College and career readiness is crucial to success in postsecondary education, employment, and independent living. The College and Career Readiness for Transition (CCR4T) assessment is valid and reliable and can assist in transition planning for students with disabilities. The CCR4T assessment was designed for planning with students with and…

Data-based decision making refers to collecting, analyzing, and reporting data to drive school improvement. This can apply to any level of the school from individual students to the entire system. When applied to the field of secondary transition, it refers to using data to drive decisions to improve the in-school and post-school success of…

Since reforms implemented in 1994, vocational education and training (VET) in Norway has been integrated and standardized as part of upper-secondary education. When young people enter upper-secondary education at the age of 15 or 16, they can choose either a vocational programme or a general academic programme. The standard model in vocational…

The article presents a cooperative interagency approach for assessing effectiveness of programs and services to facilitate the transition of handicapped students from school to adult community living. Features of the model include cooperative planning at the policy level, implementation level, and direct service level; and collaboration by state…

This study examined the participation of students with disabilities planning for secondary transitions using person-centered planning processes. Findings suggest that student participation ranged from highly active to nonexistent across the observed planning meetings, with levels of participation influenced by students' conversational style,…

This guide to whole life planning for people with disabilities describes whole life planning as a person-centered way of assisting people with disabilities to plan for their future. Whole life planning relies on the involvement of a small group of committed people who are willing to act as advocates and resources to the focal person. The manual…

The Teaching Research Transition Planning Project (Oregon) is implementing and evaluating the development of school/community teams to facilitate transition of handicapped students into the community. Preliminary evaluation results support the value of an outside stimulus to encourage collaboration, locally generated plans, and policy decision…

Twelve case studies describe the kinds of decisions that young people with disabilities and their families have to make as they prepare to leave school. The seven types of decision-making processes that are identified attempt to describe some of these complexities as experienced by young people and their parents. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This feature issue of "Impact" focuses on person-centered planning with youth and adults who have developmental disabilities. Featured articles include: (1) "Centering on People: A Quiet Revolution" (Judith A. Snow); (2) "Look-and Understand-before You Leap" (Brian Abery and Marijo McBride), which describes the basic principles and values…

Describes a model framework to guide decision making about the use of technology to facilitate the development of competencies that people with disabilities need to make a successful transition from school to various adult environments. Legal mandates and types of technology are described. (Author/CR)

This article discusses the inclusion of systematic preference assessment within transitional planning as a way to accurately interpret the preferences of students who use limited symbolic or nonsymbolic communication means. By using person-centered planning as a framework, it illustrates how to embed preference assessment within transitional…

A study examined whether Talking Mats, a light-technology augmentative framework, could be used successfully with 12 young adults with a learning and communication disability. Participants were able to indicate likes and dislikes and express views about the choices available to them. Some expressed opinions not previously known to their carers.…

This survey of 85 parents of children with handicaps (ages 14-25) assesses the involvement of parents in the transition process of the young person from home to work or independent living, the kind of involvement they desire, and responsibilities they would be willing to assume in order to be involved. Findings show that although more than…

This issue of "Transition Summary" contains articles about self-determination and becoming a good self-advocate, with each article reflecting the experience of someone who has grown up with a disability. "The Many Facets of Self-Determination" (Michael Ward) discusses the concept of self-determination; offers an historical perspective of the…

Part of a series on the transition of students with disabilities from school to adult roles, this guide focuses on the transition to postsecondary education. It presents a model, the Opportunities in Postsecondary Education through Networking (OPEN) model, to assist students, parents, and school personnel in the decision-making, planning, and…