Despite federal laws mandating services to support their postsecondary transitions, students with disabilities overall pursue less continued education and vocational training and get fewer jobs than their peers without disabilities. To enhance outcomes for students with disabilities after they exit high school, this article describes how state…

"What do all youth need to make a successful transition to adulthood?" This is the central question that the Guideposts for Success is designed to answer. Two characteristics set the Guideposts for Success apart from other frameworks and resources pertaining to youth transition. First, it recognizes that youth in the…

In 2015, the University of Southern California (USC) began a longitudinal, mixed-methods evaluation of the Thompson Scholars Learning Communities (TSLC), a comprehensive college transition program that provides students with multiple, integrated types of support. The evaluation as a whole examined whether, how, and why TSLC, as implemented at the…

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by Title IV of the Workforce Investment Opportunities Act (WIOA) of 2014, defines Competitive Integrated Employment as, "work that is performed on a full-time or part-time basis for which an individuals is: (a) compensated at or above minimum wage or commensurate with individuals without disabilities…

The checklist provided here is intended to provide schools, districts, or other stakeholders in secondary transition with a framework for determining the degree to which their program is implementing practices that are likely to lead to more positive post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. The predictor categories listed have been…

Achieve and the U.S. Education Delivery Institute have developed a practical Common Core Implementation Workbook for all states in the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). This workbook uses a proven performance management methodology known as "delivery" to lay out clear action steps for states and districts. It…

Despite the fact that a majority of urban educators remain optimistic about the future of city schools, urban high schools face significant challenges. Many recent developments in high school reform have important implications for career and technical education (CTE) programs in urban high schools. Publications on reforming secondary education…

To successfully make the transition from school to adult life and the world of work, adolescents and young adults need guidance and encouragement from caring, supportive adults. The best decisions and choices made by transitioning youth are based on sound information including appropriate assessments that focus on the talents, knowledge, skills,…

This Vocational Education Resource Package (VERP) was developed to provide materials useful in replicating an exemplary vocational education program for special student populations in the California Community Colleges. This VERP provides information on Career Beginnings, an exemplary program for disadvantaged students, originally developed at…

Transition from secondary education to adulthood represents a period during which adolescents with disabilities face multiple responsibilities and changing roles that include establishing independence, attending postsecondary education or training, developing social networks, choosing a career, participating in their communities, and managing…

The renaming of vocational education (VE) as career and technical education (CTE) has been motivated partly by the need to address VE's image. However, name changes go beyond concern for image. Today's CTE offers broader career pathways than did previous VE programs. After a decade of academic-vocational integration and tech prep, it is recognized…

First-year experiences in administration can color one's perceptions of the job, the career, and life goals. Ineffective socialization and assimilation during this period can also have serious consequences for staff, students, and community. This paper attempts to identify the significant issues, conflicts, and experiences occurring during the…

This guide is intended to assist instructors and administrators in improving the vocational education of special needs students by providing supplemental services that have been authorized by the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984. Discussed in a section on the implications of the act for disadvantaged and handicapped students are…

This paper studied contextual barriers inhibiting implementation of the Life-Centered Career Education/Employability Enhancement Strategies curriculum, which contains career education assessment and instructional materials for high school students with mild disabilities. Barriers included competing administrative commitments, scarcity of…

This resource guide is the result of a 3-year effort by a task force which addressed vocational and career education services for disabled students in Louisiana. Section I reports on the assessment process for students requiring special education with subsections on essential competencies recommended for vocational assessment personnel, the role…