Executive functions, which begin developing in early childhood, are necessary for the tasks of daily life, such as decision making and planning. Despite their early development, often without teaching, many teens with disabilities need explicit instruction to acquire and apply executive functions each day. Gaps in executive functions directly…

Emerging in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the concept of individual student planning developed as a component of school guidance counseling programs. The underlying significance of these plans, such as the Individual Career Plan (ICP), is that "it gives [students] a chance to tell and develop their story" (N. Gysbers, personal communication,…

This fourth annual update on America's high school dropout crisis shows that for the first time the nation is on track to meet the goal of a 90 percent high school graduation rate by the Class of 2020--if the pace of improvement from 2006 to 2010 is sustained over the next 10 years. The greatest gains have occurred for the students of color and…

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) creates a unique opportunity for states, districts, and high schools to work in concert on behalf of high school students. The table presented in this document provides information on best practices and resources related to the primary funding streams under the 2009 American Recovery and…

This guide gives youth with disabilities and their families an overview of some of the major elements of the transition planning process. It introduces families to the adult service system that will provide supports and services after high school. Each chapter is intended to encourage families to be proactive in the planning process. The workbook…

This guide is intended to help Ohio educators and parents involved in the transition of students with disabilities into the work place and community. It begins with some questions which may help to determine the student's own desires in the areas of employment, living skills, and community. Next, suggestions are provided to help the transition…

Evaluation of the "Choices-in-Transition Intervention" program with 41 low-income, predominantly ethnic minority group high school students with disabilities found the program resulted in significant increases in students' help-recruiting skills. Ninety percent of students received help with their goals and 85 percent met at least one of their…

This qualitative study used in-depth interviews with parents of 15 students with cognitive disabilities regarding their transition from school to adult life. Results indicate that parents have a vision for their child's future and measure the quality of school services and transitional services by how their child is succeeding in realizing that…

This paper explores the challenges of partnership through an examination of a high school apprenticeship program in carpentry in Ontario, Canada. Focusing on the relationships between schools, trainers, employers and government, challenges relate to the ability to coordinate the program across institutions, achieve agreement on goals, gain…

This paper identifies those factors and processes critical to promoting interagency collaboration between school and community agencies represented on the Individual Transition Teams (ITT) of students with severe disabilities. The ITT's goal is to assist the student in obtaining the most satisfactory transition possible into meaningful work and…

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…

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…