The purpose of the present study was to find interagency collaboration strategies activating the transition service from school to adult life of students with disabilities, based on the beliefs that schooling of students with disabilities should be th...
The purpose of the present study was to find interagency collaboration strategies activating the transition service from school to adult life of students with disabilities, based on the beliefs that schooling of students with disabilities should be the process of preparing for their adult life after leaving school and improving the quality of life of them and so schools have to serve as supporting the process actively in cooperation with related-agencies. To accomplish the purpose of this study, literature was reviewed with respect to theories in strategies for transition of them and interagency collaboration; and also analyzed regarding their transition outcomes and current situations of interagency collaboration in Korea, and transition plans for students with disabilities and models for interagency collaboration in U.S.A. Based on the review and analysis of related literature, the study tried to find strategies for the development of interagency collaboration teams designing and implementing the transition plan appropriate to students with disabilities in Korea, support methods for students with disabilities provided by the teams, and management strategies of the teams. The conclusions of the study are as follows:
First, schools which implement special education programs have to develop the transition plans of students with disabilities and organize interagency collaboration teams with other agencies for vocational rehabilitation, social welfare, and adult services in order to support the transition from school to adult life of them. For the development of the teams, the systems of education, employment, and welfare have to be reorganized so as to coordinate and integrate fragmentary service. In addition, the goals, forms, process, and phases of the team development should be mandated legislatively. The schools, therefore, have to translate their management systems into ones which can lead interagency networking on the foundation of the idea of collaboration and so support the transition from school to adult life actively.
Second, the interagency collaboration teams which suport the transition process of students with disabilities are diveided into ones at the levels of policy-making, its implementation, and preparation for services, based on the ranges of their influences on decision-making. According to such classification, central government and local governments must establish collaborative councils which are composed of the representatives from the departments in charge of education, labour, and welfare; communities and schools respectively have to establish the teams consisting of delegates from the related-agencies in communities and support the transition of them. Among the teams at different levels, the community-based teams should be the central roles to provide feedback with the central and local government-level teams which have responsibility for policy-making, and support the schools and students with disabilities.
Third, the phases considered as the most important concerns currently among the transition stages of students with disabilities are ones from preschool to kindergarten or elementary school, and from secondary school to adult life. The infants and young children with disabilities moving from preschool to elementary shcool stage have to be provided with early identification and services for their development and school attendance. Meantime, students with disabilities in transition process from secondary school to adult life must be provided with services for integrated employment, post-secondary and adult education, and participation in communities. The schools implementing special education program, therefore, have to support the transition of secondary school students with disabilities by developing the transition plans which focus on their employment and establishing the collaboration teams with other agencies in comunities.
Finally, the interagency collaboration teams are structures that provide jointly sponsored services in collaboration with the agencies in different disciplinary areas. Their management can be influenced by a range of external obstacles, but more affected by internal factors such as their goals and beliefs of leaders and members. They, therefore, have to make professional efforts so that they can continue to be operated by consumer-centered systems through the following activities: selecting policy with specific objectives and leaders with strong conviction; carrying out continuous research for their improvement; establishing systems which provide information on the transition and evaluate the outcomes of transition service; and securing funds and allotting them.
As mentioned so far. education of students with disabilities has to be aimed at preparing for the transition from school to adult life after their graduation from school, and provide support service appropriate to the needs of students with disabilities in collaboration with related-agencies. In order to perform such roles, interagency collaboration teams have to be established. Schools in charge of education of students with disabilities, therefore, will have to develope the transition plans for them, and in order to implement the plans, change their management systems into ones which serve as leading collaboration among related-agencies.