{"id":{"repo_id":"uiuc","oai_identifier":"oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/129877"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uiuc/oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/129877","repository":{"repo_id":"uiuc","name":"University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign","base_url":"https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh"},"display":{"title":"Charting the course: a mixed methods investigation into special educators’ role in enhancing transition services for students with disabilities","abstract":"Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-10-20 without embargo terms","abstract_html":"Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-10-20 without embargo terms","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Best, Megan Elizabeth"],"institution":"University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign","degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Special Education","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Schutz, Michele","Corr, Catherine","Ray, Amber","Moore-Channell, Marie","Burke, Kathryn"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-07-15","date_published":"2025-07-15","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:25:06Z","subjects":["Transition Services","Student And Parent Involvement","Special Educators","Professional Development","Mixed Methods"],"languages":["en","eng"],"rights":["Copyright 2025 Megan Best"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129877","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Schutz, Michele","Corr, Catherine","Ray, Amber","Moore-Channell, Marie","Burke, Kathryn"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Best, Megan Elizabeth"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2025-07-15","2025-08"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Special Education"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph.D."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Transition Services","Student And Parent Involvement","Special Educators","Professional Development","Mixed Methods"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en","eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2025 Megan Best"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129877"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-10-20 without embargo terms","The student, Megan Best, accepted the attached license on 2025-07-14 at 18:44.","The student, Megan Best, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2025-07-14 at 18:49.","This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2025-07-15 at 16:35.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #22564 on 2025-10-20 at 16:57:58","Transition services within the IEP transition plan are essential to supporting postsecondary success for youth with disabilities. Yet, special educators often lack guidance and training on how to plan and implement services that actively involve students and parents. This study addresses two key gaps in the literature: (a) the lack of guidance on how to effectively facilitate student and parent involvement in transition planning, particularly in the development and delivery of transition services, and (b) the limited availability of interventions designed to support special educators in planning and implementing these services. Using an exploratory sequential mixed methods design, this study involved the development and pre-pilot of the Fostering and Advancing Capacity for Transition Services (FACTS) program, an online, asynchronous professional development intervention for in-service special educators. Phase One examined how special educators identify and implement transition services, as well as their training and support needs. Findings informed the design of the FACTS program, which was then evaluated in Phase Two for its effectiveness in improving knowledge, preparedness, self-efficacy, and perceptions of the importance of teaching student self-determination when planning and implementing transition services. Findings indicate the FACTS program is a feasible, acceptable, and impactful way to strengthen special educator capacity to plan and implement transition services. Participants demonstrated growth in knowledge, preparedness, and self-efficacy to plan and implement transition services that are student- and parent-directed, and that emphasized self-determination. Findings support further development of the FACTS program to improve postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Charting the course: a mixed methods investigation into special educators’ role in enhancing transition services for students with disabilities"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Schutz, Michele","Corr, Catherine","Ray, Amber","Moore-Channell, Marie","Burke, Kathryn"],"dc:creator":["Best, Megan Elizabeth"],"dc:date":["2025-07-15","2025-08"],"dc:description":["Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-10-20 without embargo terms","The student, Megan Best, accepted the attached license on 2025-07-14 at 18:44.","The student, Megan Best, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2025-07-14 at 18:49.","This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2025-07-15 at 16:35.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #22564 on 2025-10-20 at 16:57:58","Transition services within the IEP transition plan are essential to supporting postsecondary success for youth with disabilities. Yet, special educators often lack guidance and training on how to plan and implement services that actively involve students and parents. This study addresses two key gaps in the literature: (a) the lack of guidance on how to effectively facilitate student and parent involvement in transition planning, particularly in the development and delivery of transition services, and (b) the limited availability of interventions designed to support special educators in planning and implementing these services. Using an exploratory sequential mixed methods design, this study involved the development and pre-pilot of the Fostering and Advancing Capacity for Transition Services (FACTS) program, an online, asynchronous professional development intervention for in-service special educators. Phase One examined how special educators identify and implement transition services, as well as their training and support needs. Findings informed the design of the FACTS program, which was then evaluated in Phase Two for its effectiveness in improving knowledge, preparedness, self-efficacy, and perceptions of the importance of teaching student self-determination when planning and implementing transition services. Findings indicate the FACTS program is a feasible, acceptable, and impactful way to strengthen special educator capacity to plan and implement transition services. Participants demonstrated growth in knowledge, preparedness, and self-efficacy to plan and implement transition services that are student- and parent-directed, and that emphasized self-determination. Findings support further development of the FACTS program to improve postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities."],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129877"],"dc:language":["en","eng"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2025 Megan Best"],"dc:subject":["Transition Services","Student And Parent Involvement","Special Educators","Professional Development","Mixed Methods"],"dc:title":["Charting the course: a mixed methods investigation into special educators’ role in enhancing transition services for students with disabilities"],"dc:type":["text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Special Education"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph.D."],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:25:06Z"}