Opportunities for choice often become limited as individuals with disabilities age. Previous research reports that staff practices directly influence choice-making opportunities for adults with disabilities. Given the link between choice-making and staff behavior, more research is needed on training staff in postsecondary settings in providing…

Adult student transition programs (also known as 18+ programs, 18-21 programs, adult transition programs, and community transition programs) are educational programs that provide instruction in age-appropriate community environments to adult students who have met the state credit and assessment guidelines for graduation but who still require…

This article examines the transition of adult learners from adult general education to a college program. The ethnographic inquiry methodology used for this research relies on Long's theoretical model which postulates three different levels of dimensions in adult education (1989) and on Bélanger's lifelong learning model (2011). On this…

Started in 1942, the GED test provides people a high school equivalency diploma to gain new career and educational goals. While many GED recipients state they wish to earn a college credential, few earn one, often dropping out before their second semester of college. To increase the number of GED recipients and their career and college…

The Accelerating Opportunity initiative helps our nation's lowest-skilled adults earn college credentials and enter higher-wage jobs faster by combining the Adult Basic Education and career and technical training they need into one integrated curriculum. Based on four years of designing and managing Accelerating Opportunity, Jobs for the Future…

For many years, the General Educational Development (GED) credential has been viewed as the high school dropout's safety net. Though not as well regarded as the high school diploma, the GED has opened up educational and economic opportunity for millions of young people and adults who did not finish high school. Nearly 680,000 people take the full…

This paper outlines the principles of the rehabilitation process; describes the role of rehabilitation medicine with reference to services in the Saint George district of southern Sydney (Australia); and discusses the problem of the transition of patients to adult services. (Author/JDD)

When students with handicapping conditions reach the age of 21 or attain a high school diploma, it is necessary for them to make a transition from educational services to adult services in the form of employment, sheltered workshops, residential programs, etc. This volume assists local school districts in complying with their regulatory…

This paper describes the Pathfinders program in New York (New York), which works to facilitate the full integration of adults with developmental disabilities into workplaces and neighborhoods. The paper is organized around the question of whether students graduating from special education can find paid and volunteer work in community settings,…

This study used a focus group approach to examine the transition planning experiences and concerns of 30 family members of young adults with special health care needs throughout Massachusetts. Findings indicated: (1) parents experienced challenges with service delivery systems, day-to-day living, residential location, and uncertainty about the…

Special education changes that must occur to ensure successful transition from school to community-based employment and living environments for all disabled youth include: programming for future environments; expanding the availability of adult services for severely disabled youth; and a 13th-year program for mildly handicapped students,…

This bulletin, which is intended for senior managers in Great Britain's health, education, and social service sectors who are involved in planning or providing learning programs for adults with severe learning disabilities, identifies key issues in the strategic planning of programs using the packet of materials titled "A New Life." This…

These 4 case studies examine the last years of high school and postschool experiences of 4 21-year-olds labeled mentally retarded. Issues discussed include school compliance with legislation concerning Individualized Education Programs, influence of parental involvement, adult services, and necessary employment supports. (JDD)

Designed for new program directors, adult educators who are starting a new program, or those considering changes in existing adult education programs, this manual contains materials resulting from a four-year effort to improve adult education services, especially for persons with learning disabilities and serious emotional disturbances. The major…

Recent research on severely disabled students leaving schools in Northern Ireland is reviewed. Findings are discussed in terms of attitudes of students and their parents, professionals' attitudes toward school leaving arrangements, and the role of adult centers. Greater coordination between adult centers and schools is seen as vital to improved…