In this brief, Christine Patton and Justina Wang, from Harvard Family Research Project, look at ways of helping to make the transition into kindergarten a positive experience that will serve as a foundation to help children reach their full potential throughout their school years. The brief highlights promising practices in six states--New Jersey,…

One of the most consistent messages one hears from veterans on campus is the need for a strong sense of community and belonging. St. Cloud State University (SCSU), part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system (MnSCU), is collaborating with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) and the SCSU Student Veterans…

This issue brief is focused on policies and practices that improve college and career readiness by strengthening the transition from high school to postsecondary education. The brief is largely based on a February, 2009 American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) field trip to Indiana, and details the cross-system efforts implemented to help more of the…

Every step in a student's life is important for future success. Schools are building stronger frameworks of curricula, instruction and assessments to prepare students to move from one learning environment to another with maximum results as they journey toward adulthood. This issue of "High Schools That Work" contains examples of…

Family members are a child's first and most important teachers. A growing body of research demonstrates that when families are actively engaged in their child's learning, children are better prepared for school and achieve at higher levels. Increased participation by families in pre-kindergarten programs has also been linked to greater academic…

Planning for a child's transition from adolescence to adulthood is one of the most important things a parent can do to pave the way to a successful future. In Minnesota, special education transition planning and services begin when a child with a disability is fourteen. From then on, parents and their children will start learning new skills…

This "feature issue" focuses on transition from school to adult life for persons with disabilities. Included are "success stories," brief program descriptions, and a list of resources. Individual articles include the following titles and authors: "Transition: An Energizing Concept" (Paul Bates); "Transition…

Reports results of a Minnesota field-based study indicating that prerelease/transition programming and support must begin upon entry, continue during incarceration, and continue after release. Lists 10 areas of focus for effective programs and includes an annotated bibliography of 12 manuals and resources for transition programs. (JOW)

Describes a student identification and monitoring system developed to help students with unique learning needs make the transition through postsecondary vocational education programs. Focuses on the Theory of Educational Adjustment. (CH)

Twenty-two transition programs illustrating effective community collaboration for youth with disabilities in Minnesota are profiled. These programs were selected because they applied a set of 10 quality standards developed to improve the transition process and adult outcomes for these youth, as well as to increase the cost effectiveness and…

Participants from five states (Colorado, Minnesota, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin) met to establish a national network to promote state and community-based models of comprehensive coordinated planning and service delivery to adults who survived pediatric disorders in their childhood. Results of state caucuses, which discussed and listed…

This document brings together descriptions of education-to-work transition services for individuals with disabilities, as presented at a 1994 conference. The document begins with a discussion of the National Transition Network, focusing on its historical background and state-level technical assistance. "Transition from School to Adult Life…

This feature issue of a quarterly bulletin on community integration addresses the topic of transition services for preparing youth with disabilities for adult community living. It contains articles with the following titles and authors: "Transition: The Next Five Years" (David R. Johnson and others); "Transition Policy in the 1990s:…

This paper reviews problems and recommendations related to the transition of youth from school to work following special education programs in Minnesota. The results of several state-wide studies are reported. The studies include: (1) a review of the employment status of former special education students, (2) a survey of needs, (3) a study of the…

This paper is a guide to mapping community resources as a way of identifying assets and resources that can be used to aid students with disabilities as they transition from school to adulthood. Discussion of the principles of community resource mapping (relationship-driven and across programmatic and geographic boundaries) is followed by a…