhoud, 'n lewens-lyn aktiwiteit, en 'n oop vraelys wat die ouers tuis voltooi het. Kwalitatiewe inhoudsanalise is gebruik om die data wat gegenereer is deur middel van die drie data–insamelingsmetodes, te ontleed. Die bevindinge van hierdie navorsing suggereer dat die oorgangsperiode op 'n later stadium in die kind se akademiese loopbaan 'n moeilike ervaring vir die ouers, wat aan die studie deelgeneem het, was. Namate die kinders egter by hulle veranderde omstandighede aangepas het, het die ouers gevoel dat die skuif die moeite werd was en hulle het 'n positiewe verandering in hul kinders se akademiese prestasies opgemerk. Kennis moet ook daarvan geneem word dat die perspektief van die ouers op spesiale onderwys nie gebaseer was op die beleidsdokumente van die Suid-Afrikaanse skoolstelsel nie. Dit beklemtoon dat ouerontwikkeling ten opsigte van hierdie aspek noodsaaklik is. Die bevindinge van die studie kan wel nie na alle skole in Suid-Afrika veralgemeen word nie, maar daar kan vanuit hierdie navorsing aanbevelings gemaak word om spesiale skole by te staan ten einde die oorgang vir beide ouers en leerders makliker te maak.

Thesis advisor: Jacqueline Lerner<br>Americans are more educated than ever, and high educational attainment has long been associated with positive outcomes for individuals and society as a whole. However, one-third of high school students do not enroll in post-secondary education immediately after graduation, thereby reducing potential benefits. A thorough understanding of college enrollment patterns is needed to develop and enhance interventions that will effectively promote immediate college enrollment. Extant literature on college access focuses largely on contextual factors that influence college enrollment, such as families, schools, and classrooms. Given that context is only one component of development, additional research on the role of the individual may be especially useful for understanding more fully the transition from high school to college. For this dissertation, theoretical approaches from higher education and developmental psychology were combined to provide a new framework for exploring immediate college enrollment. The variables of interest included indicators of college readiness (e.g., academic preparedness and sources of college information) and three internal assets: self-regulation, school engagement, and expectations for academic success. College enrollment patterns were examined using data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, which surveyed students nationwide in 2002 (Grade 10), 2004 (Grade 12), 2006, and 2012. A series of multinomial regression equations revealed significant main effects and indirect effects of internal assets on college enrollment through college readiness variables, but no interaction effects between internal assets and college readiness variables. Analyses also provided support for previous findings related to racial/ethnic and socio-economic group differences, as well as school-level contextual factors. The findings from this study have valuable implications for college access programs: internal assets appear to be driving college readiness, not merely bolstering it, and should be a focus for interventional efforts. Additional research across applied settings for youth is needed to replicate and extend the findings from the current study, to evaluate applicable measurement standards, and to propose reform in practice and policy<br>Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015<br>Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education<br>Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology

The thesis starts by presenting an ostensibly straightforward question about how the transition from primary school to secondary school is experienced from a gendered perspective. This question was explored through a research project which involved 4 girls, in their second year of secondary schooling, as co-researchers. What ultimately transpires is a personal and critical account of the research and, importantly, the research process. Implications for practice, which encompass three main areas, are deliberated upon. Firstly, themes relating to the original research question of how girls experience the transition are debated. The findings offer some support to the hypotheses that boys and girls experience friendships and peer pressure differently. In general, girls tend to place greater value on relationships within school. It is suggested that further research is needed to clarify how aspects of the secondary school system can inhibit and facilitate the fostering of positive relationships. Secondly, implications for educational psychology practice are debated. In particular, the importance of adopting a reflexive stance, where the researcher or practitioner‟s values and assumptions are made as explicit as possible, is emphasised. Finally, the discussion also exposes a number of challenges arising from the research process. It is suggested that these challenges offer important implications for researchers seeking to undertake co-research. In particular, it is suggested that a careful consideration of who is most likely to benefit from the research is required prior to undertaking co-research. Furthermore, reflections on peer dynamics throughout the process raise questions about utilising children as co-researchers and situating them as pseudo-adults.

