Secondary Transition

Secondary transition is the process of preparing students for life after they leave high school, including participation in post-secondary education or training, employment, and community living. These three areas are often referred to as "post-school outcomes" and are the driving force behind Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) written for students in high school. Transition planning begins at age 14, in middle school or early high school, as students explore what they want their post-school outcomes to be through career awareness exploration activities. It continues through high school as instruction and community experiences support these outcomes. By beginning to discuss transition prior to high school, the IEP team can work with each student and the student's family to select courses of study that will be meaningful to the student's future and motivate the student to complete his or her education.

Transition should be conceptualized as a bridge between school programs and the opportunities of adult life, including higher education, employment, independent living and community participation. Transition planning involves a partnership between the student, the family, school-age services and program providers, post-school services and program providers, and local community members. Effective transition involves purposeful planning among all these entities. It entails recognizing the student's current strengths, interests, preferences, and needs, and then identifying what services and supports he or she will need to achieve future success.

The process of secondary transition in Pennsylvania is a shared, cross-system responsibility implemented through state and local Transition Communities of Practice (CoP) teams.  CoP initiatives that have directly impacted successful student outcomes include: State and Local Mentoring Days, Youth Leadership and Self Advocacy workshops, and ongoing Progress Monitoring efforts.