IDEA 2004: Improving Transition Planning and Results - Page 2

Improved Planning

IDEA 04 expands the requirements for transition planning from a statement of needed transition services to:

• Development of appropriate measurable postsecondary goals based upon age appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills;
• Development of a statement of the transition services (including courses of study) needed to assist the child in reaching those goals.

Since the new planning requirements include "goals," schools will also need to report to parents on the child's progress toward meeting their transition goals.

Schools continue to be responsible for bringing in representatives from other agencies, such as rehabilitative services, to be part of the transition planning process. Such agencies may also be responsible for the delivery of some of the services needed by the student. Should other agencies fail to provide the agreed upon services, schools must find alternative ways to meet the transition objectives for the student.

The requirement to notify the student, at least one year in advance, of his/her rights that will transfer to the student upon reaching the age of majority is retained. It is an important juncture in a student's life, and parents should fully understand some of the options available to them at this point. In most states, the age of majority is 18, but there are exceptions.

New Performance Summary

IDEA '04 creates a new requirement for schools that is sure to help students with learning disabilities. Since schools are not required to conduct an evaluation before terminating special education services for students due to graduation from secondary school with a regular diploma or due to exceeding the age for services in their state, students with LD are often left without the necessary documentation of their disability that is required to access supports and services in post-school activities, such as higher education.

Now, schools must provide a "Summary of Performance" to students whose special education eligibility is terminating due to the circumstances mentioned above. This new "summary" must include information on the student's academic achievement and functional performance and include recommendations on how to assist the student in meeting his/her postsecondary goals. Congress intended for this "summary" to provide specific, meaningful, and understandable information to the student, the student's family, and any agency, including postsecondary schools, which may provide services to the student upon transition. While schools are not required to conduct any new assessments or evaluations in order to provide the "summary," students and their parents should expect that the information provided in the summary is adequate to satisfy the disability documentation requires under other federal laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

All in all, these changes and additional requirements should help increase collaboration and improve the individualization of transition planning, resulting in enhanced post-school outcomes for students.

Additional Resources

National Center on Secondary Education and Transition:
Key Provisions on Transition: IDEA 1997 compared to H.R. 1350 (IDEA 2004)

 

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities:
Transition Planning: A Team Effort (pdf)

 

National Center on Secondary Education and Transition Parent Brief:
Age of Majority: Preparing Your Child for Making Good Choices

 

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Candace Cortiella's work as director of the nonprofit The Advocacy Institute focuses on improving the lives of people with learning disabilities, through public policy and other initiatives. She is also a member of NCLD's professional advisory board. The mother of a young adult with learning disabilities, she lives in the Washington, D.C., area.