This guide presents a process for school-to-community transition planning for students with disabilities, based on individual need. In order for the school to support transition planning, it must put in place a school-based transition system, with the following essential components: local education agency administrative and program…

The final report documents a 2-year project which trained volunteers to help preschool disabled and non-disabled children work together as part of a transitioning and mainstreaming effort. The report describes project development, implementation, and dissemination. Specific objectives included the following: form an advisory council; orient staff,…

The guide is intended to aid the integration of normally developing children and children with handicaps into one early childhood program. An introductory chapter describes the Northwest Center Infant and Toddler Development Program in Washington and chronicles initial philosophical, educational, and programatic considerations. Each subsequent…

Five elementary special education students were mainstreamed to a regular classroom for portions of their school day. A support team, consisting of the school psychologist, the principal, and the guidance counselor, was established to monitor their progress and provide assistance with both behavioral and educational problems. Peer tutors were…

A project is described to develop a model system by which local education agencies (LEAs) can form successful working relationships with other human service providers to better serve special education students. The models (both process and content) designate LEAs as the central access point to the service continuum. The project's efforts to devise…

Based on an extensive literature search, this paper identifies key actions school administrators may take regarding systems that limit or avoid student referrals for special education services. Findings indicate that referrals may be limited by early intervention strategies and overall improvement of the mainstream educational system. Includes 93…

The improvement of transition services for handicapped youth through effective management strategies in service planning and coordination is proposed. Current barriers include conflicting policy goals, eligibility criteria, and funding patterns. Needed are consistent policy development, formulation of effective management strategies, and…

The article presents a cooperative interagency approach for assessing effectiveness of programs and services to facilitate the transition of handicapped students from school to adult community living. Features of the model include cooperative planning at the policy level, implementation level, and direct service level; and collaboration by state…

Two Transition Planners, containing rating scales and open-ended questions, were used to involve parents of preschool handicapped children in the identification of transition-related needs. Parents rated as very important opportunities for them to participate in planning and selecting the next program and receiving descriptions of potential…

The study identified areas of innovative practice in 131 recently funded projects under the Handicapped Children's Early Education Program. Innovations emerged in curricula, mainstreaming, transition services, use of technology, interagency coordination, type of service provider, and technical assistance. Most interventions had a family focus.…

Four exemplary programs that effectively plan and coordinate transitions between early intervention programs and preschool/elementary programs are described. They include Project BEST (Building Effective School Transitions), Projects STEPS (Sequenced Transition to Education in the Public School), Project TEEM (Transitioning into the Elementary…

Suggestions presented for special education teachers evaluating or preparing mildly or moderately disabled students for integration into mainstreamed classes include: training students to understand the difference between the resource and mainstreamed classes (directions, group activities); meeting with the regular classroom teacher; and teaching…

The differences in school demands between elementary and junior high settings are identified, and a curriculum is offered to facilitate the transition for exceptional students. The curriculum outlines academic skills, self-management/study skills, and social/adaptive behavior skills. A sample lesson plan is included. (CL)

The Annual Performance Report (APR) for Grant Year July 1, 2002, through June 30, 2003, was submitted to the U.S. Department of Education in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The OSEP designed the APR to serve as a state?s self-assessment and improvement planning…

The 10 papers in this book attempt to provide some creative approaches to assessment of individuals with disabilities as they transition from the school experience to the adult world. The papers are: (1) "For Whom the Test Is Scored: Assessments, the School Experience, and More" (Douglas Fisher and Caren L. Sax); (2) "Person-Centered Planning:…