Secondary students with mild disabilities often are unprepared to make a successful transition into adulthood. The traditional secondary curriculum for mildly disabled students focuses too much on remedial academics and not enough on the specific skills needed in social interactions, daily living, occupational choice, and employment. In addition,…

The Center for Independent Living (CIL) in Berkeley, California, is described as a mecca for the disabled since 1972, when a coalition of severely disabled people founded the Center with the goal of integrating disabled people into the community-at-large. The CIL's mission is to create and maintain independence for disabled people through…

In the early childhood field, the word "transition" is used to describe the period of time that falls between two different types of activities, as well as the time periods in which children move from home to school, from school to after-school activities, from one activity to another within a preschool, or from preschool to…

The transition from elementary school to middle school or junior high school can be exciting, stressful, scary, and fun all at once for young adolescents. The stress of this transition can either be diffused or augmented by school procedures for introducing these students to the school. In this study, a needs survey was given to a heterogeneous…

The purpose of this study was to compare the reading achievement of third graders who had attended kindergarten for one year with that of third graders who had been given two years of kindergarten. A review of the literature revealed that the majority of studies in this area showed that the practice of retaining students did not serve the intended…

This review of literature and research concerns innovative programs and services for students in the transition between elementary and secondary schools. Chapter 1 identifies the areas of focus, methodology, context, guiding assumptions, and report structure. Chapter 2 looks at the characteristics and needs of early adolescence and discusses the…

This set of forms is part of Project STEPS (Sequenced Transition to Education in the Public Schools). They are intended to assist communities develop and use a formalized process for assessing the current status of transition within their community and for interagency planning related to the development of a community-wide transition team. The…

This paper synthesizes literature which relates to the successful transition of students with learning disabilities upon leaving high school. The first section defines transition and analyzes the components of transition as outlined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The second section reviews issues related to students with…

The report and resource directory contained in this document represent the efforts of the Rural Families in Transition Work Group, one of six such groups recently created to respond to key issues arising from the farm financial crisis. The directory is intended for use by extension agents in identifying educational resources across the region that…

This study surveys states' mandates, definitions, and components of transition programs that assist disabled students in successfully moving to the community environment. Among the 60 state-level directors of special education surveyed, 34 state and 4 territorial directors responded to the questionnaire comprised of 8 questions, and nominated 230…

Data from the "Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Education of the Disabled Act" were analyzed to determine patterns of services to disabled youths over a 4-year period by state, age, and type of disabling condition. Using the data for high school students and the 3 years immediately after high school, the study…

Results of a National Research Council review of two major bilingual education studies are presented. The two studies were a national longitudinal study of the effectiveness of instruction of limited-English-proficient students and a study comparing three bilingual education program types (immersion, early exit, and late exit). The report contains…

This packet of materials describes the experience of personnel at Poultney (Vermont) Elementary School in transitioning a student with multiple disabilities from a special day school into a regular third grade classroom. The materials outline pros and cons of the inclusion concept, requirements for inclusion to be successful, the collaborative…

A three-year, federally-funded program to train bilingual adult literacy and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers to serve immigrants and refugees in the Boston (Massachusetts) area is reported and evaluated. A significant feature of the project was that it trained non-native-English-speaking community members to teach literacy skills and…

This theme issue addresses current trends and new developments in ensuring that individuals with disabilities have meaningful employment opportunities, especially in the context of recent federal legislation. Stressed throughout is the importance of collaboration among professionals, individuals with disabilities, and family members in achieving…