Over the past three decades, transition practices research has demonstrated that post-school outcomes of students with disabilities improve when educators, families, students, and community members and organizations work together to implement a broad perspective of transition planning, more appropriately referred to as transition-focused…

Background: The current global cohort of youth has been called "a generation at-risk", marked by a dramatic rise in youth who are not in employment, education or training programmes. In 2010, youth were three times as likely as adults to be unemployed, with youth unemployment worsening in 2012 and 2013. Accordingly, there is an urgent…

This brief report applies research on self-determination to suggestions for helping students with disabilities make a successful transition from school to adult life. First, it defines the concept of self-determination and considers how self-determination is learned. It summarizes research supporting the view that self-determination in high school…

This issue on liberal education contains two short articles on National Project IV and descriptions of liberal education offerings at colleges and universities in the United States. The articles by Richard Hendrix and Zelda F. Gamson discuss objectives of the project and its history. National Project IV, sponsored by the Fund for the Improvement…

This newsletter issue reviews the research and literature on issues and best practices in programs to facilitate the transition of students with disabilities to adult life. First, the definition of transition services under the 1997 Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is presented and explained. Next, a…

During the 1980s, school-community partnerships increased nationwide, prompted by diminishing federal and state financial support for education, increasing numbers of at-risk students, and initiatives promoting local decision-making. Numerous examples in the literature portray partnerships involving "adoption" of schools by businesses, school use…

This fact sheet summarizes promising secondary education practices that special educators can employ to help improve the post-school outcomes of students with exceptional learning needs. These practices are organized into the following five categories: student-focused planning, student development, interagency collaboration, family involvement,…

The first of five studies in this monograph, "Transition Policies for Youth with Disabilities: Now a Question of Implementation" (Joseph Stowitschek), presents results of a study to determine priority areas for policy analysis among the issues identified in the literature on the school-to-work transition of individuals with disabilities.…

This issue of "Transition Summary" was developed to assist Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams in planning for successful transitions from high school into independent adulthood by students with disabilities. Definitions of transition services within federal law are first explored and legal implications for the IEP team are…

Secondary special education programs should include employment or postsecondary education placement outcomes in the curricula for mainstreamed mildly handicapped students. Program elements that support these goals are: individualized transition plans; paid work experience; job-seeking skills curriculum; flexible staffing patterns; active…

This paper addresses the need for transitional services for students with behavior problems. "Seriously emotionally disturbed" is an educational term related primarily to learning problems exhibited by students as a consequence of their emotional or behavioral problems. Follow-up studies of students with emotional and behavioral…

Practical information for parents of children with learning disabilities (LD) is presented in a workbook format. Guidelines for effective parenting of LD children are interspersed between checklists and other forms for record keeping, observations, and planning. After a chapter outlining the basic facts about learning disabilities, a chapter is…

This document identifies the costs of teen pregnancy in terms of high dropout rates, long-term educational decrements, the increased risks of the children of teen parents, loss of human capital, and increased welfare costs. Prevention and intervention and the features of operationally successful program models are included under the topic of…

Designed to assist parents and teachers in understanding the complex procedures of special education, this book describes the process for obtaining school services for children with disabilities. An introduction reviews six major provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that relate to children's rights to a free,…

Designed to assist Spanish-speaking parents and teachers in understanding special education procedures, this book describes the process for obtaining school services for children with disabilities. An introduction reviews six major provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that relate to children's rights to a free,…