It is common knowledge that employment is a large part of participation in society for all adults; and, one role of public education is to prepare students for these adult roles. Despite increasing school accountability measures for post-school outcomes of students with disabilities, a significant gap in employment between those with and those…

Nearly four decades have passed since the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensured access to public education for students with disabilities in the United States. During the years following its introduction, there was a growing recognition that helping students, especially students with disabilities, in their transitions from…

The Training Opportunities Program (TOP), a work experience and training program for New York City high school students, is designed to place students, as trainees, in agencies and businesses with equipment, facilities, and human resources not available in the public schools. In 1983-84, the third year of the program's operation, TOP was funded to…

Contends that success of supported employment service programs depends on the ability of new programs to replicate results of supported work demonstration projects. Notes that the capacity to verify accurate replication independently is limited, as is knowledge of the extent to which supported employment demonstration programs generalize to a wide…

The author reports on a collaborative effort among three state agencies that is currently giving 3,000 California youth who are disabled a chance to prove themselves in private sector job placements. Discusses program administration, funding, computerized recordkeeping, entrance requirements, and plans for the future. (CT)

The booklet, part of a project to identify successful secondary programs serving special education students in Nebraska, describes 12 programs. The 12 programs were selected from 27 nominations on the basis of service delivery approach, disability served, and success. The 12 sites were visited and staffs were interviewed. Eight programs are…

This paper discusses the outcomes of two intervention models designed to prevent students with disabilities from dropping out of school in Finland. The first model, the "Creating Own Career" model, is based on the main ideas of the City as School projects. The model is designed to emphasize young peoples' own motivation,…

This study assessed the effects of a Brevard County (Florida) high school-based vocational training and community-based on-the-job training program called Brevard's Exceptional Students in Transition (BEST). Results indicated positive improvements in vocational skills and behaviors of participants in the BEST program. (JDD)

Based on the premise that thousands of disabled do not participate in vocational education mainly because of nonacceptance into programs due to a lack of readiness, a study was conducted focusing on three severely disabled groups: (1) those accepted by the Department of Rehabilitation for programs, (2) those not accepted but given "pre-vocational"…

This paper describes a three-phase program which places students with disabilities into job sites in strip malls, enclosed malls, industrial parks, and individual businesses to prepare them for their transition to independent living. The paper explains that in phase 1 of the program students train at a different site each day; in phase 2, students…

This final report and implementation manual describes the activities and outcomes of Iowa's High School High Tech (HSHT) program, a joint effort of Grant Wood Area Education Agency and Goodwill Industries of Southeast Iowa to inspire students with disabilities to pursue high tech careers. The program provides opportunities for students to learn…

The Business and Education Transition Alliance (BETA) is a model school-to-work transition program that was developed to facilitate the school-to-work transition of at-risk youth in the Boulder Valley School District in Colorado. Among the BETA program's specific goals are the following: increase students' knowledge/understanding of demands of the…

This annotated resource list supports coordination and collaboration between vocational and JTPA (Job Training Partnership Act) programs to increase the effectiveness of programs serving special needs populations. Nineteen publications, six programs, and four organizations are described. The items listed were published during 1988-1991. In…

The integrated service delivery system for Project Workability was evaluated to determine its effectiveness in meeting high school special education students' employment and training needs. Interviews were conducted with site managers and staff, students, teachers, field office staff, employers, and parents at six sites. Information on all 34…

This document explains how community work experience programs (CWEP) and publicly funded jobs (PFJ) can be used to help hard-to-serve welfare recipients meet the work requirements imposed by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The document begins with a brief overview of available options for helping hard-to-serve welfare…