The Quality of Transition Instrument: A Measure of Perceived Adjustment to New School Settings

• In Event: Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: Student Well-Being

Abstract

School counselors often work with students as they transition between school settings (US Government Accountability Office, 2010). This work may benefit from access to an assessment tool that focuses on specific, school adjustment-related issues. In this paper we describe the development of a 16-item self-report measure, The Quality of Transition Instrument (QTI; see Appendix), which is intended for use during a transition period. Using data from 318 high school students, we report satisfactory internal consistency and test retest reliability. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses we were able to reduce the initial scale from 24 to 16 items and retain two subscales that assess academic and social-emotional wellbeing. We conclude with implications for school counseling research and practice.

Authors

• Joanna K. Garner, Old Dominion University

• Shanan L. Chappell, Old Dominion University

• Gina Polychronopoulos, Old Dominion University