Students with disabilities experience higher unemployment, attend postsecondary environments less often, and engage less in their communities after graduating from high school compared to their peers without disabilities (Newman, Wagner, Knokey, Marder, Nagle, Shaver, & Schwarting, 2011). In middle school, young adolescents with disabilities…

The purpose of this study was to examine disproportionality in transition services for students with disabilities. The authors predicted that students' transition services and secondary programs would be driven not only by their postschool goals, but also by their gender, ethnicity, disability, and school setting. To test this hypothesis, the…

Many students with disabilities entering the 9th grade express concern about getting lost in the larger high school environment, being picked on by older students, and having more challenging academic classes. The transition from middle-to-high school process for students with disabilities at Westminster High School in suburban Los Angeles is a…

A model program in rural Pennsylvania designed to improve inclusion and transition for students with disabilities required considerable administrative and instructional support and major changes in philosophy and curriculum. Features include school-to- work coordinator, learning facilitator for special needs students, joint Individualized…

This paper offers a structured framework for the transition of students with disabilities from middle or junior high school to high school. First, it outlines a transition decision tree to help decide whether a formal transition plan is needed. Next, the paper offers a 10-step set of practices appropriate for all students with disabilities in the…

This article addresses assessment in transition services for students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997. The legislative foundation, purposes, and uses of transition assessment in the middle and high school years are discussed in relation to transition planning. Competencies needed by…

This study examined high school and middle school transition practices from the perspective of special education teacher leaders. Results indicated that the majority of schools offer functional curricula, social skills training, and an array of school-based functional learning opportunities. However, a significant number of schools did not provide…

The manual presents intervention strategies designed by Project MEDIA (Middle and Elementary Direct Instruction Alternatives) to aid the transition of both nonhandicapped and mainstreamed handicapped students from elementary (K-5) to middle (6-8) school. The manual is divided into six sections with topics of specific problem areas alphabetized…

This guide for parents of students with disabilities in Florida provides information about the types of diplomas available through the Florida public school system and is intended to help parents and students make diploma choices in middle school and beyond as part of yearly transition individualized education program (IEP) meetings. Part 1…

New York City's Special Education School Articulation Program, which fosters informed student and parent choice about available high school program options, is described. Initial program objectives for the 1990-91 school year included hiring of school articulation coordinators and development of specific articulation plans by middle and high…

Although transition services and plans for youth with disabilities are mandated by age 16 by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a need clearly exists to provide transition services before age 16. The literature documents the need for transition programs that develop problem-solving skills, career awareness, an interest in future…

Six students in a special education classroom at Levy Middle School (Syracuse, New York) became involved in a variety of after-school activities with nondisabled students. The students participated in the school computer club, cross-country skiing, volleyball, stage crew, intramural basketball, the Spanish Club, and after-school programs at two…

Eight papers are presented to assist career resource teachers who are working with handicapped students to prepare them for transition from school to work. "In Their Own Words: Teachers Share Their Experiences in Working with Special Education Students" (Lewis Allen) describes the use of cooperative learning in English, electronics, and interior…

This publication, in English and Spanish, is intended to assist in inclusion of transition from school to work components in the development of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for a student with a disability in middle school or high school. The guide begins with definitions of "transitions" and "success" and then offers vignettes of the…

The 19 chapters of this book address theoretical and practical aspects of the development and implementation of inclusive education programs. Chapter titles and authors are: (1) "Inclusive Education: The Past, Preset, and Future" (Lissa A. Power-deFur and Fred P. Orelove); (2) "Inclusion and School Restructuring: Meeting the Needs of All Children"…