This book is a guide to the development of Individual Transition Plans (ITPs) for students with disabilities. It includes 37 sample ITPs for students with a wide variety of disabilities. The first four chapters describe the formatting necessary for designing the transition planning document and then describe each of the 10 goals, which range from…

In the field of educational leadership, as well as special education, parental participation is paramount given that federal law has mandated that schools provide and show evidence that they foster parental participation. This quantitative, non-experimental study examined the relationship between level of education, marital status, socioeconomic…

Principals must be instructional leaders in their schools in order to adhere to federal, state, and local mandates as well as being able to discern that the programs for students with disabilities are being developed and implemented with fidelity to meet the needs of those students. The transition a school goes through to include students with…

Parent-school relationships are vital to the success of student achievement. Effective parent-school relationships are especially beneficial to students with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires parental participation in partnership with the school staff when developing the individual educational programs…

In November 2008, Congress passed, and the President signed, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments (ADAA), with an effective date of January 1, 2009. While other issues, such as the national economic crisis, dominated public attention at the time, the ADAA unobtrusively connected to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973…

Too often, parents of children with disabilities come with negative expectations about the intentions of the teachers and administrators who are proposing an education plan for their son or daughter. In preparation, they arm themselves with advocates, lawyers, and a myriad of outside evaluations in preparation for the "battle" ahead. In…

This study examines the quantitative results of an evaluation investigating implementation of the Transition Outcomes Project in a midwestern state. Data collection and analysis consist of preevaluation and postevaluation of students' Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) using the "Transition Requirements Checklist" and include…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine special education teachers' perceptions of the daily process of documentation of academic accommodations provided to special education students on their caseloads, Grades 6-10. The purposefully selected sample was comprised of 12 middle and high school special education teachers who teach in…

The purpose of this study was to examine all states' participation guidelines for alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS) and to analyze these guidelines for common and contrasting themes. State alternate assessment participation guidelines were found for all 50 states. Participation guidelines were coded, and 12…

Research continues to document the lack of widespread classroom implementation of self-determination instruction. One reason given for why self-determination skills are not being taught is the lack of readily available and affordable instructional resources. The IEP process is one vehicle that all teachers can use to teach self-determination.…

This examination of individual transition plans (ITPs) for students with disabilities in New South Wales, Australia, looked at effectiveness of the system and procedures, and involvement of teachers in the development of the ITPs. It found that the numbers of written ITPs grew from 156 (56 percent of potential) in 1989 to 340 (74 percent) by June…

This inservice guide and six companion documents comprise a series developed for assisting disabled persons in their transition from secondary and postsecondary vocational education to work. The model is designed to prepare support teams of school-community persons. This guide is intended for use by the field coordinator, administrator, and/or any…

This checklist is intended to help communities evaluate their provision of Personal Assistance Services (PAS) for people with significant disabilities. Although PAS services are the key component of individualized supports for such persons, they should be considered in conjunction with other services. Essential qualities of effective PAS are: (1)…

An evaluation was conducted of the first year (1990-91) of Project HIRE (Hiring into Rewarding Employment). Project HIRE was a 3-year federally-funded project designed to assist students with disabilities to gain and retain meaningful employment by maintaining secondary support services until this transition is completed successfully. During the…

This manual was developed to address the need for health-related physical fitness testing of children with special needs. The first section defines the components of health-related physical fitness which consist of: (1)abdominal strength and endurance measured by a sit-up test; (2) flexibility, measured by a sit and reach test; (3) upper body…