Whether through transfer and articulation, through grants that bring disconnected learners back to higher education or through short-term credentialing and applied bachelor's degrees, four-year institutions remain integral to career pathways systems beyond the traditional degree pathway. They also have a clear role in supporting all learners,…

In 2011, Washburn University of Topeka, Kansas was awarded a $19.6 million Round 1 TAACCCT grant through the Department of Labor to provide industry-relevant, hands-on training for high-demand, high-wage careers. The consortium, Technical Retraining to Achieve Credentials (TRAC-7), was led by Washburn University, and included seven Kansas…

This brief is the third in a series focusing on Employment First implementation as it relates to one of the seven elements within the High-Performing States in Integrated Employment model. It examines the background of circumstances under which Employment First efforts began in seven states, and introduces each state's values, mission, and goals…

Representatives from the Kansas State Department of Education; the Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; the University of Kansas Transition Coalition; and the transition coordinator, parents, Independent Living Center, and administrators from the Kansas School for the Deaf formed a team to establish quality transition services and…

The 1990 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) reauthorization introduced transition mandates that included a "student involvement in transition planning" requirement, creating an emphasis on promoting such involvement so as to enhance the self-determination of students with disabilities and positive transition-related…

Several systemic factors contribute to the lack of stability and educational opportunities for students in foster care, including lack of transportation to the school of origin (or the schools they enrolled in when they first entered foster care), difficulty enrolling in new schools and transferring credits between school districts, gaps in…

We first conducted a synthesis of literature to identify essential transition teacher competencies to guide curriculum development for a personnel preparation program. The synthesis yielded a list of 67 competencies needed by transition teachers. Using the 67 competencies, we next created an electronic survey in which respondents were asked to…

In 2012, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) released its Reentry Education Model, an evidence-based effort "to bridge the gap between prison and community-based education and training programs." The model focuses on establishing a strong program infrastructure, strengthening and…

Successful transition practices are essential in moving students forward into new facets of learning and life. Noteworthy is the transition into kindergarten, as students experience a new environment, with new academic, social, and behavioral expectations. Research has reviewed teacher and student perceptions on this topic, but has traditionally…

Students with intellectual disability are often served in community-based services to promote effective adult outcomes in employment, community inclusion, and independent living (Gaumer, Morningstar & Clark (2004). "Beyond High School" (Wehmeyer, Garner, Lawrence, Yeager, & Davis, 2006), a multi-stage model to promote student…

The authors examined the effectiveness of a support model to instruct five youth with EBD to self-direct the problem-solving processes and promote self-determination skills by enabling them to: (a) set employment/career related goals, (b) develop and implement a plan toward goal attainment; and (c) adjust and evaluate progress toward meeting their…

This publication provides guidelines for the development of appropriate services, meaningful orientation, and follow up for young children with disabilities and their families in Kansas. An introduction explains the Bridging Early Services Transition program and lists goals of transition planning. Following this, a section addresses interagency…

This publication is intended to help communities take steps to improve the transition to kindergarten for young children with and without disabilities or other special needs in Kansas. The guide covers transition research, elements of effective transition, effective interagency cooperation, information sharing, providing continuity for children…

This guide was developed as part of a 4-year federally funded project designed to provide services to infants, toddlers, children, and youth with deaf-blindness in Kansas. The project included a pilot project on student portfolio development that documents longitudinally student accomplishments, needed adaptations, modifications, and…

A successful teacher induction program developed by Emporia State University and implemented in 20 small rural Kansas school districts uses a seminar format that promotes reflection on teaching practices and collegial interchange. Program structure and participants, seminar purposes and content, and program outcomes are discussed. (SV)