The theoretical perspective underlying this examination of transition practices focuses on the premise that some practices are more likely than others to enhance the quality of the process.
Specific transition practices related to interactions between the children and teachers, family involvement, and the ecological interaction of multiple systems in a child’s environment are
theorized to provide higher quality transitions as students with disabilities move from preschool to kindergarten.
3.3.1 Quality and Types of Transition Practices
Low intensity transition practices, such as generic parental contacts by way of general letters, school brochures, and open house opportunities tend to be available more often than high intensity practices such as in-person contact (Pianta & Cox, 1999). The National Transition Study correlated the significance of the disability, the socio-economic status of the family, and the size of both the sending and receiving programs to the amount and kinds of transition practices made available (Love et al., 1992). One finding indicated that high poverty schools have less family involvement in the transition to kindergarten process.
The Pre-Elementary Educational Longitudinal Study (PEELS) related children’s academic achievement and adaptive performance over time to the amount and kinds of transition services provided (Carlson et al., 2009). Children shown to have more ease with transitions were those whose sending and receiving teachers reported more involvement in the transition process than those who did not report as high a level of involvement. The ability of a receiving school to give academic and social support to transitioning children as they entered kindergarten in addition to providing professional development to teachers on strategies to address the needs of students with disabilities were cited in PEELS as beneficial practices.
3.3.2 School Environment and Transition
Further enhancing the theoretical perspective that certain practices facilitate quality transition, actions taken by sending teachers in preschool special education programs to ensure that transitioning students have prerequisite readiness skills provide another area of consideration.
Such practices involve creating a match between the sending preschool and the receiving kindergarten environment with reference to prerequisite skills such as working in a group, working independently, and following directions. Rule et al. (1990) showed the relationship of teaching a survival skills curriculum in preschool to a better kindergarten adjustment. Le Ager & Shapiro (1995) showed the correlation between the development of a template of expectations in a kindergarten classroom and the use of this template to facilitate the development of pre-kindergarten readiness in the preschool classroom to higher quality transitions and better kindergarten adjustment. Troup & Malone (2002) and Kemp & Carter (2000) illustrated the positive correlation between structured preschool transition activities related to the development of social, behavioral, and functional skills and quality kindergarten transitions.
3.3.3 Family Role in Transition
Another aspect of the theoretical framework that specific actions taken prior to and during transition improve the quality of the process is the engagement of a child’s family in the process.
Low levels of family involvement constitute a barrier to successful preschool to kindergarten transitions. Parents not engaged in transition activities when preschoolers with disabilities move to kindergarten miss opportunities for collaboration, support, and planning that do exist between systems of care/preschool early intervention and the K-12 education programs (McIntyre, et al.,
2007). High levels of family involvement in the process, however, account for increased parental support in subsequent years (Kang, 2010) along with a positive effect on school achievement (Schulting et al., 2005). Bohan-Baker and Little (2002) highlighted three important strategies for the transition process: reaching out to families when children are receiving early intervention services, reaching back to families at the start of kindergarten, and reaching with appropriate intensity. Actions initiated by Pennsylvania Intermediate Units and school district transition staff work towards establishing a connected transition process prior to a child leaving preschool services, at transition IEP meetings, and prior to school entrance.
3.3.4 Ecological Framework and Transition
Facilitating a transition process in which the various spheres of a child’s ecological system interact (including the family, schools, community, peers, and private service providers) supplies additional support for the theoretical framework that specific actions taken during transition periods improve their quality. The research of Rimm-Kaufman and Pianta (2000) and Rous, Hallam et al. (2007) conceptualized transition as an ecological process based on the relationships among all of the surrounding contexts in which transitioning students are involved.
Strong interagency structures and supports along with clearly defined transition practices reduce barriers as children with disabilities move from preschool to kindergarten (Rous & Myers, 2007). The involvement of multiple agencies and individuals in the process likewise requires transition facilitators in both sending and receiving schools to support communication between special and regular education staff, families, and outside agency service providers such as speech/language therapists, occupational therapists, and behavioral mental health staff. Involving
transition practices increases the likelihood of a quality transition from preschool services to kindergarten for children with disabilities and their families (Rimm-Kaufman & Pianta, 2000).
The theoretical framework, supported by researchers and my own experience as a school district Pupil Services Director, indicates that specific transition practices affect a quality transition from special education preschool services for young children with disabilities as they move to kindergarten in the K-12 public school setting. An effective transition from early
Figure 2. Effective Transition Components
intervention services to kindergarten, as illustrated in Figure 2, originates with a child having a disability, incorporates the family’s needs and aspirations for the child, and involves all of the multiple systems in which a child interacts.