This self-study guide provides state and local education agencies and schools with a tool to assess implementation of career readiness practices across a district or secondary school and to plan improvements. It is arranged by implementation areas that have been found to be important to career readiness efforts based on a review of the literature…

Over the past three decades, transition practices research has demonstrated that post-school outcomes of students with disabilities improve when educators, families, students, and community members and organizations work together to implement a broad perspective of transition planning, more appropriately referred to as transition-focused…

Background: The current global cohort of youth has been called "a generation at-risk", marked by a dramatic rise in youth who are not in employment, education or training programmes. In 2010, youth were three times as likely as adults to be unemployed, with youth unemployment worsening in 2012 and 2013. Accordingly, there is an urgent…

An analysis of transition plans for 84 students (ages 14-21) with severe disabilities was conducted across 24 school divisions in Virginia. Results found 35% were present at their individualized education program (IEP) meetings, 15% participated in their transition plan development, and none were employed outside of the school. (Author/CR)

This paper describes the development and implementation of the public input process at Gallaudet University's Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center. It shows how the public input process was applied to one of the Clerc Center's priority areas, the transition from school to postsecondary education and employment. Part 1 of the paper…

The problems of Individual Education Plan (IEP) utilization with handicapped students are analyzed and compared to the developing use of Individual Transition Plans (ITP). Considered are issues of accountability, relevance, quality, feasibility, and preparedness. (DB)

A transition-oriented program was developed to meet the needs of mildly handicapped secondary students in Montgomery County, Maryland. Described are the program's planning process, adaptation of a generic transition model to a specific school, addition of a prevocational exploration course, and improvement of the annual individualized education…

This newsletter issue reviews the research and literature on issues and best practices in programs to facilitate the transition of students with disabilities to adult life. First, the definition of transition services under the 1997 Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is presented and explained. Next, a…

This monograph is intended to provide guidance to state, school district, and building-level personnel, and family organizations as they strive to comply with the transition requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The monograph includes: (1) a description of the importance and intent of transition services for youth…

The manual is designed to provide educators, parents, and severely handicapped students in Santa Clara County (California) with a guide to a 4-year transition process. The process has four components: transition foundation (basic skill development from birth to age 21), transition process (planning and implementation of training and other services…

This module identifies the major provisions of federal laws involving vocational special needs education. Information is provided for implementing the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act in Missouri. The guide includes a list of definitions and uses a question-and-answer format to discuss the legislation. Topics covered include…

Eleven papers address issues in the alignment of standards-based education and individualized transition planning and service development for students with disabilities including differences in assumptions and principles, the transition planning model as a framework for achieving this alignment, and educational practices resulting from this…

Intended to guide the development or expansion of programs and services for North Dakota vocational special needs students, this document offers local school administrators and instructional and support staff a unified system for planning and delivering services. The document explains a series of 15 tasks to be carried out to develop or upgrade…

This manual is designed to help educators who serve students with learning handicaps to provide transition assistance for their students graduating or leaving the school system. Definitions and procedures adopted by the state of California are used as the basis for the manual. The manual describes the role of special education, the role of parents…

This workbook and guide offers a step-by-step procedure for establishing and implementing transition programs, for use by educators of students with intellectual handicaps in cooperation with students, parents, and related agency personnel. The guide is divided into six sections, each of which includes several workbook activities. The first…