The Impact of Professional Development and Student and Teacher Characteristics on the Quality of Postsecondary Goals

Abstract

This study examined (a) the main effects of professional development on the quality of postsecondary goals in employment and postsecondary education/training, (b) the main effects of student and teacher characteristics on goal quality, and (c) whether professional development moderated the relationship between the impact of these characteristics and goal quality. Individual Education Program (IEP) documents were gathered from 18 teachers before and after professional development totaling 137 IEPs. Hierarchical linear modeling methods were used to account for the fact that student IEPs were nested within teachers. Results indicated professional development significantly improved goal quality for both goal areas. Teachers whose primary placement and caseload was within self-contained classrooms and those with more years of experience had higher quality employment goals than teachers with less experience and those in resource rooms or general education settings. Implications are discussed regarding the continued need to align the content of IEPs for transition-age students with practice.