A Systematic Analysis of Transition Coursework Required for Special Education Licensure

The field of secondary special education and transition has long advocated for quality training at the preservice level. However, transition-focused coursework is not required for all special education licensure programs. Licensure programs requiring this coursework do not cover all transition-related knowledge and skills needed for teachers to implement effective planning and instruction. This article details results from an analysis of syllabi of transition coursework required for licensure sampled from institutions of higher education (i.e., named in 2015 U.S. News & World Report, 2014 National Council on Teacher Quality report). Results found 35% of universities sampled required a transition course for initial special education licensure. Courses identified covered roughly 85% of the subdomains identified in the Taxonomy for Transition Programming 2.0