Thursday, February 23, 2012  
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Problem Statement

As students transition from elementary to middle, from middle to high, and from high school to post secondary education programs and from post secondary to the workforce, each stage presents anxiety and challenges that vary from individual to individual.  Likewise, students with disabilities have additional challenges.  There are many resources and best practices for schools, organization, and families to help increase the success of each transition.  Please browse the Best Practices identified below to find out more.

 

Document Repository
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Kindergarten Transistions: A Review of Current Research and Promising Practices to Involve Families

Whatever the focus of a particular transition effort, transition to kindergarten “should be understood in terms of the influence of contexts and the connections across these contexts at any given time and across time” (Pianta, Rimm-Kauffman, & Cox, 1999). Kraft-Sayre and Pianta’s “Ecological and Dynamic Model of Transition” (see below) acknowledges the shared responsibilities of many individuals and institutions for the transition to elementary school. It also conveys the dynamic nature of the relationships between children, family, teachers, and community in preschool through kindergarten. Transition is recognized as a process that all these partners experience rather than an event that happens to a child.

http://www.hfrp.orgTrans to Kindergarten.pdf
Transition to Post-Secondary: Preparing High School Students for Successful Transitions to Postsecondary Education and Employment

In the current information- and technology-based economy, a high school
diploma is no longer sufficient as a terminal degree. Most of the fastestgrowing
jobs that pay reasonably well require at least some postsecondary
education1 (Carnevale & Desrochers, 2003). However, due to what is often
characterized as a leaky educational pipeline, too many students fail to
complete high school and make a successful transition to postsecondary
education and careers.

http://www.betterhighschools.orgTrans to Postsecondary.pdf
Easing the Transition to High School: Research and Best Practices Designed to Support High School Learning

The transition from middle school to high school represents a significant event in the lives of adolescents, one that necessitates support from and collaboration among teachers, parents, counselors, and administrators at both educational levels. Successful transitions place particular emphasis on ninth-grade initiatives and can create one of strongest bridges from middle to high school and beyond. This toolkit contains four resources—a fact sheet, policy brief, research brief, and snapshot—on how to support and guide a smooth transition into high school:The transition from middle school to high school represents a significant event in the lives of adolescents,
one that necessitates support from and collaboration among teachers, parents, counselors, and administrators at both educational levels. Successful transitions place particular emphasis on ninth-grade initiatives and can create one of strongest bridges from middle to high school and beyond. This toolkit contains four resources—a fact sheet, policy brief, research brief, and snapshot—on how to support and guide a smooth transition into high school:

http://www.betterhighschools.orgTrans to HS.pdf
Transitions for Students with Disabilities

Do you know what is in store for students with disabilities who graduate from your school and head off to postsecondary education?  Do you have the information you need to advise them on what to expect in postsecondary education?

For students with disabilities, a big factor in their successful transition from high school to postsecondary education is accurate knowledge about their civil rights.  The purpose of this guide is to provide high school educators with answers to questions students with disabilities may have as they get ready to move to the postsecondary education environment.  This link provides a guide developed by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR).  OCR has enforcement responsibilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), as amended, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Title II), which prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability.  Every school district and nearly every college and university in the United States is subject to one or both of these laws, which have similar requirements. Private postsecondary institutions that do not receive federal financial assistance are not subject to Section 504 or Title II.  They are, however, subject to Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice and which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by private entities that are not private clubs or religious entities.

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transitionguide.html 
The World's Leading Website on Learning Disabilities

A successful transition for individuals with learning disabilities from school to school, college, or work often requires collaboration. Students play an important role in planning their transition, and should be included throughout the process. Read more about how to engage in successful transition planning.

http://www.ldonline.org/indepth/transition 
Parenting Post-Secondary Students with Disabilities: Becoming the Mentor, Advocate, and Guide Your Young Adult Needs

The importance of involving parents in the education of elementary and secondary school students is widely encouraged. In fact, federal law—the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)—has created a process to involve parents in the education of their children with disabilities. Once youth with disabilities graduate from high school, however, resources and guidance to help parents with this challenging new phase of parenting become difficult to find. Yet, parents continue to be important role models and guides for their young adult sons and daughters. For students with disabilities, parents may be a key part of the support network they need to succeed in the postsecondary environment.  Brought to you by the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET), this link provides valuable resources for educators and parents.

http://www.ncset.org/about/default.html 
Preparing students with disabilities for the workforce requires a comprehensive transdisciplinary vocational assessment and an emphasis on postschool planning

Brought to you by By Edward M. Levinson and Eric J. Palmer, this PDF provides information regarding Assessment and Planning:  Keys to Successful Postschool Transitions and Components of a Comprehensive Vocational Assessment along with Mandated Vocational Services for Students with Disabilities. 

 Transition%20Planning%20WEB.pdf
Students with Learning Disabilities

In the topic area of Students with Learning Disabilities, the WWC has released a new Intervention Report on Read Naturally®, a program designed to improve reading fluency using a combination of books, audiotapes, and computer software. The study that meets WWC evidence standards includes 20 students with learning disabilities in grades 4 through 6 in one elementary school in Washington State. Based on the review of the research, the WWC found Read Naturally® to have a small extent of evidence, potentially positive effects on writing, and no discernible effects on reading fluency for students with learning disabilities.

http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/reports/learning_disabilities/read_naturally/ 
Research, Best Practices & Lessons Learned
  1. Harvard Family Research Framework
  2. Yale Child Study

 

Goals & Objectives
  • Ensure successful transitions from elementary to middle, to high, to college, to career through partnership integration.
Key Strategies
  • Summer Bridge
  • Service Learning
  • Smaller Learning Communities
  • Career Academy
  • 21st Century Workforce
  • CASEL
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