As part of its effort to make universal prekindergarten (UPK) available to four-year-olds, California has recently expanded transitional kindergarten (TK) in its public schools. TK will be a full pre-K grade level in all districts by the 2025-26 school year. Other states that seek to broaden access to early care and education (ECE) can learn…

The focus of this study was to determine the characteristics of successful re-entry programs for youth as they transition back into the educational mainstream. The study was also used to determine the implementation needed for effective inter-agency coordination of social service systems for students to successfully transition into the educational…

This study examined the effectiveness of online education to providers who serve people experiencing homelessness, comparing online and face-to-face training of Critical Time Intervention (CTI), an evidence-based case management model. The authors recruited 184 staff from nineteen homeless service agencies to participate in one of two training…

After decades, the concept of "how to change the status quo of deaf education" continues to dazzle and frustrate us intellectually and academically. We want deaf and hard of hearing students to achieve academically and to thrive in the world as adults. Yet, too often, test scores and post-school outcomes remain unacceptably low. Our…

Think College Reports present descriptive data in narrative or tabular form to provide timely information to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers for review and use. This summary report offers an overview of the descriptive data on students with intellectual disability collected by the Think College National Coordinating Center (NCC) in…

The amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) in 2004 reiterate the significance of producing real postsecondary education, employment, and independent living outcomes. However, current employment data continue to show widespread unemployment and very limited access to inclusive community environments and…

D. Wayne Osgood, E. Michael Foster, and Mark E. Courtney examine the transition to adulthood for youth involved in social service and justice systems during childhood and adolescence. They survey the challenges faced by youth in the mental health system, the foster care system, the juvenile justice system, the criminal justice system, and special…

The transition to adulthood can be difficult for youth, particularly those who have disabilities severe enough that they receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (DI), or other disability program benefits. Besides the issues facing all transition-age youth, young people with disabilities face a host of…

The Austin Community Collaboration to Enhance Student Success (ACCESS) is a community collaboration between the Austin Independent School District (AISD) and public and nonprofit agencies. By implementing a number of innovative prevention and treatment programs to address the emotional, behavioral, and social needs of students, the ACCESS…

The complex needs of the heterogeneous group of homeless women suggest that policy and services must focus on a continuum from adequate and accessible emergency services (shelter, food, financial assistance) to transitional assistance with housing, employment, and mental and physical health care, and ultimately to stabilization. (SK)

Describes the Kids Organized on Learning in School (KOOL-IS) initiative of the B.F. Day Elementary School in Seattle, Washington, which coordinates health, social, and educational services for homeless children. Organizational components, a case study, and program evaluation are considered. (BB)

This policy brief reports on a study of how families and agencies cope with growing waiting periods for community services for adults who have mental retardation or developmental disabilities (MR/DD). Preliminary information looks at reasons for long waits, characteristics of families waiting for services, and impact of adult members with MR/DD on…

Presents the case study of a transitional school for homeless children that specifically targets their educational needs through an interagency attempt to serve poor families and children in an inner-city setting in Charlotte (North Carolina). Findings and recommendations based on this interagency approach are discussed. (SLD)

Even Start is a family support program focusing on family literacy and school readiness. These first seven issues of the "Look at Even Start" newsletter cover topics such as transition between preschool and kindergarten, collaboration between programs and between parents and programs, ways Even Start programs respond to parents' needs…

This paper describes a center- and community-based training program for autistic preschool-aged children, their families, and community-based service providers in a traditionally underserved section of Appalachia. The program's team training approach focuses on early identification, comprehensive assessment, intensive individualized training,…