Diane S. Bassett

A Life Skills Approach to Mathematics Instruction Preparing Students with Learning Disabilities for the Real-Life Math Demands of Adulthood

Current mathematics instruction does not address the day-to-day needs of many students with learning disabilities. Although the vast majority of students with learning disabilities are not college bound, much of mathematics instruction provides college preparation. Too often, classes in mathematics ignore the skills needed in the home and community and on the job. The present article examines the ways in which general mathematics instruction, focused on daily living skills, can easily be integrated into the classrooms of students with learning disabilities.

The Need for Comprehensive Personnel Preparation in Transition and Career Development: A Position Statement of the Division on Career Development and Transition

This paper presents the Division on Career Development and Transitions position statement on preparing personnel in transition. The statement is organized into four sections: (a) the broader context for transition personnel preparation; (b) what should be taught: core content in personnel preparation; (c) recommendations for personnel preparation programs; and (d) implications for educational policy, practice, and future research.

What's Happening in Personnel Preparation in Transition? A National Survey:

The availability of professionals trained to design and deliver transition services is important to implementing the federal mandate for transition services. Yet, there is limited information available on the state of the nation with regard to personnel preparation in transition. To address this lack of information, a national survey of colleges and universities was conducted to determine (a) which transition-related competencies are considered to be most important and (b) how much instructional time is devoted to transition content. Responses received from a total of 573 institutions of higher education across the United States and Puerto Rico indicated that administrators and faculty appear to be attending to transition issues.

Research Translated into Practices for Increasing Student Involvement in Transition-Related Activities.

This article describes an empirical investigation of the process and outcomes associated with research-to-practice strategies in three schools during a three and a half-year project. The three interrelated phases of the process were (a) the establishment of an empirical foundation, (b) the design and implementation of school-based interventions, and (c) the evaluation of the effectiveness of the interventions. Findings from each phase are described. The benefits and limitations of research-to-practice strategies as a means to improve practices in local schools is discussed. The critical role of ongoing evaluation throughout the process of translating research into practice also is discussed.

Aligning Transition Services With Secondary Education Reform A Position Statement of the Division on Career Development and Transition

Society has witnessed significant improvements in the lives of students receiving transition services over the past 30 years. The field of transition has developed an array of evidence-based interventions and promising practices; however, secondary school reform efforts have often overlooked these approaches for youth without disabilities. If we are to see improvements in postsecondary outcomes for all youth, reform efforts must begin with active participation of general and special educators and critical home, school, and community stakeholders. In this article, the authors discuss the evolution of transition in light of reform efforts in secondary education. They review and identify secondary educational initiatives that embrace transition principles. Finally, recommendations are provided for advancing alignment of transition services with secondary education reforms.

Educational Reform and the Delivery of Transition Services in South Africa: Vision, Reform, and Change

This paper presents a description of the problems that individuals with disabilities in South Africa have experienced in accessing educational and support services in the transition from school to work. A majority of individuals with disabilities have been excluded from educational provision, and support services have been inadequate, inappropriately focused, and isolated from other mainstream transition initiatives. In redressing the inequalities of the past through a framework for equalizing opportunities, attention needs to be paid to overcoming previous imbalances and in redefining the discourse that has shaped the nature of service delivery for individuals with disabilities. This paper outlines the key changes that need to occur to create equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities to effectively transition from school to the world of work.

Research Issues in Career Development and Transition: An Exploratory Survey of Professionals in the Field.

The Research Committee of the Council for Exceptional Childrens Division of Career Development and Transition (DCDT) conducted an exploratory study with professionals in the field in an attempt to identify the research issues most important to the field of transition and career development. Twenty-nine items were prioritized as to their importance as research considerations. Results from 201 respondents yielded research priorities in the following areas: teacher training for transition; facilitation of student self-determination and self-esteem; transition plans, goals and objectives, and linkage activities; functional assessment to support transition planning; inclusion of students with special needs in vocational education; and models of K-12 career development and transition planning. Based on these results, recommendations developed by the committee are elaborated and discussed.

Multiple Perspectives on Inclusive Education: Reflections of a University Faculty

Special and general education faculty at one university articulate issues and concerns regarding inclusive education within the fields of hearing loss, learning disabilities, emotional/behavioral disorders, severe disabilities, and visual impairments, followed by reflections from a general educator. For each area, outcomes for students with disabilities are discussed within the context of historical contemporary educational placement patterns, followed by discussions of inclusion issues specific to each disability area. For the general education area, selected patterns of pull-out are reviewed, followed by a discussion of inclusion issues specific to general education. The article concludes with a synthesis of common themes, including the need for adequate classroom supports, the need to increase collaboration in schools, the need for changes in teacher preparation practices at the preservice level, and the need for special educators to become more purposefully involved in general education reform.

Planning for the Future A Model for Using the Principles of Transition to Guide the Development of Behavior Intervention Plans

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates the implementation of a behavior intervention plan based on a functional behavioral assessment when a student’s behavior necessitates disciplinary actions. However, IDEA does not provide any clear guidelines as to what the plans should contain nor how they can address behaviors that may affect a student’s transition to postsecondary life. This article blends research in the areas of transition-focused planning and behavior into a framework that can be used for the development of transition-focused behavior intervention plans. Case study application strategies are presented, along with guidelines for practitioner implementation.

Transition Assessment: Using Gap Analysis to Enhance Effective Transition Planning

Over the past decade, there has been an increased emphasis on transition planning for students with exceptional needs. This is in part the result of the mandates contained in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004. This increased emphasis has revealed a number of shortcomings with how transition planning is done day-to-day. Transition planning can be improved, however, if assessment data serve as the foundation to the IEP process—including the determination of effective transition services. This article illustrates how to use a multitiered process, including screening, progress monitoring, and diagnostic assessment, to enhance students’ transition plans and positively affect the outcomes for persons with disabilities.