This guide presents suggestions to minimize adjustment problems for young children with delays and disabilities as they begin preschool. Strategies to ease the transition from early intervention programs to the preschool focus on: beginning early, talking about the new setting in positive ways, encouraging the child to ask questions and express…

Research shows that many primary grade students need extra-year options and benefit from them as they start their schooling. This book provides information about school readiness and transition programs in the United States, documenting the need for and success of such programs as a countermeasure to grade retention, as well as the negative…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of the New Jersey Technical Assistance Project, a project to improve educational resources and support services for students with multiple sensory impairment (deaf-blindness). Activities and accomplishments are presented in a tabular format for each project goal and objective. The project…

The 5-year New Hampshire Statewide Systems Change Project has provided training and technical assistance to educators, families, and communities to effectively implement the full inclusion of students with disabilities in New Hampshire schools and communities. This guide was developed to disseminate successful strategies for starting the process…

This conference proceedings report focuses on the theme of "lifelong transitions" in the context of strengthening linkages between the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and parents and families of special needs students throughout the United States. Section 1 includes the following presentations: "Lifelong…

This report explores the status and experiences of 388 students with disabilities who have benefited from transition improvement efforts in Minnesota over the last decade. Improvements in transition services have included establishment of a state transition interagency committee and an interagency office on transition services, development of an…

This manual provides a sequential procedure for conducting functional vocational evaluations for secondary school students as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This evaluation procedure considers the interactions of the student with instructors, peers, and employers; training needs; work demands; environmental factors;…

Ninth grade poses unique academic, physical, social, and emotional challenges to students; in fact, it may be the defining year for predicting high school success. It could also be the last chance to catch pupils who are in danger of dropping out of school. The Freshman Center program attempts to give ninth graders the opportunity to succeed. This…

Kindergarten marks a new beginning for parent and child, and presents challenges for parents as their child makes the transition from home to school. This handbook provides a description of what parents can expect of their child's kindergarten program in Alberta, Canada. It describes how young children learn, how learning is assessed, and how…

Even Start is a family literacy and support program for families with young children. This paper focuses on the impact and potential of transitions for children and adults as Even Start helps them move across settings. Such transitions occur daily, such as from home to day care to work, or occur over time, such as a transition to formal schooling.…

Factors such as the widespread corporate restructuring of the 1980s, international pressures, and technological advancement have created a youth employment crisis. Schools cannot singlehandedly educate students for the new jobs of the 1990s because they lack the understanding of today's workplace needs, technology, and funding. Employers,…

The Transition Choices Program (TCP) is designed to increase the ability of young persons with disabilities to participate more fully in the school-to-adult life process through systematic instruction in six skills: exploring choices and developing preferences; planning goals and following through; seeking assistance when needed; recognizing and…

This study examined the opinions and practices of 59 of Alabama's rehabilitation counselors who are assigned to serve secondary students with disabilities. Results are presented within the areas of: (1) Individualized Transition Program; (2) student/parent participation in transition, (3) assessment, (4) vocational preparation, (5) service…

This document summarizes the history and results of a programmatic effort at Kent State University (Ohio) to develop and implement interdisciplinary Competency Based Personnel Preparation programs oriented to the education of practitioners and leadership personnel in the transition of youth and adults with special needs to the world of work. It…

Major policy, management, and program issues face the Congress and new administration in the area of labor. Many of the nation's youth are leaving school poorly prepared for the new work world. The nation already has a large group of economically disadvantaged people who lack necessary skills. Annually, 900,000 or more workers are at least…