Partnering to Improve Career and Technical Education for Students With Disabilities: A Position Paper of the Division on Career Development and Transition

Abstract

This article describes the Division of Career Development and Transition’s (DCDT) position regarding Career Technical Education (CTE) and provides recommendations regarding more intense collaboration to improve access to and persistence in CTE for students with disabilities. Professional groups, such as the DCDT and the Association for Career and Technical Education, as well as policy makers, should strengthen collaboration in this area. This position paper: (a) explores CTE’s effectiveness as a secondary special education and transition service; (b) summarizes relevant federal legislation; and (c) presents key recommendations for policy, practice, personnel preparation and professional development, and research. Policy and practice recommendations emphasize access and equity, personnel preparation and professional development recommendations promote an understanding of related legislation and instructional practices, and research recommendations emphasize collaborative high-quality research.

Rural School Staff Roles in Career Development for Students With Disabilities: A Mixed Methods Study

“…Few staff in this study reported receiving any professional development or training on work preparation for students with disabilities. Yet, those staff who were heavily involved in providing career-related experiences or developing partnerships that resulted in jobs for their students tended to report that these tasks were self-decided, as suggested by previous research (Harvey et al, 2020;Schmalzried & Harvey, 2014). Administrators should develop trainings and opportunities that support special educators in disseminating information to CTE educators, school counselors, and related service providers on the postsecondary goals of their students and the competencies necessary for addressing these goals within their local communities to which each of these stakeholders could contribute.…”

“…This limited partnership may explain why staff members in a variety of positions expressed a lack of knowledge on policies, programs, and practices that existed within their small district but were outside of their area of expertise, as revealed in previous literature (e.g., Schmalzried & Harvey, 2014). Districts can address this gap by developing cross-departmental collaboration time during professional development days or staff planning periods (Carter et al, 2020;Harvey et al, 2020).…”

“…Data suggested that, in many districts, the missing link to this inclusion concerned staff unawareness of the priorities of other departments -even in small districts with only one high school -and a lack of comprehensive program evaluation with respect to students with disabilities. Administrators can address this gap in feasible, cost-efficient ways by creating multidisciplinary teams with representation from various departments and members of the local community for developing and evaluating career development programs that lead to employment for all students, including students with disabilities (Harvey et al, 2020).…”

WeThe15, Leveraging Sport to Advance Disability Rights and Sustainable Development

“…Persons with disabilities must be facilitated to access pathways to employment and income generation in sport. This must include access to and through the education and training system where those with disabilities can access the qualifications and competencies necessary to enter the workforce [39].…”

Elevating the employment outcomes of transition-age youth with disabilities: Four decades of intervention research

“…Since Madeleine Will initially described a conceptual framework of school-to-work transition (1984), transition policy and practice have evolved substantially, as have the types of jobs young people pursue and the ways they find them. Yet, the charge to prepare youth for the world of work has endured (Harvey et al, 2020). Over the past 40 years, dozens of studies have examined the impact of various interventions on the employment outcomes of youth with disabilities.…”