Mary Morningstar

University of Kansas | KU · Department of Special Education

College and career readiness is crucial to success in postsecondary education, employment, and independent living. The College and Career Readiness for Transition (CCR4T) assessment is valid and reliable and can assist in transition planning for students with disabilities. The CCR4T assessment was designed for planning with students with and withou...

In this study, we sought to understand the contexts, experiences, and needs among secondary education stakeholders to inform both a theoretical framework and policy contexts underpinning college and career readiness (CCR). Results confirmed a theoretically constructed framework of academic and non-academic CCR skills, with participants offering des...

This article shares the results from a quasi-experimental mixed-methods study of a promising transition-focused professional development approach. The 12-week team-based intervention resulted in positive outcomes among intervention group participants’ knowledge and capacities. The intervention group exhibited statistically significant changes in kn...

In this paper, we describe the conceptualization and development of the Secondary Transition Fidelity Assessment (STFA), a measure intended for use by high school leadership teams to examine secondary programs and practices demonstrated by research to lead to meaningful outcomes for secondary students with and without disabilities. We describe our...

Independent living skills (ILS) are crucial for the post school success of students with disabilities. In this systematic literature review, we examined ILS interventions for secondary and postsecondary education students with intellectual disability or autism ranging from age 13 to 24. Forty-two articles met the inclusion criteria and were examine...

BACKGROUND: Proposed frameworks of college and career readiness include aspects of school climate perceptions and behavioral engagement. School climate initiatives emphasize the importance of healthy learning environments; while behavioral indicators tend to be used to identify students at-risk for disengagement, established early warning systems i...

Youth with disabilities must be college and career ready to be prepared for adult life. Policy efforts confirm this prioritization (Every Student Succeeds Act [ESSA], 2015; Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act [IDEIA], 2004). Parallel to the emergence of college and career readiness (CCR), transition planning and service requirem...

In this study, we examined the structural validity of the Secondary Transition Fidelity Assessment (STFA), a measure of secondary schools’ use of programs and practices demonstrated by research to lead to meaningful college and career outcomes for all students, including students at-risk for or with disabilities, and students from diverse backgroun...

Job seekers with autism will likely benefit from explicit instruction in job interviewing skills given their social communication support needs. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a video-based intervention (VBI) to increase storytelling ability in responding to Patterned Behavior Description Interview (PBDI) questions in mock...

Transition planning is the foundation for addressing post-secondary goals leading to improved outcomes. Transition assessments guide the transition planning process. Given the importance of transition assessment results, practitioners need access to measures supporting the active involvement of young adults with intellectual disability. One such me...

This single case design study evaluated the effects of a video modeling (VM) intervention on the customer service skills of five young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Verbalization of greeting, service, and closing phrases contextualized to community employment settings were the target behaviors. A systematic approach to visual analysis...

Inclusive education is contextualised within local systems and represents a continuous struggle to ensure access to meaningful and equitable education. The purpose of this scoping review was to examine international empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals from 1999 to 2019 focused on teacher agency for inclusive education for students...

Family engagement is an essential aspect of preparing for the transition to adulthood for youth with disabilities. The purpose of this study was threefold: (a) describe the supports historically marginalized families of students with disabilities draw upon, (b) understand family decision-making when engaging with schools and agencies, and (c) deter...

BACKGROUND: Young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently experience barriers to competitive integrated employment. Established evidence-based practices (EBPs) for individuals with ASD may serve as an effective training method to enhance the employment experiences of this population. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effects of a pac...

This qualitative study investigates the experiences of students with intellectual disability with peer mentors at a large Midwestern inclusive postsecondary education program (IPSE). Participants were students with intellectual disability and peer mentors associated with the IPSE. Students with intellectual disability are valued as partners in deve...

The role of research in transition education has been prominent and influential. Yet too many young people with disabilities are still not experiencing outcomes aligned with their personal aspirations and priorities. Moreover, individuals with disabilities continue to experience barriers to employment, educational, economic, and other challenges we...

A secondary analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 (NLTS2) was conducted to examine predictors associated with improved postschool community participation of young adults with severe disabilities. Multidimensional item response theory was used to establish criterion and predictor constructs and examine predictive relatio...

This chapter describes several essential skills necessary for success in postsecondary education (PSE) for young adults with disabilities and provides a variety of models of support available to students with disabilities as they transition into PSE.

