The future is now!
New to Secondary Transition? What do you need to know? The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) offers a comprehensive website for Secondary Transition Services for students with disabilities. The website provides a guide for transition support, information, and resources designed to improve the outcomes of students with disabilities in transitioning from middle and high school to postsecondary education and employment.
But what exactly is transition? Transition is the process students and their families use to think about life after high school. They use this time to identify their desired outcomes and plan their school and community experiences using the student’s acquired knowledge and skills to achieve their goals (VDOE, 2023).
The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) 2004 defines secondary transition as a coordinated set of activities within a results-oriented process focused on improving academic achievement and functional performance to facilitate movement from school to post-school activities. Local education agencies (LEAs) should begin transition planning no later than the first individualized education program (IEP) to be in effect when the student is 14, which is usually around 8th grade; however, it’s never too early to start planning with students and families about their future goals.
The transition planning process uses the student’s preferences, skills, interests, and abilities to plan for life after high school. Transition planning encourages students to participate in postsecondary education, training, employment, independent living, and community activities to fulfill their goals. There is a FastFacts sheet, Secondary Transition: Why is it important to plan early?, that can be helpful.
VDOE shares a wealth of resources that are easy to access and use:
- The I’m Determined Project facilitates youth, especially those with disabilities, opportunities to practice skills associated with self-determination.
- VDOE’s Center on Transition Innovations (CTI) at the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center- Virginia Commonwealth University (RRTC) provides a portal to many of Virginia’s transition resources, including free online courses, FastFacts, training opportunities, videos, and much more.
- The National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT) has information and resources regarding effective practices for youth with disabilities transitioning from school to college and careers.
- Secondary Transition Resources – Includes information on career assessment, transition organizations, rehabilitation services, college planning, and school-to-work.
- VDOE’s Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) offers regional support to transition coordinators. TTAC hosts monthly training and support for VDOE’s Superintendent’s Regions 1 and 8 through Communities of Practice (CoP) that target best practices in special education.
The TTAC at VCU library has these featured transition resources:
- Promoting Successful Transition to Adulthood for Students with Disabilities
- Universal Design for Transition: A Roadmap for Planning and Instruction
Assessments/Transition Kits
- BRIGANCE Transition Skills Inventory 2 (TSI 2) Transition Skills Inventory
- Pro-ED: Transitions to High School-Course Starter Kit
Additional resources that can be useful:
- Transition: School to Work https://www.ldonline.org/ld-topics/transition-school-work
- Secondary Transition: Student-Centered Planning https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/tran-scp/
- Division of Rehabilitative Services (Pre-ETS & VR Transition Services) https://www.dars.virginia.gov/drs/transitionservices.htm#gsc.tab=0
- National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT) https://transitionta.org/
- Region 8 Transition Website https://heartlandtransition.wixsite.com/transition
Transition planning should empower students to successfully reach their goals and equip families with information about postsecondary outcomes to support future decisions.
References
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 (2004).
Virginia Department of Education (2023, August 7) Secondary transition services for students with disabilities. https://www.doe.virginia.gov/programs-services/special-education/secondary-transition-services-for-students-with-disabilities
For more information, contact LaTonja Wright [email protected]), Program Specialist T/TAC at VCU.
Categories Transition PK-12