Secondary Transition
Departments and Programs
- WorkAbility I (WAI) Program
The WAI program is funded and administered by the CDE and offers students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) the opportunity to complete their secondary education while also obtaining marketable job skills. WAI provides secondary students with an understanding of job-seeking and job-keeping skills. Access the find a WAI contact list. - California Center for Inclusive College (CCIC)
Learn about inclusive college programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and technical assistance to support and expand these programs.
Websites
- California Transition Alliance California Transition Alliance
A non-profit organization of youth-serving professionals dedicated to helping youth make positive transitions to adult life. - National Center on Secondary Education and Transition
Coordinates national resources, offers technical assistance, and disseminates information related to secondary education and transition for youth with disabilities in order to create opportunities for youth to achieve successful futures. - National Technical Assistance Center on Transition
Provides numerous resources for engaging students in the process of planning for their future. Includes links to evidence and research based practices in transition as well as professional development resources. - National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth
Offers a wide variety of resources pertaining to transition and employment for youth with disabilities.
- Iris Center for Disabilities, Transition
Provides multiple transition resources including modules on secondary transition, information briefs, video vignettes, and a web resource directory. - Iris Center for Disabilities, Secondary Transition: Helping Students with Disabilities Plan for Post-High School Settings
This Module focuses on the transition process from high school to post-secondary settings. Among other topics, it discusses IEP planning, engaging students in the process, and the importance of outside agencies. - Iris Center for Disabilities, Secondary Transition: Interagency Collaboration
This Module defines and discusses the purpose of interagency collaboration and addresses the importance of partnering with agencies to improve outcomes for students with disabilities who are transitioning from high school. - CalSTAT Technical Assistance and Training, Transition to Adult Life
Provides multiple resource links in five priority areas of transition; Post-school outcomes, Strong and effective interagency collaborations, Planning to reflect student goals and aspirations, Compliance, outcomes, and alignment, Appropriate measurable postsecondary goals, and Tools for transition. - PACER’s National Parent Center on Transition and Employment
Provides a variety information and resources to professionals, parents, and youth through videos, technical assistance and training to professionals, online workshops, handouts, a resource library, and more. - Inclusion Focused Coaching, Favorite Transition Resources
An excellent resource that provides multiple links to websites, videos, handouts, and more.
Articles/Publications
- Secondary Transition Resources (
PDF; 221k; 10pp.)
This Resource Guide from IDEA Partnership contains websites with materials that has been found to be helpful on secondary transition. - Choices in Transition: A Model for Career Development ( PDF; 352k; 6pp.)
Describes a transition model which provides students with disabilities an opportunity to develop a career through postsecondary training and vocational guidance and support. - The Guideposts for Success: A Framework for Families Preparing Youth for Adulthood
This InfoBrief examines how the Guideposts for Success can be used as a framework from which schools and families of youth with disabilities can consider the support needs of students with disabilities during the transition planning process. Schools can encourage and support the roles families can play in the transition planning process.
- Vocational Rehabilitation Outcomes for Students Participating in a Model Seamless Transition Program - Webinar ( PDF; 418k; 20pp.)
This webinar presents an overview of the most effective secondary transition models along with related strategies and resources. - Graduation Requirements and Diploma Options for Students with Disabilities: What Families and Advocates Need to Know
This InfoBrief explores the importance of making informed decisions about diploma options, understanding the consequences of graduating with different types of diplomas as well as the need for youth, families, and IEP teams to consider these issues early. - Promoting Self-Regulation in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Practice Brief
This brief reviews the importance of self-regulation for adolescents and young adults and provides guidelines for supporting self-regulation development for 14 to 25-year-olds which are important considerations for IEPs and Transition planning.
Videos
- California Department of Education Secondary Transition Planning: The Essentials Training
This video shares an overview of the challenges and opportunities related to secondary transition, assessment, goals, transition services and activities are discussed. - Pacer Parent Training and Information Center, Making a Smooth Transition from High School to Adult Living: Successful Collaboration
This webinar helps teachers and parents of youth with disabilities consider if transition goals and services are good next steps for planning and reaching future goals, and explore how to use the concept of collaboration to ensure the student’s transition to adulthood is as smooth as possible.
Action Tools
- National Technical Assistance Center on Transition- Toolkits
Toolkits are an overview and step-by-step guidance on a specific topic related to secondary education and services for students with disabilities. - National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center Age-Appropriate Transition Assessment Toolkit ( PDF; 23.7MB; 64pp.)
Discusses what transition assessments are and why conduct them, how to select instruments, what informal and formal assessments are. Gives sample instruments and informative links to other transition sources. - Effective Practices for Secondary Transition Practices Modules
Developed by PaTTAN and Intermediate Unit Secondary Transition consultants in response to the accountability requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004, Part B State Performance Plans. Highlights effective practices in secondary transition. Designed to provide an overview of the seven areas required by Indicator 13 for compliant, secondary transition practices.