Providing evidence-based interventions in competitive employment settings is critical to improve employment outcomes for individuals with autism. This study used a multiple baseline across behaviors design to enhance the customer service skills of a young adult with autism employed as a cashier at a retail store. Results indicated the use of custom...

The increasingly diverse population in the United States calls for schools to address the breadth of cultural histories students bring with them to the classroom. High school students with disabilities are also diverse in terms of cultural histories, race, ethnicities, religions, and citizenship. These factors intersect as families engage in planni...

At the 2016 TASH Conference in St. Louis, a research colloquium was held that focused on the state of selected life-span services for people with severe disabilities. Topics addressed by leading experts in the field included inclusion, teaching academic skills, family support, challenging behavior, supported employment, and voting. This article sum...

Abstract Students with extensive support needs continue to be predominantly taught in segregated classrooms and schools. Decades of research documenting positive outcomes of inclusive education has done little to sway the educational system to make advances in inclusive education for this particular groups of students. Irrespective of systems-wide...

Grounded in research and federal law, inclusive education is a right and preferred placement for all learners with disabilities receiving special education services. However, most students in the U.S. education system do not have access to inclusive education and few models are available to demonstrate how schools can develop and implement inclusiv...

Current practices of college and career readiness (CCR) emerged from within secondary school reform efforts. During a similar timeframe, evidence-based schoolwide interventions—positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) and response to interventions (RTI)—were developed, first targeting elementary initiatives and then translated to secon...

The field of transition—and the Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT)—was built upon a foundation established by theories of career development that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s and paved the way for the work/study movement of the 1960s and the vocational and career education for students with disabilities movement that dominated t...

Transition professional development (PD) has been identified as a way to improve transition services; however, there is a dearth of literature on transition-focused PD. To learn more about the essential features of effective PD, 73 published articles were evaluated in the area of PD in both secondary transition and special education. Articles were...

Almost two decades since the last study of how educator preparation programs (EPPs) offer transition-related content to preservice teachers, this study sought to understand if the educator preparation landscape has changed. Given the impact of well-prepared secondary educators on student transition outcomes, reexamining the status of transition-rel...

Focused attention to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and college and career readiness (CCR) has been attributed to increased secondary school reform efforts directed at ensuring all students graduate high school prepared for adulthood. To successfully experience college and careers, students must have the knowledge, skills, and experiences a...

What Does it Take to be College and Career Ready? Using Multi-Tiered Systems to Support Youth Academic Engagement

Aligning Transition Practices for College and Career Readiness

Incorporating Evidence-Based Practices to Improve Outcomes: Going Beyond Compliance to Quality! What we Know about Quality Transition Programs

Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004 established procedural mandates and accountability requirements ensuring all students with disabilities participate and progress in general education curriculum. Broadly speaking, improvements toward greater access have been found for many students with disabilities;...

- Provide an opportunity for state teams to build a comprehensive, sustained, high-impact system of professional development for transition – Provide a framework and strategies for implementing a PD/TA system tied to your CBI goals – Identify current status and activities for enhancing PD/TA system tied to CBI goals

Transition professional development (PD) has been identified as a way to improve transition services; however, there is a dearth of literature on transition-focused PD. To learn more about the essential features of effective PD, 73 published articles were evaluated in the area of PD in both secondary transition and special education. Articles were...

Using the least restrictive environments (LRE) data from annual Reports to Congress, this study examined national trends in placement between 2000 and 2014 for school-aged students considered to have significant disabilities from among the categories of autism (ASD), intellectual disability (ID), multiple disabilities (MD), and deaf-blindness (DB)....

Since the passage of Public Law 94-142, federal law has prioritized the education of students with disabilities with their non-disabled peers in the context of the general education classroom. This chapter examines the progress, and often lack thereof, with regard to educating students with extensive and pervasive support needs in inclusive setting...

The TASH Inclusive Education National Committee responded to Horner and Dunlap’s (2012) call to ensure that future research integrates inclusive values with strong science by developing an inclusive education (IE) national research agenda. Qualitative methods were implemented to answer three questions: (a) What is the state of IE research? (b) What...

Resources and purpose of NTACT in assisting state Education Agencies, Local Education Agencies, State VR agencies, and VR service providers in implementing evidence-based and promising practices for students with disabilities to graduate prepared for success in post secondary education and employment.

Presentation on the research conducted to identify what are inclusive placement trends among students with ASD, ID, MD, OI, how these trends compare to other groups, and which states and regions are showing the most progress.

This article highlights and discusses key concerns raised during the 2014 TASH Conference Town Hall session on Transition and offers recommendations for considerations in relation to these concepts.

