Trends in Transition Educator Personnel Preparation

Abstract

Many secondary special educators and transition specialists have reported a lack of transition-related knowledge and skills necessary to adequately support students with disabilities transition successfully to positive postschool outcomes. High-quality transition-related educator preparation programs play an important role in preparing secondary special educators and transition specialists to implement transition-related evidence-based practices necessary to support students to progress toward their postschool goals. However, studies consistently show that transition-related content in educator preparation programs is limited in availability and scope. This chapter provides a historical context for transition-related educator preparation, including the status of transition-related educator preparation and the role that federal funding and state-level credentialing play in program development and sustainability. In addition, the chapter provides an overview of critical transition frameworks, standards, and content (i.e. transition assessment, college and career readiness, etc.) that should be embedded into such programs to address the evolving challenges in secondary special education (i.e., co-teaching). The chapter highlights successful transition-related educator preparation program features and includes specific recommendations about program structure, pedagogy, and modality (i.e., authentic learning, online education, cultural competency, etc.). The chapter concludes with recommendations for future directions in transition educator preparation, including an overview and endorsement of a proposed national certification that can be aligned with state credentialing structures to promote high-quality transition pre-service educator preparation and continuous professional development for secondary special educators and transition specialists.