Exploring the IEP/Transition Planning Experiences for students with disabilities and English learners with disabilities from NLTS 2012

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2012 (NLTS 2012) on the IEP/transition planning meeting experiences for students with disabilities and English learners (ELs) with disabilities. This study used factor analysis to explore the constructs of IEP/transition planning meeting experience for these two groups separately. Furthermore, Chi-square analysis were used to explore the differences on the IEP/transition planning meeting experiences between ELs with disabilities and non-ELs with disabilities. Finally, the logistic regression analysis were used to explore the predictors for youth’s role and contribution in the IEP/transition planning meeting.

Results identified four factors for students with disabilities—Youth/Parent Participation, Youth Contribution, Youth/Parent Invitation & Youth Output, and Outside Agency Involvement—and five factors for ELs with disabilities—Youth participation, Parent participation, Invitation & future discussion, Youth involvement, and Youth role. Results showed three out of four ELs with disabilities reported they contributed a little on coming up the goals in the transition planning meeting. The predictors for ELs with disabilities were different from non-ELs with disabilities. This implicates educators may explore different routes to get parents involvement at school to increase parents and youth’s excitation on living independently in the future.