Transition to school represents a time of great change for all involved. Many transition to school programs have been developed to support positive transitions to school. While these programs have involved complex planning and implementation, often they have not been evaluated in rigorous or systematic ways. This book brings together Australian and international perspectives on research and practice to explore approaches to evaluating transition to school programs. For children, school is quite different from anything else they have experienced. For families and educators, there are considerable changes as they interact with new people and take on new roles. Developing effective transition to school programs is a key policy initiative around the world, based on recognition of the importance of a positive start to school and the impact of this for future school engagement and outcomes. Throughout the chapters of this book, authors from Australia, Germany, Sweden, Ireland and Jamaica share examples of evaluation practice, with the aim of encouraging educators to reflect on their own contexts and adopt evaluation practices that are relevant and appropriate for them. The book brings together the fields of evaluation research and transition to school. A wide range of examples and figures is used to relate research and practice and to illustrate possible applications of evaluation strategies. Evaluating Transition to School Programs highlights the importance of multiple perspectives of the transition to school and offers suggestions about how the perspectives of children, families, educators and community members might be included and analysed in evaluation strategies. Other themes throughout the book include the importance of collaboration, respectful and trusting relationships, practitioner-driven inquiry, strengths-based approaches and developing programs that are responsive to context. This book is written for educators and leaders in early years and primary school settings, and will also be of interest to researchers, students and policy makers in the field.

Transition to school represents a time of great change for all involved. Many transition to school programs have been developed to support positive transitions to school. While these programs have involved complex planning and implementation, often they have not been evaluated in rigorous or systematic ways. This book brings together Australian and international perspectives on research and practice to explore approaches to evaluating transition to school programs. For children, school is quite different from anything else they have experienced. For families and educators, there are considerable changes as they interact with new people and take on new roles. Developing effective transition to school programs is a key policy initiative around the world, based on recognition of the importance of a positive start to school and the impact of this for future school engagement and outcomes. Throughout the chapters of this book, authors from Australia, Germany, Sweden, Ireland and Jamaica share examples of evaluation practice, with the aim of encouraging educators to reflect on their own contexts and adopt evaluation practices that are relevant and appropriate for them. The book brings together the fields of evaluation research and transition to school. A wide range of examples and figures is used to relate research and practice and to illustrate possible applications of evaluation strategies. Evaluating Transition to School Programs highlights the importance of multiple perspectives of the transition to school and offers suggestions about how the perspectives of children, families, educators and community members might be included and analysed in evaluation strategies. Other themes throughout the book include the importance of collaboration, respectful and trusting relationships, practitioner-driven inquiry, strengths-based approaches and developing programs that are responsive to context. This book is written for educators and leaders in early years and primary school settings, and will also be of interest to researchers, students and policy makers in the field.

Emphasises the importance of relationships and of people working together, and highlights the importance of a positive start to school, and discusses readiness and age. It indroduces the Guidelines for Effective Transition to School Programmes that were developed with the aid of researchers at the University of Western Sydney.

The dramatic shift in the American labor market away from manufacturing and the growing gap in earnings between high school and college graduates have contributed to a sense of alarm about the capacity of the nation's schools to supply adequately skilled graduates to the work force. The role that schools can or should play in preparing people to enter the world of work is hotly debated. In an effort to nurture the important and ongoing national dialogue on these issues, the Board on Testing and Assessment asked researchers and policymakers to engage in an interdisciplinary review and discussion of available data and implications for assessment policy. Transitions in Work and Learning considers the role of assessment in facilitating improved labor market transitions and life-long learning of American workers. It addresses the apparent mismatch between skill requirements of high-performance workplaces and skills acquired by students in school, the validity of existing assessment technologies to determine skills and competencies of persons entering various occupations, and ethical and legal issues in the implementation of new testing and certification programs. The book also examines the role of assessment in determining needed skills; developing ongoing education and training; and providing information to employers, prospective workers, and schools.

Today's kindergarten is the onset of formal schooling for children--the first time families, schools, teachers, and communities come together to form an educational partnership. In this thought-provoking, issues-focused book, the experts explore the research on early schooling and give you a starting point with which to reexamine your beliefs, policies, and practices regarding the first years of school. Scholars, researchers, and other professionals will discover why early school transitions need to be improved and how these critical transitions affect children's future educational success. You'll learn about readiness assessment entrance ages grade retention classroom structure family-school-community partnerships cultural diversity children with disabilities children in poverty This book is part of a series edited by Donald B. Bailey, Jr., Ph.D., and developed in conjunction with the National Center for Early Development and Learning (NCEDL). Visit NCEDL's website for information on the center's research, upcoming meetings, and free online publications..

If you're a special educator or transition coordinator for high school students with disabilities, you play a critical role in empowering young people to achieve their goals and dreams. It's a complex and challenging job--and this introductory guide will help you every step of the way as you support students' successful transition to college, work, and community life. You'll get the how-to guidance you need to master all the basics of transition planning and services, from assessing each learner's strengths and writing IEPs to evaluating student progress. Research-based strategies help you develop effective plans with confidence, and the reproducible checklists and forms keep critical information organized as you prepare each student for life beyond the classroom. A must-read for all transition coordinators--and any secondary educator with a role on the transition team--this book is your essential guide to supporting successful, self-determined futures for all your students. PRACTICAL HELP IN EVERY CHAPTER: Getting started. For each major transition topic covered, you'll find a thorough introduction to the fundamentals, including definitions of key terms and concrete examples. Making it happen. Get in-depth guidance and practical strategies for creating and carrying out each step of an effective transition plan. What you can do right now. Put the ideas in each chapter into immediate action with quick tips, helpful forms, and a list of the best online resources. DISCOVER HOW TO: build a transition assessment toolkit - write transition IEPs with measurable goals - increase family and student involvement in transition planning - strengthen student self-determination - embed transition skills in core academic content - boost student engagement in school - create a quality career development program - prepare students for postsecondary education - teach independent living skills - enhance students (TM) social skills - support participation in community experiences - promote interagency collaboration - evaluate student progress - and more With practical checklists & forms: Skills and Knowledge Checklist for transition specialists Self-determination forms for students and families Helpful forms for your career development program Ecological inventory and task analysis forms

The purpose of this guide is to assist those involved in the transition planning process to help students with disabilities achieve a smooth transition from school to adult life. The guide addresses topics that deal with the preparation of students with disabilities as they leave high school. The guide's eight chapters deal with: (1) defining transition and transition planning and outlining relevant legislation; (2) transition and self-advocacy, and the student's rights and responsibilities at the Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting; (3) identification of needs and student assessment, including methods of collecting data, how to use assessment data, and types of assessment; (4) developing an individual plan for transition, focusing on targeted outcomes and roles and responsibilities of IEP team members; (5) curriculum for successful transition, including functional curriculum, daily living skills, social skills, occupational skills, and other topics; (6) support services in secondary and postsecondary settings; (7) transition planning and interagency cooperation; and (8) program evaluation and follow-up, which emphasizes the need for student follow-up as a necessary part of transition. Appendixes provide sample IEP statements, goals and objectives, suggested transition activities, and a sample IEP form. (Contains 34 references.) (CR)