Using Community Conversations to Inform Transition Education in Rural Communities

Abstract

Nearly one quarter of all youth with disabilities attend rural schools. Supporting the successful postschool transitions of these youth can be a complex and challenging endeavor. In this study, we used “community conversation” events as a methodology for identifying the practices and partnerships needed to improve transition outcomes for students with disabilities in rural school districts. We analyzed the diverse ideas ( n = 656) for preparing youth with disabilities for adulthood generated by a cross section of the local community in five participating rural school districts. Although practices related to employment and family engagement were prominent, fewer suggestions addressed postsecondary education and community living. Perceptions of existing school–community partnerships varied within and across districts. We offer recommendations for research and practice aimed at strengthening the capacity of rural communities to prepare their students with disabilities well for life after high school.

Increasing Community Inclusion for Students With Disabilities

“…Community engagement is an important aspect of development for youth with and without disabilities. Through community engagement experiences, youth with disabilities participate in developmentally appropriate activities with and designed for youth with and without disabilities, typically outside of the school setting (Carter et al, 2021). These experiences should not supplant general education curriculum but provide additional meaningful opportunities for students with disabilities to gain important lifelong skills (e.g., employment and social skills) and experiences (e.g., building social relationships with peers and adults) outside of the classroom and after school hours.…”

Supporting Positive Post-School Outcomes for Students With Disabilities in Rural Locations

“…Students who live in rural settings are more likely (by 10 percentage points) than those in urban areas to be receiving special education services through an Individualized Education Program (IEP; Lipscomb et al, 2017); one quarter of all students with disabilities attend rural schools (Carter et al, 2021). Although students with disabilities in rural schools may experience some benefits related to their locale (e.g., strong community support, closer relationships with teachers and students), unique challenges may exist (Berry & Gravelle, 2018).…”

“…It may be appropriate to gather community members to discuss post-school outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Arranging community conversations in rural settings can be effective in increasing employment opportunities for students with disabilities, developing community awareness, and promoting family engagement (Carter et al, 2021). Local organizations (e.g., Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club) may be able to support these efforts.…”

Strengthening Transition Partnerships Through Community Conversation Events

“…In the literature, studies describe the successful efforts of both rural and urban communities to host events designed to develop new partnerships and generate unique solutions around preparing youth with disabilities for adulthood, including those with high-incidence and low-incidence disabilities (e.g., Dutta et al., 2016;Trainor et al., 2012). Moreover, school districts benefit greatly from and enjoy this approach for improving transition programming (Carter, Schutz, et al., 2020). Districts can use the data they collect to identify important training and support needs for their staff and students.…”

“…Using this approach can generate hundreds of new ideas and spur a variety of impactful changes after the event. Surveys of attendees consistently find that people (a) think the event was a good investment of their time, (b) learned new information about their community, (c) met new people in the community, and (d) identified ideas that could be taken to improve transition outcomes (Carter, Schutz, et al., 2020). In addition, special educators and transition personnel across diverse communities have reported positive experiences hosting community conversations (Parker-Katz et al., 2018).…”