Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience difficulty with transitioning to competitive integrated employment following high school. Addressing this disparity in transitioning to competitive integrated employment can be supported through a high school transition program with community-based work experiences for students with IDD. The Schools United in Collaboration with Community-based Experiences for Employment Development ("SUCCEED") Program and School Collaboration for Optimal Parent Education ("SCOPE") are proposed transition programs for students with IDD and their parents to help bridge the gap towards competitive integrated employment. The "SUCCEED" program for high school students with IDD includes both classroom-based functional skills training and community-based work experiences. The key components of "SCOPE" include: parent education on resources, services, and agencies available in Ohio to navigate the path to competitive integrated employment; collaboration and sharing of experiences; and support to build advocacy and empowerment skills. This doctoral project is a presentation of the program proposal, theoretical base to understand the problem, a review of the evidence base of the current approaches and methods to address the problem, theories guiding the development of the program, the description of the proposed program, and the program evaluation research plan. Additionally, information about the funding and dissemination plan for stakeholders are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]