Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of participation in workplace learning among senior secondary students in Australia. Work placements are deemed to be effective if they meet policy objectives of improving student transitions by (a) enhancing Year 12 completion rates and (b) increasing the engagement of…

Employment is one of the biggest contributors to quality of life for people with disabilities--and that means well-planned work experiences should be an integral part of transition preparation for every secondary and postsecondary school aged youth. Make that happen with this practical guide, developed to help educators, transition specialists,…

To make a smooth transition to a fulfilling, self-determined adult life, young people who use Augmentative-Alternative Communication (AAC) need effective services that meet their individual needs and make the most of advances in technology. Professionals will provide these critical supports with the help of this book, the first complete guide to…

Discusses community-based assessment and how it was linked with the job-matching process to assist students with severe disabilities in the job development and placement process. (JOW)

A survey of 127 high school special education teachers revealed a number of deficiencies in vocational programming for mildly handicapped students, with deficiencies more widespread for rural than for nonrural schools. Fewer rural schools administered interest inventories, used inventory results for placement, or placed mildly handicapped students…

A study examined placement as a key indicator of commitment to occupational preparation in secondary education. The study focuses on the different amounts and types of support received for placement services in different types of schools, the effect of type of school (rural, urban, or suburban) on the placement services available, and the personal…

This self-instructional module, the fifteenth in a series of 16 on techniques for coordinating work experience programs, deals with support services. Addressed in the module are the importance of various support services for work experience programs; financial, placement, work adjustment, evaluation, and transition support services that are…

Designed for practitioners, this book provides ideas and strategies for designing, developing, and implementing the Youth Transition Program (YTP) for students with disabilities and special needs in Oregon. Chapter 1 describes the following: background and need for collaborative school-to-work (STW) programs; STW program purposes and components,…

This pamphlet is a four-step blueprint for a school-to-work system for getting students ready for work. Step one proposes that every school-to-work system be guided by the following principles: (1) encourage participants to attain high academic standards; (2) encourage students to stay in school; (3) link classroom curriculum to work-site…

For many youths, the early years in the labor market are characterized not by an absence of jobs but rather by a "churning" process that often delays the benefits of high school educational experiences for several years. Youth apprenticeship programs should be designed to serve as a strategy/vehicle of school reform, function as a labor market…

This Vocational Education Resource Package (VERP) was developed to provide materials useful in replicating an exemplary vocational education program for special student populations in the California Community Colleges. This VERP provides information on Career Beginnings, an exemplary program for disadvantaged students, originally developed at…