This digest discusses how secondary students with learning disabilities or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can investigate postsecondary programs and find the right college to meet their needs. It begins by exploring when students should begin their college planning and the role of transition plans in determining student goals and vision…

This digest discusses comprehensive training planning for students with disabilities and ways educators can facilitate the involvement of students with disabilities in helping to formulate the Individualized Transition Plan component of the Individualized Education Program (IEP). Strategies for encouraging student participation include: (1) begin…

This Digest discusses the conversion of military personnel to school employees and describes a U.S. Department of Defense program called "Troops to Teachers" that helps military personnel affected by defense cut-backs pursue new careers as teachers and teachers' aides. Created by Congress in 1992 through the National Defense…

This Digest summarizes what is known about the successful transition of children with disabilities from infant/toddler services to preschool education. The ideal transition process is defined and characteristics of an ideal process such as meeting individual needs and providing uninterrupted services are listed. Also noted are issues in the…

Few of the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) participants in adult education classes move on to academic ESL programs that prepare them for content area study or general educational development (GED) or high school equivalency instruction. The ESL literacy curriculum is currently mismatched with GED and academic ESL curricula in purpose, content,…

Immigration to the United States from Mexico has a long history and has been increasing in recent years. Immigrant students, especially those who arrive as adolescents and those whose families are migrant agricultural workers, have special educational needs. Mexican immigrant students have varied educational backgrounds, but most need to learn…

Many teens experience a time when keeping up with school work is difficult. Some adolescents are able to get through this time with minimal assistance from their parents or teachers. However, when the difficulties last longer than a single grading period or are linked to a long-term pattern of poor school performance, parents and teachers may need…

Vocational education, special education, and vocational rehabilitation are the three primary providers of school-to-work transition services to handicapped youth. Each of these three sectors has a vital role to play in the following aspects of transition services: identification, assessment, individualized program planning, program implementation…

Over the last thirty years access to higher education has expanded markedly. Remediation and support programs, including summer bridge programs, have grown in response to the needs of international students, non-English speakers and disabled students, and others who need help in gaining an equal footing with other students. The other main thrust…

This digest summarizes changes in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in the reauthorization and amendments of 1997, Public Law 105-17. These changes include: participation of students with disabilities in state and district-wide assessment programs, development and review of the individualized education program (IEP), enhanced…