University of IllinoisGrowing recognition of the dismal post-school outcomes of many youth with disabilities, combined with recent policy developments, is gradually leading to a more consumer-oriented education and service delivery paradigm based on student ability, aptitude, and self- determination. According to this persepective, transition planning is not an add-on activity for students with disabilities when they reach the age of 16, but rather a foundation from which programs and activities are developed-as has historically been the case for college-bound students!
Over the past decade, several theoretical and analytical models have been proposed (e.g., Halpern, 1985, 1993; Wehman, Kregal, &Barcus, 1985, Will, 1984) to direct attention to the issue of transition. The result of these efforts have helped shape research and policy associated with employment and adult quality-of-life outcomes; however, to date, no working model links theory with transition practices.
An effective linkage of research and practice would identify proven practices and communicate this information in a format that facilitates use by administrators and service providers.
This monograph represents a major effort toward establishing the much-needed link between research and practice by presenting a taxonomy for transition programming that provides a "user-friendly" framework for designing educational programs that reflect a transition perspective for students with disabilities.
Chapter 1 describes the development of this conceptual model, generated and evaluated by a national group of individuals with expertise in the area of transition. The model directly extends previous work on transition theory by identifying transition issues related to program planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Acknowledging that additional intervention and outcome research in conjunction with program evaluation is needed to further develop effective practices, Chapter 2 describes the evaluation efforts of an interagency team, the Midland County Interagency Transition Team (MCITT) in Michigan. With ongoing program evaluation as an essential component in their efforts to improving post-school outcomes for individuals with disabilities and expanding understanding of "best practice," MCITT has developed a comprehensive evaluation tool, the MCITT Transition Self-Assessment instrument, based on the Taxonomy for Transition Programming (Kohler, 1995).
While the practices included in the Taxonomy are supported by evidence of effectiveness, they do not propose detailed steps for implementation of particular practices. Chapter 3 prsents an overview of an investigation to identify effective specific transition strategies, undertaken to complement the more generic practices in the Taxonomy. A general discussion of the investigation starts out the chapter, followed by a summary of eight programs that have implemented and evaluated several of the transition practices in the Taxonomy.
We hope that, together, the three chapters and appendices that make up this monograph make a significant contribution to the issues surrounding the planning, implementation, and evaluation of proven "best practices" in transition. Our intention is that they serve to link research and practice, thereby facilitating the work of administrators and service providers and benefiting youth with disabilities-our ultimate "customers."
Paula D. Kohler, Ph.D.
Transition
Research Institute at Illinois
University of Illinois