BACKGROUND: This study examines adult outcomes of young adults with high incidence disabilities. We examined variables across 5 postschool outcome constructs: (a) gainful employment, (b) community living and participation, (c) ongoing and advanced education, (d) social connections and positive relationships, and (f) health and well-being. OBJECTIVE...

Transition planning is conceptually and empirically linked to successful postschool outcomes for adolescents with disabilities and has been legally mandated for more than two decades. Unfortunately, young adults with high-incidence disabilities, including learning disabilities (LD), emotional disabilities (ED), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity d...

This descriptive study examined observational data collected in inclusive classrooms from six schools that were operating schoolwide inclusive policies and practices. Illustrative evidence of classroom practices supporting learning and participation of all students, including students with significant disabilities, adds to an understanding of struc...

This study confirmed the reliability and validity of the Quality Indicators of Exemplary Transition Programs Needs Assessment–2 (QI-2). Quality transition program indicators were identified through a systematic synthesis of transition research, policies, and program evaluation measures. To verify reliability and validity of the QI-2, we administere...

In this qualitative study, a proposed organizing framework of college and career readiness for secondary students with disabilities was developed based on a synthesis of extant research articulating student success. The original proposed framework included six domains representing academic and nonacademic skills associated with college and career r...

This study confirmed the reliability and validity of the Quality Indicators of Exemplary Transition Programs Needs Assessment-2 (QI-2). We identified quality transition program indicators through a systematic synthesis of transition legislation, research-based findings, and transition program evaluation measurements. To verify the reliability and v...

The purpose of this study is to analyze the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) data that states and U. S. territories report from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and discuss the status of the most restrictive special education placement settings for students with disabilities. In this analysis, we found that (a) states do not set r...

In this qualitative study, a proposed organizing framework of college and career readiness for secondary students with disabilities was developed based on a synthesis of extant research articulating student success. The original proposed framework included six domains representing academic and non-academic skills associated with college and career...

This preliminary study investigated 118 special education doctoral students’ knowledge of and attitudes toward self-determination. In addition, this study examined the relationship between self-determination coursework and special education doctoral students’ perceptions of how well they were prepared for implementing self-determination in their fu...

Students with significant disabilities continue to be among the most segregated in schools. In this article, we argue that the principles of least restrictive environment and involvement and progress in the general curriculum have been interpreted in ways that perpetuate segregation, rather than increasing students' access to meaningful curriculum...

This article has no abstract.

This position paper describes the Division of Career Development and Transition's stance and recommendations for identifying and promoting secondary transition evidence-based practices and predictors of postschool success for students with disabilities. Recommendations for experimental research, correlational research, and secondary analysis of the...

This study examined critical features of secondary special educator’s experiences with transition professional development to predict variables most likely to influence performance of transition planning and services. Results included the extent to which secondary special educators are prepared to perform transition practices, the relationship betw...

Transition to adulthood for students with disabilities has emerged as a critical topic within the special education field when students with disabilities who had graduated high school exhibited poor outcomes. Although substantial attention has been paid to improving transition outcomes since the mid-1990s in which transition education and service h...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using video modeling delivered through a portable media player (Apple video iPod) as a means of teaching job-related tasks to four young adults with autism spectrum disorders. The videos were enhanced by adding written instructions. Results indicated that using the iPod was associated w...

Society has witnessed significant improvements in the lives of students receiving transition services over the past 30 years. The field of transition has developed an array of evidence-based interventions and promising practices, however, secondary school reform efforts have often overlooked these approaches for youth without disabilities. If we ar...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using video modeling delivered through a portable media player (Apple video iPod) as a means of teaching job-related tasks to four young adults with autism spectrum disorders. The videos were enhanced by adding written instructions. Results indicated that using the iPod was associated w...

This study examined change in indicators of high-quality interagency collaboration after 1 year of establishing a community transition team and compared school and adult agency staff participants. The Transition Collaboration Survey was developed based on research-based indicators of collaboration, piloted, administered to school and agency partici...

Recently, increasing demand for teacher professional development and significant advances in information and communication technologies has led to a proliferation of online professional development. In spite of online professional development's popularity and advantages, research indicates that there is a concern of considerably high dropout rates...

This study examined the relationship between high school transition preparation (school and family based) and self-determination among postsecondary students with disabilities. Seventy-six participants from 4-year universities completed a two-part online survey. The first part of the survey measured three dependent variables: psychological empowerm...

