This purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of parents and faculty regarding the transition from a private special education school to the middle school environment. Research was conducted using a mixed methods design to investigate the attitudes and perceptions of those directly involved with the transition process. Seventeen participants, nine parents and eight faculty participated in both the interviews and questionnaire processes. Social competence, academic competence, procedural challenges, maturational readiness and program planning were dominant themes in this study. The study examined the academic, procedural and social changes that occur in middle school from the stage-environment fit and adolescent development theories. This study found that while both parents and faculty experience anxiety and excitement about transition all participants perceived the social and academic domains as the most difficult for students with special needs. This study also examined the experiences of parents and faculty in the transition planning process. This study identified a need to develop curriculum that supports parents and faculty before, during and after this important transition process. Policy that mandates a series of coordinated activities for transition is recommended.
","abstract_html":"<p>This purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of parents and faculty regarding the transition from a private special education school to the middle school environment. Research was conducted using a mixed methods design to investigate the attitudes and perceptions of those directly involved with the transition process. Seventeen participants, nine parents and eight faculty participated in both the interviews and questionnaire processes. Social competence, academic competence, procedural challenges, maturational readiness and program planning were dominant themes in this study. The study examined the academic, procedural and social changes that occur in middle school from the stage-environment fit and adolescent development theories. This study found that while both parents and faculty experience anxiety and excitement about transition all participants perceived the social and academic domains as the most difficult for students with special needs. This study also examined the experiences of parents and faculty in the transition planning process. This study identified a need to develop curriculum that supports parents and faculty before, during and after this important transition process. Policy that mandates a series of coordinated activities for transition is recommended.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["McKeon, Barbara"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Executive Ed.D. in Education Leadership Management and Policy","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Education Leadership, Management and Policy","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Anthony Colella, PhD","Barbara Strobert, Ed.D","Dianne Zager, PhD","Francine Dreyfus Ed.D"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-05-17T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2014-05-17T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:32:52Z","subjects":["Adolescence","Adolescent development","transition planning","special education","private school","Special Education and Teaching"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/1931","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Anthony Colella, PhD","Barbara Strobert, Ed.D","Dianne Zager, PhD","Francine Dreyfus Ed.D"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["McKeon, Barbara"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-07T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Education Leadership, Management and Policy"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Executive Ed.D. in Education Leadership Management and Policy"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Adolescence","Adolescent development","transition planning","special education","private school","Special Education and Teaching"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/1931"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of parents and faculty regarding the transition from a private special education school to the middle school environment. Research was conducted using a mixed methods design to investigate the attitudes and perceptions of those directly involved with the transition process. Seventeen participants, nine parents and eight faculty participated in both the interviews and questionnaire processes. Social competence, academic competence, procedural challenges, maturational readiness and program planning were dominant themes in this study. The study examined the academic, procedural and social changes that occur in middle school from the stage-environment fit and adolescent development theories. This study found that while both parents and faculty experience anxiety and excitement about transition all participants perceived the social and academic domains as the most difficult for students with special needs. This study also examined the experiences of parents and faculty in the transition planning process. This study identified a need to develop curriculum that supports parents and faculty before, during and after this important transition process. Policy that mandates a series of coordinated activities for transition is recommended.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Middle School Transition: faculty and parent perceptions of the academic, procedural, and social changes that occur between elementary and middle school"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Anthony Colella, PhD","Barbara Strobert, Ed.D","Dianne Zager, PhD","Francine Dreyfus Ed.D"],"dc:creator":["McKeon, Barbara"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-07T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of parents and faculty regarding the transition from a private special education school to the middle school environment. Research was conducted using a mixed methods design to investigate the attitudes and perceptions of those directly involved with the transition process. Seventeen participants, nine parents and eight faculty participated in both the interviews and questionnaire processes. Social competence, academic competence, procedural challenges, maturational readiness and program planning were dominant themes in this study. The study examined the academic, procedural and social changes that occur in middle school from the stage-environment fit and adolescent development theories. This study found that while both parents and faculty experience anxiety and excitement about transition all participants perceived the social and academic domains as the most difficult for students with special needs. This study also examined the experiences of parents and faculty in the transition planning process. This study identified a need to develop curriculum that supports parents and faculty before, during and after this important transition process. Policy that mandates a series of coordinated activities for transition is recommended.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/1931"],"dc:subject":["Adolescence","Adolescent development","transition planning","special education","private school","Special Education and Teaching"],"dc:title":["Middle School Transition: faculty and parent perceptions of the academic, procedural, and social changes that occur between elementary and middle school"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Education Leadership, Management and Policy"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Executive Ed.D. in Education Leadership Management and Policy"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:32:52Z"}