A study investigated the use of functional assessment for the transition difficulties of an 11-year-old girl with multiple disabilities who engaged in flopping to the ground during transitions. Assessment information led to the scheduling of a period for interaction immediately following problematic transitions and resulted in reduced rates of…

The key to successful junior high to middle school transitions is participatory planning that involves all school-community members. This article discusses essential questions, describes the Howard County (Maryland) Public Schools' model approach, and stresses the importance of securing teacher commitment and know-how and evaluating the planning…

States that average and below average students' learning styles tend to be more concretely dimensional. Providing developmental students with physical models (e.g. adding and subtracting of integers using two color chips on a number line) helps them to abstract the more complex meanings and ideas of higher mathematical thought. (PGS)

Describes an intervention involving social-support-focused discussion groups for the transition to university. Fifty first-year students participating in six groups showed better adjustment to university and fewer behavioral problems compared with a randomly assigned control group (N=46) at a follow-up evaluation conducted at the end of the year.…

New superintendents of three urban school districts turned to a group of "critical friends" from other school districts and education agencies to conduct formal evaluations of their school systems. Leaders in private industry have long relied on outside perspectives. The process can dispel professional isolation. (MLH)

An ongoing transition program which responds to the need for continuing support for graduate students and their developmental issues is the focus of this article. Student evaluations of the program revealed that participants found the transition sessions helpful because they instilled a sense of universality and provided a safe forum for open and…

Identifies obstacles faced by young children with special needs when trying to integrate into school. Proposes new strategies to prepare and support personnel involved during transition and inclusion in the school setting. Details group discussion of parents, care center educators, teachers, and administrators that resulted in a transition plan.…

Adolescents with chronic illness confront barriers to accessing comprehensive transition services and face developmental challenges. Interdisciplinary transition planning should address health and career-related services that promote autonomy, proaction, and family involvement. (SK)

Examines the current literature and implications of follow-up studies of students with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD). A general conclusion drawn by the literature reviewed was that students with EBD also have lower grades, more course failures, a higher grade retention, and a higher dropout rate than other disability groups and the general…

This article examines the background of the Supplementary Security Income (SSI) program, age 18 predetermination procedures under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, current implementation data, and issues focusing on the involvement of teachers and rehabilitation professionals involved in the transition…

Reports initial results of Project RENEW, a three-year demonstration project providing comprehensive coordination of transition services for youth and young adults with emotional disturbances. Results after 18 months, for 16 participants, indicated that 15 were successfully employed, 11 had successfully completed their educational programs, and…

Analysis of transition provisions of the 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act identifies issues related to (1) coordination and responsibility (including general responsibility, postsecondary education, students in residential schools, and adjudicated students) and (2) transition plans (appropriateness of plans, preview and…

This article discusses the role of secondary level vocational-technical education as a logical approach to dropout prevention among students with disabilities or other special needs. It urges transitional planning teams to consider students' needs of services, agency providers, and community and labor market factors. (Contains references.) (DB)

This article explores three current trends in middle schools: the growing emphasis on curriculum; a redesign of the "chat" time or the advisor-advisee period; and the expansion of transition planning from the narrow focus on just academic to include social, emotional, vocational, and moral development. (CR)

The 1994 federal School-to-Work Opportunities Act (STWOA) provided more than $1.5 billion over 5 years to support increased career preparation activities in the country's public schools. A new longitudinal data source with rich information on school-to-career (STC) programs--the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97)--provides…