skip to main content

Charter SELPA

Special Education Local Plan Area
Home
or Browse All Schools
QUICK LINKS
https://charterselpa.org/Partner-Services/Program-Support/Transition-Guidelines/
Chinese Dutch English French German Greek Italian Japanese Korean Portuguese Russian Spanish Vietnamese Tagalog Khmer Farsi Hindi Punjabi Ukrainian
Contrast Mode

Charter SELPA

Special Education Local Plan Area

Transition Guidelines

As a student approaches the time to leave high school, it is important that preparations for adult life are well underway. For early transition planning and active participation in decision-making to occur for students with disabilities, members of the planning team need to be well-informed about the student’s abilities, needs, and available services. This page highlights important considerations and resources available to educators helping to prepare students with a disability with a meaningful postsecondary education and thriving careers.
 
  • Purpose of the Guide
    The Individualized Transition Planning Guide serves as a comprehensive resource to support students, families, and educators in planning for life after high school. This resource outlines key steps, legal requirements, and best practices for developing effective transition plans within the IEP process. It provides guidance on postsecondary education, employment, independent living, and community participation, ensuring that students with disabilities receive the necessary support to achieve their long-term goals and successfully transition into adulthood.

  • Importance of Transition Planning
    Transition planning is a critical component of a student’s IEP, helping to bridge the gap between school and adulthood by preparing them for postsecondary education, employment, and independent living. For students with disabilities, early and thoughtful transition planning ensures they receive the necessary skills, resources, and support to achieve their goals and lead fulfilling lives. By focusing on individualized strengths and needs, transition planning empowers students to navigate their futures with confidence and greater independence.
Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1. Federal and State Guidance

This section outlines key transition guidance to help navigate the legal requirements in providing Individualized Transition Plans.
 

2. State Performance Plan and Indicators

3. Age Considerations

4. Graduation Options for Students with Disabilities

For students with disabilities, graduation planning is a critical component of the transition process and must be aligned with the student's Individualized Education Program (IEP), postsecondary goals, and educational trajectory. California offers multiple pathways to graduation, including the traditional high school diploma, the Certificate of Completion, and, under recent policy changes, alternative diploma options aligned with modified curriculum standards. This section outlines the eligibility criteria, procedural requirements, and implications of each option to support IEP teams in making informed, compliant, and individualized determinations that promote successful post-school outcomes.
 

5. New 8th Grade Guidance

As students prepare to transition from middle to high school, 8th grade becomes a critical period for planning and support. This phase of matriculation plays a key role in ensuring students—particularly those with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)—are equipped for success in the next stage. With the recent passage of AB 438 in California, there are important updates to how transition planning must be approached. This legislation strengthens the requirements for early and meaningful transition services, ensuring that students begin high school with a clear, individualized pathway toward postsecondary goals. The following section outlines how these changes impact transition planning at the 8th grade level and provides guidance on best practices to meet the updated legal and educational expectations.
 

6. Transition Assessment

A high-quality, age-appropriate transition assessment is a foundational component of effective transition planning for students with disabilities. In accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), transition services must be based on assessment data that accurately reflect the student’s strengths, preferences, interests, and needs. To achieve this, it is essential that IEP teams utilize a wide range of both formal and informal assessment tools, including interviews, observations, standardized instruments, questionnaires, and performance-based measures. Collecting data from multiple sources over time ensures a comprehensive understanding of the student’s current levels of functioning and postsecondary aspirations. This evidence-based approach not only supports the development of meaningful and measurable postsecondary goals, but also informs the coordinated set of transition services and activities that are legally required to facilitate the student’s movement toward further education, employment, and independent living. This section outlines best practices for implementing robust transition assessments and integrating their results into the individualized transition planning process.
 
KEY rESOURCE

KEY rESOURCE