Book Description

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) administers programs that assist in educating children and youth with disabilities and provides funding for vocational rehabilitation (VR) services for youth and adults with disabilities. OSERS established the Transition Steering Committee to focus specifically on the services, needs, and outcomes of youth with disabilities who may benefit from the work conducted and services authorized by its program component offices. OSERS provides funds to support transition services, transition programs, technical assistance projects, and research projects related to youth with disabilities. However, the committee found that program-specific data about OSERS transition work are not frequently summarized and not readily available to OSERS staff across its component offices and the general public, especially members of the transition community. To address this need, the committee developed the "Transition Data Fact Sheet" as a quick reference to inform OSERS staff and the transition community about critical data areas related to the transition of youth with disabilities from school activities to post-school activities. The data in this fact sheet are presented for OSERS staff and others to use in their work and to draw their own conclusions from the data provided. The "Transition Data Fact Sheet" is intended to be a reference tool and should not be treated as a comprehensive document. It is organized into three areas of emphasis: (1) transition services; (2) post-school outcomes; and (3) OSERS investments in transition--related research, special education and VR services. It is important to note that most of the data and information presented are primarily specific to youth with disabilities between the ages of 14 and 24.