A policy analysis examined existing school-to-work transition programs in order to identify and evaluate the arguments for a national initiative to provide school-to-work transition services to high school seniors who are poorly equipped to obtain and retain jobs after graduation. To gather data for the study, the researchers conducted a literature review and consulted with experts in the field of school-to-work transition programs. Based on their analysis, the researchers determined that transition service packages emphasizing classroom instruction for job readiness are much cheaper and easier to administer than are those programs emphasizing work experience during students' senior year in high school. One highly successful example of the school-based approach was Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG), a program that served 6,800 high school students in eight states during 1982-1983 at a per-student cost of $900. After making a detailed analysis of the organizational structure and staffing of JAG, the researchers recommended a national initiative for improving school-to-work transition that would be permanent, would provide services to a broader segment of the population than the Job Training Partnership Act, and would maintain enough flexibility to allow for the adjustment of performance standards over time. (MN)