One of the key purposes of public education is to prepare young people to reach their full potential as independent adults and engaged citizens. This transition to adulthood may be especially challenging for youth with disabilities. Students enrolled in special education often need additional supports and coordinated planning to prepare for…

This practical guide has been developed to help facilitate collaboration and build effective partnerships at the local level between local educational agency (LEA) and vocational rehabilitation (VR) personnel. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula that will instantly create these partnerships; however, there are proven strategies and processes…

High school work experience is a predictor of postsecondary employment success for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Developing integrated work experiences often requires schools to partner with local businesses; yet, secondary special education transition teams may not have prior experience or preparation in this type…

To qualify for the grants provided through the School-to-Work Opportunities Act, states/localities must develop school-to-work systems containing three core elements: school-based learning, work-based learning, and connecting activities. Parent involvement in those activities is both valuable and necessary. Research has provided extensive evidence…

Although the school-to-work and youth development fields come from very different beginnings, they share the goal of preparing all young people, including "high-risk youth," for adulthood by learning in context, actively participating in their own learning, and being challenged and supported to excel. Despite their shared visions for…

The National School-to-Work Office in collaboration with the National Association for Gifted Children, the Council for Exceptional Children, the Association for the Gifted, and the Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted have identified 11 gifted education/school-to-work (GT/STW) models that are either best practices or unique…

This report is a synthesis of presentations and break-out sessions at a 1997 national conference (held in Cincinnati, Ohio) on sustaining school-to-career systems for urban youth. Nine state-urban partnerships comprised of 68 participants attended the conference. Conference discussion and activities focused on three major themes: (1) building…

This document highlights the practices of companies in rural areas that have successfully connected workplace experiences to classroom learning through school-to-careers partnerships. First, the following fundamental components of school-to-careers are explained: school-based learning; work-based learning; and connecting activities. The next…

Although the disappointing results of earlier ex-offender programs convinced many that "nothing works so let's just keep prisoners incarcerated longer," research in the 1980s and 1990s has shown that intensive pre-release employment training and post-release employment programs and support can cut the rate of recidivism. Current initiatives…

This conference report outlines the proposed House of Representatives and Senate compromise regarding disputed provisions in the proposed School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994. First, Congress' findings regarding the education needs of noncollege-bound students, youth employment, work-based learning, and educational attainment in the United…

The Los Angeles Area Business/Education Partnership provides numerous services designed to encourage youths who have been identified as being at high risk of dropping out of school to complete high school and continue in a formal postsecondary education program. Among the services offered by the partnership are the following: clustered…

The Continental Project is a school-to-work transition program for students with disabilities. The 6-year old program, which is located at a country club and golf course, serves more than 20 students per year and has successfully transitioned 45 young adults with moderate to severe handicaps into the workforce. The program is a cooperative effort…

This document profiles the Lansing Area Manufacturing Partnership (LAMP), which is a model school-to-career initiative featuring an innovative integrated, employer-driven curriculum that was designed, developed, and implemented through the joint efforts of the Ingham Intermediate School District in Lansing, Michigan, the United Auto Workers (UAW),…

One strategy to increase participation in vocational education and training (VET) by Australians with a disability involves intervention at the secondary school level to reduce early school leaving by providing structured VET learning and work placement opportunities. The Enterprise Career Education Foundation's Lighthouse initiative, which was…

A longitudinal study examined the college and career transitions of graduates of the Lansing Area Manufacturing Partnership (LAMP) program, which is a school-to-career (STC) program sponsored by the United Auto Workers, General Motors Corporation, and Michigan's Ingham County Intermediate School District. The progress of three cohorts of LAMP…