To facilitate a more seamless transition from high school to postsecondary education, high schools and colleges need to build new relationships and examine educational programming on both sides of the critical juncture between the senior year in high school and the first year in college. This South Carolina College and Career Readiness Toolkit was…

Describes the Peer-Assisted Learning System (PALS) program at Merced High School. PALS was designed to facilitate the transition of disabled students returning to their home schools by pairing them with peers who served as instructors, friends, advocates, and decision makers in several arenas of school life. (Author/MKA)

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…

A survey of 80 high school students with learning disabilities (LD) and 80 nondisabled (NLD) peers found that more LD students than NLD students were involved in transition programs; career goals were established by the majority of both groups; and twice as many NLD students as LD students wanted to go to college. (Author/JDD)

A variety of accelerative options for gifted high school students is described, including part-time college programs and full-time early entrance programs. The University of Washington's Transition School and Early Entrance Program is presented as an option for teenagers to enter university without attending high school at all. (DB)

Increasing numbers of capable learning disabled students are attempting to make the difficult transition from high school to postsecondary programming. A comprehensive approach to better serve the college-bound learning disabled high school student includes early transition planning, instructional programming, social skills intervention, and…

Involvement of students with mild mental retardation (MMR) in the transition planning process was evaluated through interviews with 44 secondary teachers of students with MMR. The interviews focused on behaviors of the teacher and Individualized Education Program (IEP) team members before and during the transition planning meeting as well as…

This discussion identifies career decision-making skills of deaf youth; stresses the important influence of parents; notes school factors in career development; and reviews the availability of vocational rehabilitation, postsecondary training, and employment for this population. Recommendations focus on development of a National Network on Career…

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…

This digest describes the process of designing quality individualized education program (IEP) transition plans for secondary students with disabilities as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as amended in 1997. It stresses the importance of taking an early, long-range approach, preferably beginning at age 14 or…

Parents of young adults with developmental disabilities transitioning from mandated school services to adult services may face dilemmas when decisions present conflicting choices with equally problematic outcomes for the family. A questionnaire was administered to 103 families to determine which potential dilemmas were most significant for…

This digest discusses how secondary students with learning disabilities or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can investigate postsecondary programs and find the right college to meet their needs. It begins by exploring when students should begin their college planning and the role of transition plans in determining student goals and vision…

The manual was the outcome of a 3-year project to develop a training program on self-advocacy for special education students. The student training is a 3-4 hour program aimed at increased student awareness of their rights and responsibilities as they begin the transition process. Training materials include outlines for each session, student…

This report on a project called Performance Assessment for Self-Sufficiency (PASS) covers activities conducted in the first stage of expert system development: the acquisition of knowledge to be used as the foundation for the expert system prototype. The project is developing an information system for anticipating the service needs of young…

This paper uses an individual case study approach to describe effects of the Learning Disabilities Transition Project, a 3-year federally funded research demonstration project which facilitated the transition of students with learning disabilities from high school to postsecondary institutions or to employment opportunities. Project goals included…