Degree Date
4-2026
Document Type
Dissertation - Public Access
Degree Name
Ed.D. Doctor of Education
Academic Discipline
Disability and Equity in Education
First Advisor
Molly Buren
Second Advisor
Antonina Lukenchuk
Third Advisor
Laura Schmuldt
Abstract
This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of former students with EBD who attended a non-traditional high school. Eight semi-structured individual interviews were conducted to understand how students experienced emotional and academic supports during high school and throughout the transition into adulthood. Results revealed that participants appreciated attending a non-traditional school for its school connectedness, emotional and instructional supports, and school-based counseling. Additionally, findings suggest the school did not prepare them for the transition to post-secondary life. These findings suggest that emotional and academic support for students with EBD in non-traditional high school settings positively affected students’ sense of success in high school. However, limited support during the transition to post-secondary living left students unprepared to lead productive, satisfying adult lives.
Recommended Citation
De Rose, Kristen, "“I Should’ve Listened!”: Lived Experiences of Postsecondary Transitions Among Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders from Non-Traditional High Schools" (2026). Dissertations. 977.
https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/977
Included in
Disability Studies Commons, Other Education Commons, Secondary Education and Teaching Commons, Special Education and Teaching Commons, Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons