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…

This handbook is designed to help teachers of French Canadian immersion students plan effective language learning experiences for their students in the transition year to English instruction. In the transition year, French immersion students are first introduced to formal instruction in English. This introduction presents a unique challenge for…

Achievements made during the third year of a transitional bilingual program for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean middle school students in the Torrance Unified School District (CA) are reported. The project focused on four goal areas: student instruction, staff development, materials, and parent involvement and education. At each of the district's…

The value of transitional bilingual education (TBE) is discussed in the context of two competing theories of second language learning: (1) first language (L1) knowledge facilitates second language (L2) learning, and (2) the best way to learn English is to maximize time spent using it. First, the facilitation theory is examined in light of recent…

In a study of bilingual education teachers' experiences and perceptions of bilingual education, four female trained, experienced, Spanish-English bilingual primary school teachers were interviewed in depth and observed in class. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews focused on the following: teacher background and experience; experiences with…

The Dispersed Heterogeneous Placement (DHP) supported employment project involved dispersal of three to five consumers across several departments/areas in a larger business or across several businesses in close proximity. The individuals placed had a wide range of talents and disability severity levels. Typically, a four-person site might have one…

Between September 1990 and December 1991, Cabrillo College implemented the Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) program to increase the number of underrepresented minority students enrolling in scientific disciplines at Cabrillo and subsequently transferring to four-year colleges. The initial program was targeted to 200 MESA members…