Adult student transition programs (also known as 18+ programs, 18-21 programs, adult transition programs, and community transition programs) are educational programs that provide instruction in age-appropriate community environments to adult students who have met the state credit and assessment guidelines for graduation but who still require…

Although varying among and within the states, the percentage of students with 504 plans is steadily and significantly increasing as a national average. Although the professional literature addresses the legal standards for eligibility for 504 plans, it has not provided up-to-date information to practitioners as to the legal standard for the…

Disparities in academic performance have been found in students from underserved districts. This is especially prevalent in students with disabilities. Technology use can help to narrow this divide. Mainstream software packages are readily available to most districts and increasingly include accessibility features (AF) to enable students to…

This article concludes this special issue by highlighting some of the most important points from the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in "Board of Education v. Rowley" (1982) and "Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District" (2017) but also discussing another crucial point to which school district personnel must adhere to ensure…

The purpose of this policy and practice brief is to provide readers with a resource for planning outreach to transition-aged youth, their parents, and the service providers who work with them (i.e., the authors' "target group"). The authors will first provide a summary of the laws governing how three key agencies--school districts, state…

This manual is designed to assist Minnesota school districts in implementing surrogate parent programs under federal law (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and federal and state regulations. An introduction notes that Minnesota special education rules expand on the federal law by clarifying what school districts must do, including…

IDEA Part B funds have more than doubled between the 1999 and 2003 fiscal years, from $4.3 billion to $8.9 billion. This is an increase from 8% to 13% of total special education spending. Increases in federal funds can theoretically support "program growth" by providing fiscal relief to states and districts facing rising special…

National concern about the growing number of identified children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased efforts in the research field (National Research Council, 2001; Odom et al. 2003; Simpson, 2005) and the U.S. federal government (U.S. House of Representatives, 2005) to provide specific recommendations regarding appropriate…

The passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) in 1990 and the subsequent reauthorization in 1997 mandate school districts to provide transition services for students with disabilities in order to improve post-school outcomes for these youth. To help meet the requirements for transition, many school districts have developed…