This study examined Students with Learning Disabilities (SLD) graduation rates from two-year community colleges. Specifically, the purpose of this paper was to determine if identifiable demographics or accommodations were related to SLD who graduated from community colleges. Data were collected from the records of SLD at four community colleges in North Carolina. The information collected included demographic data, the accommodations of SLD, and graduation status from community college. The results were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression. The overall study demonstrated no factors were identified that predict graduation for SLD from a two-year community college. Implications for future research include the need to provide training for students in self-determination as well as federal transition requirements from high school to college. At the postsecondary level there is a need for training for faculty on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), SLD and accommodations.

"I found this book well organized and very user friendly. It outlines from beginning to end a process for taking on the issue of school dropout." -Geralynn Olvey, Program Specialist Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center, CO "The authors supply insight into areas of early intervention, truancy indicators, and the importance of students feeling that they belong to their school and of their own engagement, whether it is by academics, the arts, or extracurricular activities." -Nancy Avolese, State Coordinator of Alternative Education Pennsylvania Department of Education Effective dropout prevention strategies for educators! How can teachers and administrators steer students toward graduation and away from dropping out? What determining factors contribute to a student′s choice to drop out? Why is high school graduation such an important issue in society today? Effective prevention and intervention programs for the most vulnerable students are key to improving graduation rates. This practitioner-friendly resource offers guidelines for implementing dropout prevention strategies in the classroom, throughout the school, and at the district level. Graduation for All melds research and practical tools to include both evidence-based intervention models and real-world examples. With the goal of producing an educated citizenry that contributes to the world in positive ways, the authors present tools and a plan for: Increasing graduation rates while decreasing dropout rates Meeting the standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act Pinpointing the most critical years for establishing a solid educational foundation Connecting with other groups to share ideas and prepare for change The impact of increased graduation rates reaches beyond statistics-more graduates mean more individuals who are better prepared to meet the challenges of life after school, and better outcomes for youth, schools, and society in general.

Navigating the Transition from High School to College for Students with Disabilities provides effective strategies for navigating the transition process from high school into college for students with a wide range of disabilities. As students with disabilities attend two and four-year colleges in increasing numbers and through expanding access opportunities, challenges remain in helping these students and their families prepare for and successfully transition into higher education. Professionals and families supporting transition activities are often unaware of today’s new and rapidly developing options for postsecondary education. This practical guide offers user-friendly resources, including vignettes, research summaries, and hands-on activities that can be easily implemented in the classroom and in the community and that facilitate strong collaboration between schools and families. Preparation issues such as financial aid, applying for college, and other long-term planning areas are addressed in detail. An accompanying student resource section offers materials for high school students with disabilities that secondary educators, counselors, and transition personnel can use to facilitate exploration and planning discussions. Framing higher education as a possible transition goal for all students with disabilities, Navigating the Transition from High School to College for Students with Disabilities supports the postsecondary interests of more than four million public school students with disabilities.

"The Graduate First initiative was implemented to address the dropout crisis among students with disabilities in the state of Georgia, who continue to demonstrate a rate of attrition twice that of their non-disabled peers (Georgia Department of Education [GA DOE], 2010). This mixed method case study explored the perceptions and experiences of a sample of 20 Graduate First collaboration and graduation coaches and other key school personnel involved with the program, as well as the county and school level graduation and dropout data. Qualitative results revealed a general perception of effectiveness of the Graduate First initiative, which provides additional attention and data driven methods for meeting the needs of the at-risk student population, particularly students with disabilities. Key elements perceived to contribute to the success of the initiative included attendance tracking and rewards to keep the students in school, individual attention and tutoring, and the use of self-determination and student-led IEPs; whereas, factors perceived to contribute to the attrition of students with disabilities included frequent academic failures, multiple retentions resulting in being overage, a college preparation focused school curriculum lacking vocational options, and the negative effects of disability labels on student expectations. Participants described the frustration and discouragement of students with disabilities, who reportedly feel overwhelmed with the academic rigor and failing to succeed, leading to dropping out of school. County and school level quantitative data demonstrated an improvement in the graduation rates, particularly among students with disabilities, but continued to evidence increases in student dropout rates in grades 9-12, with a noticeably higher dropout rate among the students with disabilities at the case study school, despite intervention efforts, suggesting the need for further investigation. Findings of the study contribute to potential new directions in addressing the the dropout rate problem among this population."--Pages [ii-iii].

This volume brings together four semi-autonomous bodies of research (choice, self-determination, self-regulation, and self-management) to form a new theory of self-engaged learning entitled, Self-Determined Learning Theory. This theory explains why and how students self-engage. It identifies the factors that give students the sense of control over their learning that is needed for sustained, adaptive, and ultimately successful learning. It begins by describing the characteristics of disengaged learners, then describes and illustrates self-determined learning theory within both normal and special populations. It then examines the theory's predictive value across several special population contexts and then concludes with a critique of the theory's credibility and worth. Divided into three sections--theory construction, theory verification, and theory evaluation--this volume is organized using the four steps of a previous book, Learning to Theorize: A Four Step Strategy. Step 1 defines a problem of not understanding something as discrepancy between what is known and not known about a circumstance. Step 2 searches for information and explanations to change the condition of not knowing into a condition of knowing. Step 3 evaluates the credibility and worth of the explanation constructed in Step 2. Step 4 adjusts existing beliefs so they are consistent with the new theory. Although aimed primarily at leaders in special education, it should also appeal to researchers and scholars in psychology, educational psychology, and school psychology who are interested in the applications of self-regulated learning theory--in this case to special populations.

Students with disabilities are attending higher education institutes at an increasing rate due to the programs and retention practices developed in k-12 classrooms. A concern for community colleges is the student’s ability to transition into the workforce after graduation. A high percentage of students with disabilities are unemployed. It is essential to study factors that can contribute to a student’s ability or inability to successfully transition into employment after matriculation. Self-efficacy has been associated with academic success and could be a determinate for employment status. The purpose of this study was to determine if self-efficacy levels differ between students with and without disabilities who do or do not participate in work-based learning. Work-based learning is a program-specific internship experience designed to develop students’ hard and soft skills, job awareness, and professional network. The causal-comparative study determined the effect of work-based learning and disability status on students’ self-efficacy. Self-efficacy was measured using the General Self-Efficacy Scale. The data was collected from 14 North Carolina community colleges using convenience sampling. The data was analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The two-way ANOVA yielded no statistical significance between self-efficacy scores between students with and without disabilities who did or did not participate in work-based learning. The difference between self-efficacy scores in students with and without disabilities was statistically significant and therefore support previous research studies’ assertations. Future studies should compare students’ self-efficacy scores over a semester to determine if there is a positive or negative change.