Colleges have long had mechanisms for awarding students credit for prior learning, from evaluating transcripts to establishing standards for the units and course credit to be associated with designated scores on nationally and internationally recognized curricula and exams. While the processes for awarding credit via these traditional mechanisms…

The transition to adult life for students with reading and writing challenges is an area that is not often addressed. The purpose of this article is to relate the informal assessment process to the broader context of high stakes assessment, high school exit exams, diploma options, and transition planning; identify the competencies needed for a…

The purpose of Project COMPETE is to use previous research and exemplary practices to develop and validate a model and training sequence to assist retarded youth to make the transition from school to employment in the most competitive environment possible. Described in this project working paper is a system of analyzing community work environments…

Although transitioning from school to school can be challenging at any level, the transition to high school may be particularly fraught with challenge because students are experiencing a change in schools as well as the physical, emotional, and psychological changes inherent to adolescence. Educators and researchers agree that ninth grade is a…

The lack of appropriate assessment tools designed for deaf adolescents and young adults making the transition from educational programs to adult life is cited as one of the most glaring deficits in the field of deafness. The Transition Competence Battery (TCB) is being developed as an assessment tool that will guide individual training decisions…

This paper describes the Life-Centered Career Education (LCCE) Curriculum and Employment Enhancement Strategies (EES) for mildly disabled students. Special education high school graduates encounter many difficulties in assuming community living and work roles. EES materials are consistent with the competencies and subcompetencies of the…

The final report of the 3-year Valley Transitional School Project, serving Augusta, Staunton, and Waynesboro schools, all located in Augusta County, Virginia, contains information on the project accomplishments, population characteristics, evaluation activities, dissemination activities, replication, products developed, and conclusions and…

This paper studied contextual barriers inhibiting implementation of the Life-Centered Career Education/Employability Enhancement Strategies curriculum, which contains career education assessment and instructional materials for high school students with mild disabilities. Barriers included competing administrative commitments, scarcity of…

This report examines several aspects of secondary education programs for students of limited English proficiency (LEP) in 15 California schools and identifies educational practices and policies that are successfully meeting the needs of LEP students in these schools. Most sites used a similar program design, with one or two periods daily of…

The handbook was developed as part of a 2-year grant which developed a rural transition model for handicapped students. It provides special education personnel with suggested guidelines for transitioning handicapped students into post-secondary employment and independent living environments. Part I provides an introduction to the transitional…

This handbook offers guidelines for the successful transition of students with disabilities into adult life and is designed to be used by everyone on the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, including the student and family members. The first chapter provides an overview of the transition assessment process, including purpose and the laws…

This paper identifies curriculum and instructional issues in secondary school programs for students with mild disabilities, describes some promising lines of ongoing research, and recommends long and short term research, development, and demonstration activities for support by the federal Office of Special Education Programs. The first section…

Despite the fact that a majority of urban educators remain optimistic about the future of city schools, urban high schools face significant challenges. Many recent developments in high school reform have important implications for career and technical education (CTE) programs in urban high schools. Publications on reforming secondary education…

This document presents tools and guidelines to help practitioners transform their high schools into institutions facilitating community-connected learning. The approach underpinning the tools and guidelines is based on the following principles: academic rigor and relevance; personalized learning; self-passage to adulthood; and productive learning…