The Volta Review - Alexander Graham Bell Association

those placements for students with any type of disability was also very limited.
One study conducted by Knesting, Hokanson, and Waldron (2008) found that
the transition for middle school students with mild disabilities took noticeably
longer than expected. Some students required an “extended length of time...to
learn about and become comfortable with school routines than their peers without
disabilities” (p. 271).
Statement of the Problem
Very little research has been conducted to determine the preparedness of
students who are deaf or hard of hearing entering the general education
setting and their academic progress post-transition. As previously noted,
studies involving students with other disabilities identified themes or factors
important to the successful transition from a special school into the general
education. Survey and interview research was available to identify factors
reputed to promote the successful achievement of students who are deaf or
hard of hearing once placed in the general education setting. Given the limited
research pertaining to the transition process of students who are deaf or
hard of hearing from a LSL school to the general education setting, there is a
need to examine the transition process to determine the effectiveness of a LSL
school program and a student’s preparedness to enter the general education
setting. Thus, this research study sought to answer the following questions:
What are parent perceptions toward the process of transitioning students
from a LSL school into the general education setting? And how well are
students from a LSL school prepared for the general education setting?
Methodology
Through the use of a mixed methods approach and using a phenomenological
case study design, the collection and analysis of quantitative and
qualitative data addressed the research questions posed in this study.
Purposeful sampling, specifically criterion-based sampling, was employed.
A review of student records at a LSL school located in the Northeast United
States was conducted to determine eligibility of participants. In addition,
the review of student records provided demographic information on the
sample, e.g., date of enrollment, test scores, and grade point average (GPA).
Interview and survey methods were used to collect data on perceptions of the
transition process and preparedness for the general education setting.
Instrumentation
The authors developed two separate instruments: interview protocol questions
for the parent participants (Appendix A) and a survey for the teacher
participants (Appendix B). The Institutional Review Board at Robert Morris
328 Rugg & Donne