The Elon Gap Experience (EGE) was conceived out of Elon University's most recent strategic plan, the Elon Commitment (Elon University, 2009). One theme calls for "strategic and innovative pathways in undergraduate and graduate education," specifically "to launch a service program as part of a gap-year program" (Elon University,…

Children face increased demands for interpersonal as well as learning-related social skills, especially by the vulnerable stage of school entry, due to the more structured setting, new academic requirements, and the fact that children are supposed to interact successfully within a larger and heterogeneous peer group. Although a plethora of…

This article suggests a group intervention for student-athlete boys of color who intend to play sports in college. This group is a component of a larger proposed school-wide program, the College Transition Program for Student-Athletes (CTPSA). The CTPSA's suggested group intervention offers school counselors a college readiness option to support…

This executive summary of "Unlocking the Power of Digital Technologies to Support "Learning to Earning" for Displaced Youth" provides key insights and a roadmap for action from the full report, which itself provides an overview of how digital technologies are being used to support youth's transition from school to work,…

The compendium of solutions is a supporting document to the report "Unlocking the Power of Digital Technologies to Support 'Learning to Earning' for Displaced Youth." The compendium supplements the lessons learned and recommendations outlined in the main report by providing a deeper dive into the context, design, and implementation…

Self-determination refers to a person's ability to have control of their life choices, decisions, and interactions with others. Self-determination skills include: 1) decision-making, 2) goal setting, 3) self-awareness, 4) problem-solving, 5) self-advocacy, 6) self-monitoring, and 7) self-efficacy. Researchers suggest that youth with or at-risk for…

Background: Work-based learning strategies are often used in secondary transition settings to identify a student's strengths and interest related to competitive integrated employment. Transition professionals must not only understand evidence-based practices for creating and supporting work-based learning, they must also understand specific…

The transition from high school to adulthood is difficult for youth with autism spectrum disorder and their families. Recognizing these challenges, there is a small but emerging body of literature testing interventions to improve the transition process. But there are many challenges in performing intervention research that have yet to be fully…

Religious organizations often serve as mainstays of communities, especially rural communities with otherwise limited support to promote improved transition outcomes. Yet, religious organizations appear not to be utilized as agencies in transition service partnerships. This article addresses involving religious organizations in the transition…

Research suggests a potential relationship between self-determination and improved post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. Self-determination represents a particularly relevant variable which deserves increased attention for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD); however, there is no consistent understanding on how to…

Since 2011, Bridgewater State University (BSU) has received funds through the Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative (MAICEI) to support students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to attend college. This BSU-MAICEI partnership, named EXCEL (Extraordinary Expectations for Career, Education and Life), offers up…

The Youth Transitions Partnership (YTP) in Alameda County, California blends service coordination, intensive case management, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help transition-age youth in foster care engage with available support systems and subsequently improve their outcomes. As part of a formative evaluation of YTP, Chapin Hall…

This Policy Brief captures some of the challenges for students' math education trajectories, in light of the coronavirus pandemic, and it highlights three ways states can strengthen math pathways to improve student access and success. Specific policy options that states can consider include: (1) aligning high school math courses with postsecondary…

The IT industry is dynamic and quickly evolving. As a surge of diverse training models across subsectors and occupations is becoming available, this is a unique opportunity to enhance training practices and better align them to meet industry and employer needs. This brief offers recommendations for IT training providers to strengthen their work…

While all students are affected by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first-year student population remains a special category of vulnerability for higher education. This is on account of the way the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted their transition into university and complicated the nature of their entry into and through the formal academic…