APPENDIX G
SECONDARY TRANSITION
SECTIONS
PAGE
SECTION 1  IDEA 2004 AND SECONDARY TRANSITION........................................... 2
SECTION 2  TRANSITION AND FEDERAL MONITORING ........................................ 4
SECTION 3  SECONDARY TRANSITION CHECKLIST ............................................... 5
SECTION 4  SAMPLE IEP WITH TRANSITION PLAN ................................................. 5
SECTION 5  RESOURCES ................................................................................................... 5
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SECTION 1  IDEA 2004 AND SECONDARY TRANSITION
OVERVIEW
On December 3, 2004, President George W. Bush signed into effect, Public Law 108-446, what
is otherwise known as the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act (IDEA). It
took the U.S. Department of Education almost two years to develop new federal regulations. On
August 14, 2006, these new regulations were published. The new regulations took effect 60 days
later on October 13, 2006.
IDEA builds on the concept that every student with a disability is entitled to a free appropriate
public education (FAPE). FAPE provides special education and related services to students
with disabilities at the public’s expense, free and without charge.
An important component of IDEA 2004 was the directive that every eligible student has
appropriate, measurable postsecondary goals. These goals are based upon age appropriate
assessments that are related to training, education, employment, and where needed independent
living skills. A statement of needed transition services is to be incorporated into the students
Individualized Education Program (IEP).
TRANSITION SERVICES DEFINITION
Transition Services are defined in 34 CFR 300.43 as a coordinated set of activities for a child
with a disability that:
 Is designed to be within a results oriented process, that is focused in improving
academic and functional achievement of a 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;
 Is based on the individual child’s needs, taking into account the child’s strengths,
preferences, and interests; and 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.
Transition services for children with disabilities may be special education, if provided as
specially designed instruction, or a related service, if required to assist a child with a disability to
benefit from special education.
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TRANSITION INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM
Transition services are to begin not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the child turns
16, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP Team, and updating annually, thereafter. It
states that the IEP must include:
 Appropriate measurable postsecondary goals based upon age appropriate transition
assessments related to trainings, education, employment and where appropriate,
independent living skills; and
 The transition services (including course of study) needed to assist the child in
reaching these goals.
AGE OF MAJORITY
Beginning no later than one year before the child reaches the age of 18 which is referred to as
age of majority, the IEP must include a statement that the child has been informed of his or her
rights.
TRANSITION SERVICES IEP TEAM PARTICIPANTS
When transition services are being discussed, the following things must occur:
 The public agency must invite a child with a disability to attend the IEP Team meeting
if the purpose of the meeting will be the consideration of the postsecondary goals for
the child and the transition services needed to assist the child in reaching those goals.
 If the child does not attend the IEP Team meeting, the public agency must take other
steps to ensure that the child’s preferences and interests are considered.
 To the extent appropriate, with the consent of the parents or a child who has reached
the age of majority, the public agency must invite a representative of any participating
agency that is likely to be responsible for providing or paying for transitions services.
The parent or LEA have the discretion to invite other individuals who have knowledge or special
expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate.
TEAM ATTENDANCE
A member of the IEP Team is not required to attend an IEP Team meeting either in part or in
whole if the parent of the child with the disability and the public agency agree, in writing that the
attendance of this member is not necessary because the members area of curriculum or related
service is not being discussed or modified in the meeting.
A member of the IEP Team may be excused from attending the IEP meeting in part, or in whole,
when the meeting discusses or is going to modify that members area of curriculum or related
service if the parent and the public agency in writing consent to the excusal of the member and
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the member submits in writing prior to the meeting to the parent and the IEP Team, any input
into the development of the IEP. This must be done prior to the meeting.
PARENT NOTICE
If the purpose of an IEP meeting is to consider transition services needed for a special education
student, the meeting notice must indicate:
 That the purpose of the meeting will be the consideration of the postsecondary goals
and transition services for the child.
 The agency will invite the student.
 Identify any other agency that will be invited to send a representative.
SECTION 2  TRANSITION AND FEDERAL MONITORING
Effective as of 2005, the federal government began monitoring transition plans for students with
disabilities. These transition plans were not only from Part C to Part B, but Secondary/Postschool transition as well. The intention of this monitoring is to create effective post-secondary
school results for students with disabilities and improve supports needed to ensure their success
while they are in the secondary educational setting.
During the first few years of this monitoring, the federal governments’ intention is to establish a
baseline for transition by collection of data. The results of this data collection and analysis will
be used by both the federal government as well as state governments to assist LEAs in providing
the best educational services possible to students with disabilities.
Data collection and analysis will transpire in three different forms:
1. State Performance Plan (SPP)- Indicators 1, 2, 13 and 14
2. Annual Performance Report (APR)
3. Continuous Improvement Focused Monitoring Process (CIFMP)
Performance Indicators:
Indicator 1:
Percent of youth with IEPs graduating from high school with a regular
diploma compared to percent of all youth in the State graduating with a
regular diploma.
Indicator 2:
Percent of youths with IEPs dropping out of high school compared to the
percent of all youth in the State dropping out of high school.
Indicator 13: Percent of youth aged 16 and above with an IEP that includes coordinated,
measurable, annual IEP goals and transition services that will reasonably
enable the student to meet the postsecondary goals.
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Indicator 14: Percent of youth who had IEPs, are no longer in secondary school who have
been competitively employed, enrolled in some type of postsecondary school,
both within one year of leaving high school.
Indicator 14 consists of four performance indicators. The purpose of these is
to increase is to increase post-school performance of special education
students in the areas of:

Postsecondary education

Employment

Independent living

Agency linkages
SECTION 3  SECONDARY TRANSITION CHECKLIST
Links to: SECONDARY TRANSITION CHECKLIST – MS WORD
SECONDARY TRANSITION CHECKLIST – PDF
SECTION 4  SAMPLE IEP WITH TRANSITION PLAN
Link to: SAMPLE IEP WITH TRANSITION PLAN – PDF VERSION ONLY
SECTION 5  RESOURCES
For a listing of Secondary and Post-secondary Transition resources, please see the Resources
section in this handbook.
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