Transition Services in Eight Rural Counties of Western New York: Views of Directors of Special Education

Rural school districts face different challenges than urban and suburban districts. In fact, several Rural Systemic Initiatives (RSIs) have been established around the country to isolate and address rural school district issues (Harmon & Smith, 2012). In order to improve the effectiveness of tr...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bruce A. Shields, Mindy S. Scirri, Michael R. Berta, Kara M. Klump
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: National Rural Education Association 2018-11-01
Series:The Rural Educator
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.jhseonline.com/index.php/ruraled/article/view/259
Description
Summary:Rural school districts face different challenges than urban and suburban districts. In fact, several Rural Systemic Initiatives (RSIs) have been established around the country to isolate and address rural school district issues (Harmon & Smith, 2012). In order to improve the effectiveness of transition services in rural schools, feedback from stakeholders in the process is vital. Directors of special education, specifically, must work to facilitate a quality and seamless process for transition despite challenges, and those working in rural settings may face additional obstacles. This study examines the perspectives of these front-line providers in order to begin to understand the difficulties that rural school districts, in particular, must overcome. The challenges and suggestions expressed by directors of special education impact the trajectory of improvements that need to be made in rural education transition services.  These improvements will not only streamline processes for rural educators and staff involved in transition, but will ultimately benefit the families they serve.
ISSN:0273-446X
2643-9662