Postsecondary Transition Planning

Understanding one of the major purposes of a student's individual education program (IEP), the postsecondary transition planning section, is key for preservice teachers. Though federal guidelines mandate the transition plan to start by age 16, many states require the development of the plan much earlier. The author believes that for some students, the transition plan is completed too late to have full effect. The chapter will give the preservice teacher the knowledge needed to understand the component of the transition plan and offer some resources and suggestions for assessments to develop the transition plan.

Facilitating Postsecondary Transition and Promoting Academic Success Through Language/Literacy-Based Self-Determination Strategies

PurposeAs noted by Powell (2018), speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are an integral part of the overarching curriculum for all students in schools, and this holds true for adolescents who require transition planning. The purpose of this tutorial is to focus on transition planning for secondary school students with a language-based learning disability (LLD) and provide a case illustration for how SLPs may use self-determination strategies to facilitate postsecondary transition while promoting academic success.MethodAs students with LLD enter secondary school, they are expected to write and think at more complex levels than ever before to meet post-graduation workforce demands, yet the provision of needed language–literacy intervention services drastically declines. Teaching students with LLD self-determination skills, such as awareness of their own strengths and limitations, self-advocacy strategies, and self-regulation, is found to be related to positive post-school outcomes and can be readily integrated into transition planning by the SLP.ConclusionSLPs may ideally support secondary school student language–literacy needs in transition planning by using self-determination strategies to help access the curriculum and experience postsecondary success.

Postsecondary Transition Programs for Underprepared Writers

There is a large population of students who enter postsecondary institutions underprepared in the area of writing,which can negatively affect their academic success in various disciplines. Lack of alignment between secondary andpostsecondary education writing curricula is a common cause of why students are underprepared in writing.Identifying gaps in writing when transitioning from secondary to postsecondary institutions is critical in creatingappropriate writing support programs which better prepare students for academic success. Moreover, in order tofacilitate successful postsecondary writing outcomes, proactive writing interventions (transition programs) betweensecondary and postsecondary institutions can be implemented to generate a positive impact on students’ ability towrite, thereby leading to greater academic success.

The Effects of an Intensive Postsecondary Transition Program on College Readiness for Adult Learners

Postsecondary transition programs have emerged to prepare adult learners to enter college with either limited or no remediation work needed in developmental education. This article examines the results of a pilot study, in which participants (ages 20 years and older who held GED® credentials or high school degrees) received accelerated instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, learning framework, and college knowledge. These transition programs, which took place at five sites in Texas, used a short-term (10 weeks or fewer) but intensive (at least 120 contact hours) cohort intervention model. Of the 20 pairs of pre- and postprogram assessments, which evaluated student achievement gains in reading, writing, and, mathematics, 18 resulted in statistically significant increases. However, many participants who realized achievement gains did not reach the college readiness benchmarks (as measured by the assessment instrument) in all three subject areas. However, evidence suggests that these students are better prepared academically than before the program.