IEP Transition Planning

A young woman wearing a pale purple headband and a matching t-shirt cuts a piece of pale blue paper into strips while she sits at a sunlit table.
Rebecca Newlon, 19, who has Down syndrome, participates in an internship job at her former elementary school in McHenry, Ill.
Taylor Glascock for Education Week
Special Education Older Students Face Time Crunch in Getting Crucial Special Education Services
Many students with disabilities missed out on key transition services during the pandemic. Advocates are pushing schools to make up for lost time.
Evie Blad, October 14, 2022
10 min read
Special Education Preparing Students for Life After Special Education? Here's How Federal Dollars Can Help
When can schools use federal funds to help students with disabilities prepare for life after special education? A new resource from the federal education department offers a road map.
Corey Mitchell, September 18, 2019
1 min read
School & District Management Inclusion, Career and Technical Education Help Students With Disabilities
Students with disabilities who spend 80 percent or more of their day in general education have better outcomes than similar peers, as do those who take a concentration of career and technical education courses.
Christina A. Samuels, June 12, 2017
3 min read
School & District Management Are High School Students With Disabilities Prepared for Life After School?
A two-volume research report funded by the U.S. Department of Education offers a deep dive into the characteristics of youth with disabilities who are transitioning out of high school.
Christina A. Samuels, March 28, 2017
3 min read
Assessment New Federal Special Education Grants Support Literacy, Testing, and Transition
The U.S. Department of Education's grants will pay for a comprehensive literacy center based in Oregon, as well as workforce demonstration projects in five states.
Christina A. Samuels, October 12, 2016
2 min read
Special Education Clinton Pledges More Economic Support for People With Disabilities
People with disabilities don't want pity, they want a paycheck, the Democratic presidential candidate told a crowd of supporters in Orlando, Fla.
Christina A. Samuels, September 21, 2016
1 min read
Special Education Postsecondary Transition for Students in Special Education: The Road Ahead
The 10th annual Diplomas Count report explores the different experiences of students with disabilities, as they leave high school and head to college or to work.
Christina A. Samuels, June 4, 2015
2 min read
Special Education Postschool Success for Students With Disabilities Linked to Goal-Setting Skills
A review of recent studies shows some factors connected with postschool employment, education, and independent living, but researchers say more evidence would be welcome.
Christina A. Samuels, April 9, 2015
2 min read
Special Education PBS Documentary Explores Life After School for Students With Autism
'Best Kept Secret' explores the postsecondary options available for six youth with severe autism in Newark, N.J.
Christina A. Samuels, September 23, 2013
1 min read
Special Education Study: Postsecondary Transition Programs Lack Effectiveness Evidence
Though strong research in this area is lacking, studies do show interesting areas that policymakers can explore, according to a report from the federal What Works Clearinghouse.
Christina A. Samuels, August 28, 2013
2 min read
Special Education Justice Department Criticizes Rhode Island Sheltered Workshop
Providence has shut down a program for youth and adults with intellectual disabilities that required them work at menial jobs at wages far below the state minimum.
Christina A. Samuels, June 14, 2013
1 min read
Special Education Special Education Advocates Release Public Policy Agenda
The Council for Exceptional Children is promoting an ambitious agenda, but also is paying attention to small-picture bills.
Christina A. Samuels, March 5, 2013
1 min read
Special Education Students With ADHD Must Better Prepare for College
Students didn't factor ADHD into their decision-making about college, but rather chose a college based on how the campus felt, the reputation of the school or that it was where they had always wanted to attend. The researcher found that students who had ADHD management strategies in place, such as ways to keep a schedule or study for tests, had figured those out before college, but students who did not have strategies mapped out were overwhelmed once freshman year began.
Nirvi Shah, September 7, 2012
2 min read
Special Education GAO: Transition for Students With Disabilities Can, Must Improve
The different agencies only coordinate their activities to an extent and don't ever reflect on how effectively they work together, the Government Accountability Office said.
Nirvi Shah, August 6, 2012
3 min read