Outlines effective transition strategies used in rural settings that enhance student participation and community participation. Discusses the problems faced by rural states related to participation of students in transition activities and overcoming community barriers to student involvement. (Author/JOW)

The core of the education system must be transformed to make it supportive of exceptional students in transition. Attempts to improve the system by adding on programs rather than instituting core changes have not been effective. A "teaming" process that promotes school-community and interagency collaboration and infuses transition into the core of…

An interview with four leaders (L. Brown, A. Halpern, S. Hasazi, and P. Wehman) on the conceptualization and implementation of transition programming for handicapped students focuses on such issues as the role of political factors, the possibility of effective school/adult service agency coordination, the importance of social skills, and emerging…

Discusses initiatives undertaken by Sheffield Hallam University (England) to raise awareness of higher education opportunities, increase access, and provide support to a diverse group of students in the local community. Describes the development of pre-entry transition courses and "awareness-raising" programs for students with disabilities, ethnic…

Describes the role of community transition teams as a mechanism for developing school-family-community partnerships and enhancing student involvement in transition. Discusses challenges and lessons for building and maintaining effective partnerships over time. (Author)

This paper critiques current "school-to-work" practices in rural schools. A look at the rural context reveals that rural workers are more likely to be unemployed and are paid less than workers elsewhere, resulting in high rural poverty. In addition, many kinds of rural decline (in services, transportation, job availability) are tied to…

With the ultimate goal of articulating a research agenda, a November 1999 conference of researchers and educators examined the educational, social, and economic factors affecting rural adolescents' transition to the workforce. The first section of this white paper discusses the need to clarify research questions about adolescence to include a…

This report advocates the implementation of accelerated schools as a new strategy for at-risk students by focusing on the success of the model Accelerated Schools Program (ASP) at Stanford University. Under this program, conventional schools with large at-risk populations can be transformed into accelerated schools. Designed to accelerate at-risk…

This response to EC 604 966 points out that the special education community must collaborate with multiple agencies, employers, and selected community members in identifying desired outcomes, to increase the likelihood of these potential services being offered to youths with disabilities in transition from school to adult life. (JDD)

This report presents recommendations that address needed changes and improvements in state policies, administrative practices, and school and community service programs, in relation to school-to-adult-life transition of young people with disabilities in Minnesota. Recommendations were derived from two sources: (1) reviews of state plans and…

This paper discusses the issues surrounding the transition from home or preschool to elementary school for children from low-income families, and examines the future direction of transition programs to help alleviate many of the difficulties that these families face. Noting that there are two venues for reform action, the curriculum and the family…

This article identifies similarities in structures and practices between early intervention with infants and young children with disabilities and secondary/transition programs for adolescents and young adults with developmental delays or disabilities. These include horizontally administered, community-referenced, and consumer-driven services;…