Strategies to Increase Collaboration Between School Counselors and Transition Specialists: A Multi-Tiered Approach to College and Career Readiness.

This article focuses on enhancing college and career readiness (CCR) support for students with disabilities through improved collaboration between school counselors and transition specialists. While school counselors are trained to support all students’ academic and personal development, they often lack sufficient training and time to adequately serve students with disabilities, whose postsecondary outcomes tend to be poorer than their nondisabled peers. Transition specialists, who are trained to provide individualized postsecondary transition planning for students with disabilities, and school counselors have historically worked independently, limiting comprehensive CCR support. The authors propose a collaborative, multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) model that integrates the expertise of both professionals across universal, targeted, and individualized tiers, emphasizing shared data use, family and community partnerships, and inclusive CCR curricula. The article also highlights the need for enhanced training, professional development, and systemic changes to foster effective collaboration and better serve the diverse, intersectional identities of students with disabilities.