UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Online
Author:
Nugent, Laura R
Dept./Program:
Leadership and Developmental Sciences
Year:
2020
Degree:
Ed. D.
Abstract:
This qualitative multi-phase study explores the impact of school transiency on students with and without disabilities through interviews with teachers and administrators in six school districts in Vermont. The goal of the study is to describe the effects of school transiency on the education and socioemotional development of students with disabilities, expose the causes of school transiency, and provide guidance to educators on mitigating the impact of these factors on student growth. Repeated interviews were conducted with 11 teachers and administrators between 2017 and 2020. This research was primarily focused on determining whether students with disabilities are more likely to experience academic loss due to school transiency. The findings suggest that the individualized education planning process (IEP), afforded to students with disabilities, provides them greater protection and insulation from the effects of transiency than their non-disabled peers. The IEP was strongly related to increased continuity of learning for students with disabilities. The findings detail how collaborative interdisciplinary teams are particularly beneficial to transient students with disabilities. Similarly, interviewees identified the important role that parent advocacy has on student success.