For many years, educators, psychologists and parents have expressed concern about the apparent deterioration of pupil motivation and performance after children move to secondary school. This study used a longitudinal design to examine the transfer process from the perspective of a group of 393 children (195 boys, 198 girls) as they moved from 19 primary schools to four secondary schools in Fife. Children’s self-perceptions of school commitment, school belonging, school participation, self-esteem and global wellbeing were evaluated four times over a 13 month period, twice before transfer in the final year of primary school and twice after transfer in the first year of secondary school. Information was also collected about family and home life, emotions, lifestyle and school on each occasion. The data was analysed using multilevel modelling in order to examine how each of the five outcome variables changed over the time of the study, and how they related to a series of independent variables. It was anticipated that changes in these outcomes may have occurred immediately after the move to secondary school, perhaps followed by an improvement six months later after they had adapted to changes and settled in to their new schools. The results showed that, contrary to expectations, all outcomes except school participation recorded an improvement at wave 3, immediately after the transfer to secondary school. However, there was some evidence that after an initial ‘honeymoon period’, children perceived certain aspects of school in a less positive light and by wave 4 there was a decline in all outcomes except for the perception of self-esteem, which continued to improve. Since wave 4 was only a few months after transition, a significant change in children’s views is seen quite quickly after transfer. It is not clear whether this represents a return to a more realistic level or if this signals the beginning of a more prolonged negative attitude towards school and education in general. The general conclusion is that the process of transfer to secondary schools is well managed, but it might be helpful for induction programmes to prepare children for the changes in teaching and learning methods that might be encountered, and perhaps other types of programme might be beneficial during the first year.

Soviet Evangelical high school students have experienced a slow and difficult transition to the American classroom. The students were often negatively characterized by their ESL teachers and other school personnel as "difficult" due to their classroom behaviors. Many times, these behaviors did not meet the ESL teacher's expectations, resulting in a culture clash between the teacher and the Soviet Evangelical students. The study found that Soviet Evangelical high school students came to the United States with high expectations of a new life, but little knowledge of the U.S. or the American classroom. Feelings of loneliness, homesickness and frustration quickly set in upon encountering the new language, new school routines and rules and regulations, some of which made no sense to the students. The educational and cultural values that form the Soviet Evangelical students' orientation toward learning and the classroom were found to play a strong role in the transition process and also helped to account for the behaviors ESL educators found so difficult to deal with. These factors. combined with the students' strong in-group identity as Soviet Evangelicals. all contributed to their slow and difficult transition to the American classroom. The study concludes with recommendations for ESL educators and other school personnel focusing on easing the transition for Soviet Evangelical students. Teaching new students the skills and background knowledge necessary for interacting in an American classroom is stressed, along with using the students' church as a resource in order to foster a trusting relationship with both students and their parents.

The purpose of this study was to explore the transition experience of three individuals with intellectual disabilities, members of their family, their former transition program coordinator, and members of their support network including current employers or support service providers. This qualitative study used Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological model and Kohler’s (1996) Taxonomy for Transition to frame three case studies designed to capture the transition experience of young adults with disabilities who exited a university-based, school district funded, transition program. Using Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological perspective, which focused on a behavior or interaction of people across multiple environments, the aim was to interview individuals from the micro, meso, and exo levels within the individuals’ systems of support. The transition experience took place outside the bounds of a school and involved a broad network of support that ranged from close nuclear ties between the individual with disabilities and their family members to broader social ties between the individual with disabilities and their employer or support service provider. A total of nineteen interviews were conducted for this study. Each interview lasted between twenty to ninety minutes in length. Individuals were asked to participate in an interview to respond to pre-scripted, open-ended questions based around Kohler’s (1996) five domains of transition within the Transition Taxonomy. The nineteen interviews were transcribed, coded and organized around themes linked to the five domains of transition: student-focused planning, student development, program structure, family involvement and interagency collaboration. In addition to the five domains of transition, five additional themes were common across members of the three case studies. These additional themes included: • It Takes a Strong Interconnected Network • Recognizing Narrative is Critical • Inclusion is Important to the Community • A Knowledgeable Transition Coordinator is Integral • Life is Comprised of a Series of Transitions The transition from high school to post-school life includes a focus on employment and independent living. That transition is unique and personal, but regardless of the person, a network of support is required to ensure success. The three young adults who were interviewed and around whom the case studies were developed exemplify the importance of maintaining a strong support network as you plan for and implement the transition from school to post-secondary life. Each young adult has utilized ties with family and members of their community to secure paid employment, maintain their social circles, and expand their level of independence.

Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Maryland, College Park, 2007.<br>Thesis research directed by: Human Development. Title from t.p. of PDF. Includes bibliographical references. Published by UMI Dissertation Services, Ann Arbor, Mich. Also available in paper.