In December of 2004, the reauthorization of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) was signed into law and went into effect on July 1, 2005, making dramatic changes in the area of transition from school to post-secondary life. The President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education created recommendations that influenced the new…

This applied dissertation described the evaluation of a program designed to provide students with the necessary academic and social skills needed to matriculate and graduate from the university. The problem was that there was no evidence of a formalized program evaluation to determine if the Academic Empowerment Center (AEC) was effective in…

Public schools must make available special education and related services to all IDEA-eligible (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) students with disabilities beginning at age three and through age 18. Services to students, ages 19, 20, and 21, are permissive. That means the decision to serve 19, 20 and 21-year-old students is determined…

Difficulties faced by homeless children include depression, low self-esteem, lack of sleep and nutrition, and feelings of shame and embarrassment. Challenges faced by schools in providing education to homeless children include: (1) keeping children in one school despite frequent family moves; (2) ensuring that children's health records are…

A study used a three-tiered process to identify the range of available aftercare programming in 52 correctional boot camps. The process included a telephone survey, creation of boot camp and aftercare program summaries, and site visits. Existing research indicated that boot camps were not necessarily lowering rates of recidivism, but this…

This theme issue provides four articles that address family involvement in the transition of youth with disabilities from school to work. The first article, "Family Involvement" by Marge Goldberg and Shauna McDonald, offers evidence of the importance of family involvement at this stage of the individual's life, reports on families' experiences,…

This document summarizes presentations made at a national policy forum concerning children's transition from home and preschool to the first years of elementary school. Opening remarks from representatives of the sponsoring agencies reviewed Goal One of the National Education Goals, which states that by the year 2000 all children in the United…

This study evaluated the effect a developmentally appropriate curriculum, implemented as part of a Head Start Transition Project for public kindergarten through third grade to maintain and enhance the benefits attained by Head Start children and their families. Participating were two cohorts of students in demonstration and comparison classrooms…

The School Transition to Employment Partnership (STEP) Employability Curriculum is a competency-based evaluation and training program for special needs students, designed to ensure successful transition from school to employment. The STEP curriculum was developed through a partnership of state and local education agencies, representatives of state…

An annotated time line to help learning disabled high school students and their families plan for and choose an appropriate college was developed. A review of the literature concerning the transition of learning disabled students from high school to college is presented as are results of interviews with college learning disability specialists,…

This report provides an overview of the continuing development and use of the computer-assisted career guidance systems at the Adult Career Counseling Center of Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan during its ninth year of operation (September 1991 - June 1992). The report includes the following: (1) history of the development of the Adult…

This pamphlet answers questions parents often ask about employment and financial assistance opportunities for their children with disabilities who are exiting the school system. The questions are organized within the topics of transition planning, eligibility for financial aid, receiving benefits, impairment-related work expenses, living…

First-year experiences in administration can color one's perceptions of the job, the career, and life goals. Ineffective socialization and assimilation during this period can also have serious consequences for staff, students, and community. This paper attempts to identify the significant issues, conflicts, and experiences occurring during the…

The middle school is a bridge between elementary and secondary schooling that helps students pass from childhood to adolescence. Within the middle school is another bridge--the exploratory/elective program. Whereas the core curriculum focuses on students' academic development and the cocurricular program on their equally important personal and…

This manual is one of four modules in the curriculum PUSH For Youths GOALS (Providing Understanding, Support and Help for Youths Going Out And Living Successfully), which was developed for use in training foster parents to be primary teachers of the youths in their homes. This manual is designed to be used in foster parent classes. The module…