Between 69 percent and 90 percent of English language learners (ELLs) in middle and high schools were born in the United States and have been in U.S. schools since kindergarten still have not achieved the academic proficiency to succeed in an all-English mainstream program. Various ELL program options are available for school districts to…

Provides a description and an evaluation of a transitional academic program designed to address non-native English-speaking students' language and learning needs as well as to help them integrate into the university. Notes that the program's success is reflected not only in strong student improvement, but in the collaboration of many university…

In this paper, the author would like to put forward a number of issues to think about and discuss. At the same time, she argues for a better articulated system that more closely matches the needs and goals of various subgroups of English language learners. Adult ESL programs serve diverse immigrant populations with different needs and goals. A…

The IowaLink Program at the University of Iowa is a two-semester, academic support program for recruited students. The program provides an extended academic transition between high school and college for students who have demonstrated the potential to succeed at Iowa but who do not meet standards for regular admission. One of the features of the…

Many schools host kindergarten roundups to facilitate children's transition from home to formal education. Roundups should not assess school readiness, but could be a valuable tool to help teachers' meet students' diverse needs. Roundups should open up parent-teacher communications, check for correctable learning impairments, and share meaningful…

Evaluated an experimental volunteer summer program designed to increase the success rate of conditionally accepted college students. Collected information about student characteristics and aspirations and follow-up data regarding retention and academic success of student participants. Results indicated increased student understanding of goals and…

In response to information regarding students' postschool outcomes, the past 15 years have reflected an increased focus on improving transition education and services for youth with disabilities. Three specific initiatives characterize this development: (a) federal special education and disability legislation; (b) federal, state, and local…

For young people who have dropped out of school, are out of work, or lack connections to family or other caring adults, there are often no easy answers. Their hopes for a better life are frequently no different than those harbored by their more advantaged peers, but their path to adulthood is rendered more difficult by tangled combinations of…

This report examines public policy supports that might help adolescents make the transition to the workplace or future schooling. In the first section of the report, a statement of belief concerning the school's role in the transition process is presented. The second section reviews the crisis in transition supports. It itemizes the student view,…

To serve early adolescents' needs, a Georgia middle school offers a comprehensive guidance program that includes individual and group counseling, transitional programs, tutoring and mentoring programs to improve academic skills, a conflict- management program to improve discipline, and an incentive program to recognize student accomplishments.…

An adult education program designed to help limited-English-proficient students through the transition from basic English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction to more comprehensive adult basic education (ABE) is described. This transition is often difficult because of a mix of student needs, literacy backgrounds, and language proficiency levels…

The Outdoor Pursuit Center at Miami University, Ohio, has provided an outdoor orientation experience for incoming first-year students since 1995. The experience provides an environment that is effective in easing the transition into higher education settings. Student trip coordinators, student facilitators, faculty, and professional staff use…

This document presents the program and proceedings of a national forum on new students with disabilities and includes abstracts of presentations by 22 institutions as well as specific conference information. The following institutions are represented: (1) Algonquin College (Ontario, Canada), (2) Austin Peay State University (Tennessee), (3)…

This booklet provides the program and abstracts of presentations given at the Fourth Canadian-American Conference on the First-Year Experience. It includes a list of the goals of the conference, sponsoring institutions, staff, and general information about the conference. The booklet then provides brief descriptions of the 51 sessions held over…