Busy educators are often faced with a dilemma--staying up to date with evidence-based practices and initiatives that support their professional growth while combating a constant barrage of superficial ideas from other contexts. Continuous improvement approaches to change offer methods for testing new ideas and adapting them to local contexts. If…

There is a strong and compelling research base suggesting improved outcomes when youth across disability populations are provided access to evidence-based transition planning. However, there are also systemic inequities in who has been the focus of the research that has established the "evidence" base. There is a need to rethink who is…

All students go through a variety of transitions throughout their life (i.e., middle school to high school, high school to the workforce). However, students with disabilities tend to experience disparities compared to their peers without disabilities in regard to in-school and postschool outcomes. One way to enhance outcomes for students with…

To support efforts for a transformational kindergarten year, the U.S Department of Education (Department) is launching a multistate community of practice: Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge Learning Community. State educational agencies (SEAs)and local educational agencies (LEAs) will have the opportunity to participate in peer learning, receive technical…

Check-in/check-out (CICO) is an evidence-based practice for addressing the behavioral needs of students with and without disabilities from kindergarten through the 12th grade. The CICO intervention is easily adapted to address other areas of need, beyond behavior, including academics and social integration, making CICO appealing for all school…

Some students with disabilities, particularly those with emotional and behavioral disorders, may struggle with transitions, demonstrating inappropriate behaviors during them. Visual supports, previously determined to be an evidence-based practice for students with autism, is a proactive classroom management strategy addressing transitioning. In…

Transition is important to all students but especially important to students with intellectual disability who may need additional supports throughout their vertical transitions in education. This chapter discusses different vertical transitions students with intellectual disability face in education, with particular attention to the movement from…

Youth with disabilities are dramatically overrepresented in the juvenile justice system. These individuals have poorer outcomes compared with their nondisabled peers regarding school graduation, employment, and recidivism. This discussion article explores issues related to transition and outlines research-based practices aimed at increasing…

Given the continuing poor post-school outcomes for students with ASD, combined with the limited number of current interventions to address the problem, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services'(OSERS) charged the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT) with identifying and…

In 2021, California made historic investments in early learning to expand transitional kindergarten (TK) to serve all of California's 4-year-olds. Transitional kindergarten began in California in 2012 as a free public school program for 4-year-olds who were not yet eligible for kindergarten (a non-compulsory grade). Yet by 2019, just 28 percent of…

To scale up and sustain the use of evidence-based practices, it is imperative that state education agencies systematically implement professional development that represents best practice. By delivering quality professional development to local districts, it is more likely that transition personnel will implement transition programs and practices…

Texas has long been an innovator in policies, systems, and practices to ensure that young adults from low-income backgrounds are prepared for postsecondary education and careers. Today, the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic crisis have cast a harsh light on the importance of reengaging young adults who are disconnected from school and work…

This chapter provides evidence-based supports for special education transition services for students with autism. Visual supports, video modeling, and other related strategies used in the transition from school to adult living are included. Discussion includes using evidence-based transition strategies with students who have autism, fostering…

This book is intended to give support providers the understanding, knowledge, and skills for providing transition and employment services in school, employment, community, and residential settings and thereby improve the quality of life for the individuals that they support. It not only shows how to support an individual with a disability but also…

Transition from high school to adulthood is a difficult period of life for all youth, especially those with disabilities. Research indicates students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) experience difficulties in transitioning to a postschool environment. Their postschool outcomes in the areas of education, employment, and community…