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FOCUS 3

How Do State Factors Influence a Child's Transition to School and School Readiness?

APPROACH

Conduct a national survey of the state early intervention, preschool special education, and public school early childhood coordinators to determine the status of the state level transition policies, procedures, and infrastructures in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Measure specific variables related to structure in each of our five focal states that include. 1) contents and specificity of interagency agreements (Harbin, 1990); 2) level of similarities in organizational characteristics, such as philosophy, goals, communication, and working relationship (Harbin, Ringwalt, & Gaskill, 1994); 3) scope of agencies /service options available (Harbin); and 4) level and types of barrier and facilitators to interagency collaboration (Harbin, 1994).
Conduct policy analyses in five focal states of policy content with regard to specificity of the inclusion of recommended transition practices.
Examine the relationship between state program factors and federal monitoring outcomes related to transition in five states.
Use quantitative statistical analysis to examine the relationships between state policies and child outcomes.

PROPOSED PRODUCTS

A national portrait of states’ transition policies, procedures, and approaches.
A guide to be used by states to improve their policies and procedures. This guide will provide suggested wording for policies and interagency agreements, as well as state mechanisms and strategies to facilitate smooth transitions.

WORK GROUP MEMBERS

Megan Cox, M.A.: Research Coordinator
Susan Crowther, M.Ed., Advisory Council Member
Sara Gelser, M.A. I. S., Advisory Council Member
Andy Gomm, M.S.W., Advisory Council Member
Caroline Gooden, M.S.: Project Coordinator
Gloria Harbin, Ph.D: Work Group Facilitator
Jim Lesko, Ed.D., Advisory Council Member
Duncan Munn, M.Ed., Advisory Council Member
Beth Rous, Ed.D: Principal Investigator
Carol Schroeder, M.S.: Project Assistant Coordinator
Christina Stacy, M.S.: Research Assistant
Kathy Whaley, Expert Panel Member

What's New

Latest research brief describes a study of preschool teacher temperament and potential implications of teacher temperament on children’s transition and school adjustment; The Temperament Task Orientation Cluster among Preschool Educators

Exciting new findings on the socially validated practices that facilitate transitions for young children with disabilities; National Validation Survey Technical Report #3 and related Transition Alert

See our new research brief on Family Outcomes

The Beach Center on Disability is a site sponsored by the University of Kansas, under the direction of Dr. Ann Turnbull. This site promotes NECTC products and findings.
Click to link to the Beach Center Transition Knowledge Bank

Announcing the NECTAC National Early Childhood Transition Initiative.
Click here.

Send comments, suggestions to NECTC Management
For data related questions please send to NECTC Research
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The National Early Childhood Transition Center is supported through a cooperative agreement, PR Award # H324V020003, through the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. However, the contents of this site do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the Office of Special Education or the US Department of Education, and readers should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

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