Extra-year school readiness programs, which serve as "developmental kindergartens" or "junior first grades," are well-intentioned transition programs between kindergarten and first grade that are intended to serve children judged to be at risk for early school failure. Despite their good intentions, these programs are…

This policy update discusses key aspects of the Job Training Reform Amendments of 1992 (Public Law 102-367) that have potential implications for transition services for individuals with disabilities. The discussion focuses on participant eligibility, criteria established for "hard-to-serve" individuals, support for training and…

This paper lists practices recommended by the Council for Exceptional Children's Division for Early Childhood concerning the process of transition in early intervention and early childhood special education programs for infants and young children with special needs and their families. An introductory section defines transition, offers examples of…

Developed as part of the Indiana Least Restrictive Environment Project, this document is concerned with issues relating to the education and community integration of persons with substantial handicaps. The paper traces the development of the movement to provide those special education services necessary to integrate the disabled into the general…

The article reviews studies on vocational adjustment of the learning disabled as well as current practices and concludes that secondary programs should provide six types of vocationally relevant activities including: occupational awareness/exploration, vocational assessment, instruction in job-related academic skills, instruction in job-related…

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…

Examines the extent to which organizations are meeting the transitional support needs of adult learners. Focuses on the roles of all constituent groups involved in the provision of transition support services, such as instructors, institutional leadership, and administration. Discusses optimism and control, self-awareness, and social and emotional…

This article provides historical background on school-to-work (STW) activities, especially for students with hearing impairments. It describes laws shaping requirements for STW programs and research supporting STW components. Recommendations for curricular elements of an STW program are offered and future trends in STW are forecast. (Contains…

Recent emphases on school readiness and standardized testing have resulted in educational practices with negative consequences for children. These practices include a higher school entry age, grade retention, transition programs, and the practice of enrolling children in kindergarten when they are six, rather than five, years old. (BC)

Discusses the need for careful consideration of family and cultural factors in transition planning. Issues explored include degree of independence for the adolescent desired by the family, rules of acceptance, needs for information, changes in family routines, and family and child life experiences. (Author/CR)

Transition planning to assist students with severe disabilities to move from school to a positive adult future is of great concern for the young people and their families and friends. For more than a decade, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) within the U.S. Department of Education has researched quality of life issues in transition…

This policy update discusses provisions of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act which directly influence the experiences of high school-age students with disabilities as they prepare for the transition from school to work and adult life. The paper discusses: (1) purposes of the Act; (2) the eight National Education Goals of Title I; (3)…

These six fact sheets are designed to communicate strategies for serving all youth, especially youth with disabilities, in school to work programs: (1) "Overview of the School-to-Work Opportunities Act" briefly describes this 1994 federal law and the three components of school-to-work programs: school-based learning, work-based learning,…

Many public programs providing employment services and support to developmentally disabled adults foster dependency and work disincentives and fail to provide adequate vocational service. Programs should be better coordinated, focus on transitional and supported work activities, and provide incentives to motivate clients to attain the most…

One of the primary goals of Early College High Schools is to enroll students who are underrepresented in higher education. This brief report describes the strategies ECHSs have used to recruit students from groups that are traditionally underserved and underrepresented in higher education and addresses the impact of the recruitment and selection…