Secondary to Postsecondary Transition Issues

by

David W. Test, Audrey Bartholomew, Jennifer Cease-Cook

Introduction

Secondary transition was formally defined by the federal government in the 1990 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 1990). In addition to defining transition, IDEA 1990 required the student Individual Education Program (IEP) to include a transition component by age sixteen and transition services for youth with disabilities be coordinated between the school and community service providers. Since 1990, IDEA was amended in 1997 and 2004. IDEA 2004 clarified that the purpose of a free, appropriate public education for a student with a disability was to “prepare them for further education, employment and independent living,” as well as defining transition services as “a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that (1) is designed to be within a results oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate the child’s movement from school to post-school activities, including postsecondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation; (2) is based on the individual child’s needs, taking into account the child’s strengths, preferences, and interests; and (3) includes instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives, and if appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and provision of a functional vocational evaluation” (IDEA; 34 CFR 300.43 (a)] [20 U.S.C. 1401(34)]). While IDEA 2004 provided a formal definition of secondary transition, Halpern 1992 (cited under History) informally defined it as “a period of floundering that occurs for at least the first several years after leaving school as adolescents attempt to assume a variety of adult roles in their communities” (p. 203). As a result, secondary transition is about helping students with disabilities prepare to successfully move from high school to adulthood.

Frameworks

Because secondary transition encompasses a wide range of topics, there have been attempts to develop a framework to organize effective practices. At present, three such frameworks exist. The first and most widely used framework is A Taxonomy for Transition Programming (Kohler 1996). This is an applied framework of secondary education practices associated with improving post-school outcomes for youths with disabilities. Kohler 1996 was developed from four studies that sought to identify effective secondary transition practices supported with evidence through a review of the literature, an analysis of exemplary transition programs identified through evaluation studies, a metaevaluation of model demonstration transition program outcomes and activities, and a concept mapping process. Second, National Alliance for Secondary Education and Transition 2005 was created as a framework for stakeholders to identify what all youth, not just those with disabilities, need in order to achieve successful participation in postsecondary education and training, civic engagement, meaningful employment, and adult life. Finally, National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth 2010 developed as an extension of National Alliance for Secondary Education and Transition 2005. National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth 2010 provides guidance to help families, schools, and youth through the secondary transition process. Both National Alliance for Secondary Education and Transition 2005 and National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth 2010 were developed through a group consensus process and include current issues such as youth leadership and inclusion in general education.

• Kohler, P. D. 1996. A taxonomy for transition programming: Linking research and practice. Champaign: Transition Research Institute, University of Illinois.

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  Organized practices into five categories, including student-focused planning, student development, interagency collaboration, family involvement, and program structure.

• National Alliance for Secondary Education and Transition. 2005. National standards and quality indicators: Transition toolkit for systems improvement. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, National Center on Secondary Education and Transition.

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  This framework organizes secondary transition practices into five key areas, including schooling, career preparatory experiences, youth development, family involvement, and connecting activities.

• National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth. 2010. Guideposts for success for transition-age youth. 2d ed. Washington, DC: National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth.

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  Similar to NASET, this framework organizes secondary transition practices into five key areas, including school-based preparatory experiences, career preparation and work-based learning experiences, youth development and leadership, connecting activities, family involvement and supports.