One of the primary goals of school is to help students plan and prepare for the rest of their lives. This planning and preparation is especially important for students with disabilities. This article highlights some "tips" that are currently being used by practitioners. The Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT) and the Transition Coa...

The vast majority of high school students plan to attend college, but little is known about the postsecondary enrollment of students who exit high school with certificates of completion or individualized diplomas.With as many as 10% of all high school completers in some states earning documentation other than the high school diploma, it is necessar...

Adult outcomes for students with disabilities continue to remain below their peers without disabilities, and such poor postsecondary outcomes may be due to special education teachers who are unprepared to plan and deliver effective transition services. This study examined the perceptions of 557 middle and high school special education teachers from...

Young adults with disabilities often depend on linkages and supports from adult agencies to achieve high-quality adult outcomes. However, interagency collaboration has emerged as a major area of difficulty and a critical area in need of improvement for school districts throughout the United States. Based on the input of research participants from 2...

Presentation on what key strategies and capacities do high-performing LEAs & SEAs implement to meet the interagency collaboration requirements for transition services and what attitudes characterize LEAs and SEAs who are high performers in interagency collaboration?

The most recent reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, retitled the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA, 2004), strengthened the transition requirements by including specific language regarding age-appropriate transition assessments. This study was designed to examine how states are interpreti...

To date, research has not sufficiently addressed the impact of personnel preparation programs on secondary special educators in relationship to specialized competencies needed to impact students during transition from school to adult life. This study sought to evaluate transition competencies gained by secondary practitioners involved in a transiti...

Although research has indicated that parent participation is considered to be one of the most important elements of transition planning, there are a few studies that have sought to measure the involvement of culturally and linguistically diverse parents. Asian Americans are the most diverse of America's leading minority groups and one of the most p...

Although numerous studies have identified the importance of family involvement during transition planning, they have also identified significant barriers to such involvement among culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) families. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of online training on secondary special education teachers' k...

Family involvement in the transition process has been recognized as a crucial indicator of successful transition planning. Many parents, however, take a passive role in their child's Individualized Education Program (IEP) transition meeting. Moreover, despite the clear mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), parents from...

The goal of transition services is to improve the postschool outcomes for students with disabilities, but more than 10 years after the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) mandated transition services, students with disabilities are still exiting high school with significantly different postschool outcomes than their peers. Community-based inst...

The availability of professionals trained to design and deliver transition services is important to implementing the federal mandate for transition services. Yet, there is limited information available on the state of the nation with regard to personnel preparation in transition. To address this lack of information, a national survey of colleges an...

This article provides a state-by-state analysis of state certification/licensure policies regarding transition. Twelve states were found to have licensure, certification, or endorsement options for Transition Specialists, Vocational Special Needs, Vocational Education, or Rehabilitation Counselors focusing on special education transition. Twenty-fo...

This article summarizes and comments on the primary themes of the articles found in this special issue of CDEI as well as the challenges that have been raised through the research found in this issue. We discuss two major issues found in the preparation of secondary transition educators: current content as well as existing delivery methods. Finally...

Transition planning for young adults with disabilities has been identified as a critical element if students are to successfully move from the safety-net of high school into adult life. Focusing on transition has become a priority for two disciplines: education and medicine. Yet, despite the importance these two fields have placed on it, few studie...

This paper describes some issues related to financing school and postschool needs for young adults who use medical technology, and the challenges families, professionals, and students face in planning for life after school. These descriptions are based on a study of young adults who use ventilators and gastrostomy tubes (g-tubes) as medical technol...

This article traces the history of transition programs for adolescents with disabilities and the role that transition plays within current reform efforts. Best practices are discussed and strategies for school programs are provided, including individualized planning, involvement of family and support networks, a focus on community outcomes, and int...

Part of a series designed to provide practical resources on topics essential to the process of preparing individuals with disabilities for adulthood, this manual focuses on family involvement in transition planning and implementation. Chapter 1, "Overview and Introduction," discusses the history of family involvement in education, and the potential...

This article examines critical issues facing educators who are concerned with preparing adolescents with disabilities to meet the challenges of successful career planning and employment. Two issues at the forefront of career development and employment preparation are discussed in light of the results from a qualitative research study that used inte...

This qualitative study used focus groups to explore student perspectives on family involvement in the transition from school to adult life. Four focus groups, including students with learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, and mild mental retardation, identified pertinent issues concerning how families influence the development o...

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Kansas, Special Education, 1995. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 266-293).