Education is the key factor in achieving employment and thus an enhanced quality of life for people with disabilities. Students with disabilities, who now are estimated to represent nearly 10 percent of all college students, currently experience postsecondary outcomes far inferior to those of their non-disabled peers. While federal law requires a…

This guide will assist paraprofessionals in selecting state and national resources for training. The compilations are contributions from representatives of: (1) Local Administrators of Special Education; (2) Missouri Association of Paraprofessionals in Education; and (3) Special Education Effective Practices in the Missouri Department of …

One of the primary goals of Early College High Schools is to enroll students who are underrepresented in higher education. This brief report describes the strategies ECHSs have used to recruit students from groups that are traditionally underserved and underrepresented in higher education and addresses the impact of the recruitment and selection…

The third biannual Brathay Youth Conference focused on ways to help young people negotiate the key transitions in their lives and the role of informal and experiential learning in such strategies. This document summarizes speeches, workshops, and research reports presented at the conference. The speeches were (1) welcome and introduction (Steve…

Although transitioning from school to school can be challenging at any level, the transition to high school may be particularly fraught with challenge because students are experiencing a change in schools as well as the physical, emotional, and psychological changes inherent to adolescence. Educators and researchers agree that ninth grade is a…

This issue brief discusses the benefits of mentoring for youth with disabilities and strategies for encouraging mentoring. It begins by discussing research that has demonstrated the effectiveness of mentoring and different types of mentoring, including a new model of electronic mentoring that is increasing in popularity. A chart shows how…

There is recent, widespread activity in Australian education and training sectors to improve the transition of young people from initial education to further education and training and employment. Many jurisdictions have conducted high-level reviews of the institutional arrangements underpinning the transition process. The focus has been mainly on…

The effects of various college preparation programs, class ranking, and student background characteristics on college retention were studied. The data were obtained from the National Education Longitudinal Study:1988-2000 and NELS:88/2000 Postsecondary Education Transcript Study. The sample contained 4,445 first-time freshmen students who enrolled…

Some intervention programs have responded to the magnitude of the difficulties that career transitions present for adults. This digest examines one program which aims to improve the career adaptability of adults seeking employment. The interventional procedures outlined here are intended to accelerate vocational development by helping people…

This paper summarizes current knowledge on the transition to adulthood of youth with serious emotional disturbance in terms of epidemiology, effective interventions, and program models. The first section is introductory and provides definitions and characteristics of transitional youth noting special developmental tasks, outcomes for young adults,…

The Maryland Case Study is one of six comprehensive state case studies of the transition of students from high school to college being conducted as part of "The Bridge Project: Strengthening K-16 Transition Policies." The Maryland components of the Bridge Project focuses on undergraduate admission and placement policies and procedures at…

This presentation summarizes findings from a Maryland case study of policies and practices affecting the transition of students from high school to college. A particular focus is the role of a formal, high-profile statewide K-16 structure, the Maryland K-16 Partnership for Teaching and Learning, in promoting policies and practices that help…

This curriculum kit contains a teacher manual, five student workbooks, a program guide, informational brochures, and a videotape recording, designed to teach high school students with and without disabilities how to begin planning for their lives after they leave school. NEXT S.T.E.P. (Student Transition and Educational Planning) is intended to…

The National Transition Demonstration Study was conducted to provide information about the implementation and impact of a federally funded program to enhance early public school transition of former Head Start children and their families by extending Head Start-like supports through the first 4 years of elementary school. The study design involved…

This directory lists materials and products useful in the professional development of teachers and other providers of transitional services to young people with disabilities. Materials and products were identified through requests to state and local educators, state systems, change and model demonstration transition projects, regional resource…