IDEA '97 Transition Requirements: A Guide

Contents | Acknowledgments | Section II

Effective transition planning and implementation are paramount, because special education services are ultimately intended to prepare students with disabilities to meet the adult challenges and opportunities of their communities.

Purpose

The purpose of this monograph is to provide technical assistance for the appropriate implementation of the transition requirements of Public Law 105-17, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1997 and the final regulations published on March 12, 1999 (http://www.ideapractices.org/). This monograph is designed to clarify the transition requirements of the IDEA, provide samples, and suggest practices to implement those requirements.

The intended audience for this monograph is broad: state, district and school personnel; families and institutions of higher education.

It may be used by state education agency personnel, local education agency administrators, and teachers as a basis for evaluating and improving the transition requirements in Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Students and families may find it useful to enhance their understanding of the transition requirements and their capacity to actively plan for the student’s future. Institutions of higher education could use it as a teaching tool and resource. Readers are encouraged to use the checklists, letters and forms that are included and to adapt them as needed. Be sure to check with your local or state special education agency for rules or forms particular to your state or school.

Throughout the document the authors have used bold italics to distinguish language taken from the March 12, 1999, 34 Code of Federal Register (CFR) which contains the Final Regulations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997, Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 300, cites 34 CFR§300.1 to 300.756 and Appendix A to Part 300 - Notice of Interpretation. Appendix A is very helpful in understanding the intent of IDEA. Other information contained in this document is intended as suggestions for understanding and implementing the requirements.

This document uses the following conventions for citing from the code of Federal Regulations and from other interpretive materials that accompany those regulations in the March 12, 1999 Federal Register:

• For direct quotations from the regulations, the citation form will be: 34 CFR§300.XXX.
• For quotations from the Federal Register, March 12, 1999; Appendix A to
  Part 300-Notice of Interpretation, the citation form will be: Appendix A, Question XX.

The monograph is a collaborative effort among personnel at the Western Regional Resource Center, Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center, Arizona State University West, and the National Transition Network. This document has been reviewed by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) for consistency with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (P.L. 105-17) and the final regulations published on March 12, 1999. However, the development of the monograph was not supervised or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) or other agencies, so adherence to the practices it suggests does not ensure compliance. Furthermore, individual state policies may extend beyond federal requirements. Be sure to check with your local or state special education agency for additional requirements.

The monograph includes:

• A description of the importance and intent of transition requirements for youth as they prepare to enter the adult world.
• A process for developing IEPs which include the transition requirements.
• A checklist of the transition requirements.
• Commonly asked questions and answers.
• A summary of monitoring findings and studies related to implementation of the transition requirements.
• References and suggested resources.
• A sample Individualized Education Program (IEP), samples of student, parent and agency invitations, follow-up letters and transfer of rights documents.
• IDEA '97 Transition Related Amendments and Final Regulations.

We welcome your feedback on the usefulness of this monograph. Please use the online feedback form or contact:

Jane Storms
Western Regional Resource Center
1268 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR, 97403-1268
Phone: 541-346-0354
Fax: 541-346-5639
E-mail: janestorms@wrrc.uoregon.edu

Contents | Acknowledgments | Section II