Overviews trends in language education across 11 small island states in the South Pacific and notes the difficulties inherent in regional implementation of chosen bilingual-education models. Language policy is discussed in both historical and social terms, and the realization of present-day policies in the competing educational motives of economic…

Examines a program for newly arrived, non-English-speaking immigrant children in a California city. Findings from a fourth-grade class demonstrate how a nurturing setting, culturally flexible teaching approach, linguistic and cultural validation, and a valued spatial environment contribute to newcomer students' success. (SLD)

This study surveyed 214 secondary teachers of students with mild disabilities in Virginia concerning their perceptions of level of knowledge, involvement and importance of transition planning, and service-delivery activities. Findings suggest that teachers have gaps in knowledge and involvement in transition planning and service delivery.…

This article describes characteristics of adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders, transition outcomes for these students, model transition programs, and key transition service delivery components, including: intake and functional skill assessment, personal future planning, wraparound social services, competitive employment, flexible…

Explored relations between former Head Start parents' self-efficacy beliefs, beliefs about their children's academic abilities, affective state of depression, perceptions of school climate, and reported level of involvement in their children's education at end of kindergarten year. Parents' views of school climate and beliefs in their ability to…

This position statement of the Council for Exceptional Children's Division on Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities outlines federal regulations governing the transfer of legal rights to students with disabilities at the state-mandated age of majority. It discusses the importance of informed consent, self-determination and student…

This article outlines the numerous difficulties that students with Asperger Syndrome (AS) may encounter during the transition to middle and high school. A range of specific supports and strategies are offered to assist students with AS in making a successful transition, including classroom adaptations and modifications. (Contains references.)…

Survey data were collected on the life experiences and status of 388 young adults with disabilities out of school for 1 to 5 years. Results support a 7-factor model of community adjustment: personal satisfaction, employment-economic integration, community assimilation, need for support services, recreation-leisure integration, social network…

A 5-year study investigated the relationship of selected variables to engagement (working, attending school, or both) status of 108 formerly incarcerated youth. Participants whose first formal adjudication occurred after 14 and were not gang-involved were more likely to be engaged, as were those who received mental health services. (Contains…

This article reports on a survey of 41 special education faculty that found that few included instruction on self-determination in their courses. It then describes a course that was developed on transition planning to ensure that special educators obtain the skills necessary to support the development of self-determination skills. (Contains…

This article addresses various methods of assessment and support of social competence in school and the community to prepare individuals with mild to moderate disabilities for adulthood. It emphasizes that transition planning and preparation is a continual process that begins in early school experiences and continues through adulthood. (Contains…

A study used participatory action research (PAR) to explore social inclusion/relationships at worksites of 10 students (ages 17-21). The participatory intervention process assisted teachers and job coaches in making constructive changes in transition work experience programs to provide social opportunities for students and help them become part of…

Assessed effects of Head Start and Head Start plus Family Empowerment Transitioning Programming for family risk and child developmental outcomes. Analyzed change in parent-centered, child-centered, and family economic risk and progress in personal-social, adaptive, motor, communication, and cognitive skills. Found that, overall, both programming…

Reports on the first phase of a two-year pilot study of a university-level mathematics requirement that accommodates the needs of developmental students. Finds that the 84% pass rate for this new class format is substantially higher than the 43% pass rate for traditional developmental mathematics courses offered during the same semester. (Contains…

Attention to the origins, history, and evolution of the First-Year Experience (FYE) movement in American higher education can inform institutional practices aimed at enhancing transition experiences of students.