This essay critically examines the model of transition that has been proposed by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. A summary of a recent study of secondary special education is also presented, focusing upon needed areas of improvement. Recommendations are offered for modifying the basic model of transition and for improving high school programs as a foundation of transition.
When the transition movement began as a federal initiative in 1984, it was conceptualized as "an outcome-oriented process leading to employment." Although many educators viewed this narrow focus on employment as too constrictive, an alternative framework for conceptualizing transition outcomes has been slow to develop. This article explores a broader framework, quality oflife, organized around three topics: (1) theoretical issues that pertain to the definition and conceptualization of quality of life; (2) research findings that provide support for quality of life as an outcome framework for evaluating transition programs and services; and (3) a few suggestions about issues we should address as we move through the 1990s.
This study examined predictors of participation in postsecondary education for school leavers with disabilities, using instruments, procedures, and logistic regression analyses that were used in an original study. Both studies found six predictors to be associated with participation in postsecondary education: (a) high scores on a functional achievement inventory, (b) completing instruction successfully in certain relevant curricular areas, (c) participating in transition planning (d) parent satisfaction and (e) student satisfaction with instruction received by the student, and (f) parent perception that the student no longer needed help in certain critical skill areas.
The transition movement of the 1980s was preceded by two similar movements: (a) the career education movement in the 1970s and (b) the work/study movement in the 1960s. These three movements are described and compared to provide an historical context for understanding current problems and issues regarding transition. Some broad social issues, such as educational reform, are then examined to illustrate the potential influence of such issues on the future development of policy that will affect the transition movement.
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