Participant observation and interviews were conducted to determine processes involved in person-centered transition planning with six young adults having moderate to severe mental retardation. Initial planning meetings were evaluated in terms of organization; structure; facilitation process; and participation of families, professionals, friends,…

Changes in administrative procedures can help schools achieve their goals. Principals must cultivate the necessary networking and empowerment by providing staff members with training, time to review their philosophies, and access to student data. These approaches helped a Virginia high school adopt total quality management and block scheduling.…

To serve early adolescents' needs, a Georgia middle school offers a comprehensive guidance program that includes individual and group counseling, transitional programs, tutoring and mentoring programs to improve academic skills, a conflict- management program to improve discipline, and an incentive program to recognize student accomplishments.…

This article presents the career/vocational assessment process as a critical component of transition planning for students with disabilities. It provides an overview of career/vocational assessment, methods of gathering assessment information, issues to consider, people involved in the assessment process, and recommendations for career/vocational…

Belief in the importance of school readiness has mobilized a broad coalition of concerned stakeholders to become organized and act. As a result, a number of programs, policies, and materials have been developed to improve the readiness of children and of schools. The purpose of this article is to examine the context in which these efforts are…

This study examined the use of a palmtop computer running a software program by transition-age students with cognitive disabilities to increase independence on vocational and independent living tasks. The purpose of this research was to test the hypotheses that a palmtop computer utilizing a Windows CE platform with touch screen capabilities and…

This study investigated the information needs of parents who have children in transition into public kindergarten. The research group consisted of 94 parents who have children with hearing impairment with ages ranging from 3 to 5. "The Scale Parental Information Needs in Transition to Kindergarten" was used in this study. Parents'…

This paper reports on one component of a school-university collaborative in El Paso, Texas, to create pathways to college and the teaching profession for Latino and Latina high school students. As part of the Institute for Educational Inquiry's "Diversity in Teaching and Teacher Education" initiative (1997-2000) at The University of…

This paper presents a brief introduction of the science education in Japan with an overview of the educational contents and standards laid by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). It highlights the results of the International Education Association (IEA) on science education in Japan at upper secondary…

There has been a tremendous increase in the number of students with learning disabilities entering postsecondary education over the past three decades. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of these students experience difficulty making the transition into higher education. Many experts attribute these difficulties to the significant…

The purpose of this study was to (a) examine the employment and career development concerns of postsecondary students with learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) and (b) develop strategies for improving their post-graduation employment outcomes. Employing an established…

The authors describe five principles they identified from the literature on exemplary practices to help students with emotional disturbances (ED) have positive secondary school experiences and successful trajectories into early adulthood. The five are relationships, rigor, relevance, attention to the whole child, and involving students and…

Over the last several years there have been numerous calls for reforming high school to college transitions. In 2000-2001, the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) and the National Commission on the High School Senior Year respectively called for a re-thinking of how students moved from secondary to postsecondary education. A widely-discussed…

The Communities of Practice approach offers state agency personnel a lens for exploring the human aspects of problems. They can be used as a technical assistance approach for bringing together multiple stakeholders to address complex issues facing special education. The IDEA Partnership has pioneered the use of a website for its national…

"Review of Adult Learning and Literacy: Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice, Volume 7" is the newest volume in a series of annual publications of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) that address major issues, the latest research, and the best practices in the field of adult literacy and…