Post-Secondary Transition
Post-Secondary Transition
Transition Resources
Post-secondary transition services are a coordinated set of activities that prepare students with disabilities for post-school life, focusing on areas like postsecondary education, vocational training, employment, and independent living.
This planning begins with the student's IEP, typically starting by age 16, and involves the student, parents, and educators to develop a results-oriented plan based on the student's individual needs, interests, and strengths. Services can include instruction, related services, community experiences, and work-based learning.
The resources below provide information and tools to guide you and your student through the process.
Autism NJ- Transition- Transition years (14 to 21) are a critical time that bridges the services provided by school with the adult system. Students and families should use this period to establish and set goals, understand the services and support that may be needed, and plan for the future.
College Programs for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Scholarship Opportunities - The Arc of New Jersey Family Institute - Provides information about college programs in New Jersey and scholarship opportunities that are designed specifically for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Disability Rights New Jersey: ASPYIR Transition Planning Tool - ASPYIR is an innovative, interactive self-assessment tool for transition-aged students and youth, ages 14 to 21 years, preparing to enter adulthood.
Division on Career Development and Transition - The International Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT) is an international professional educational organization which is affiliated with the International Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) whose members are dedicated to shaping policies and practices that impact the quality of career development and transition services of youth with exceptionalities.
Exploring Pathways from High School to College for Students with Disabilities with John Woodruff - This video provides an overview of the college transition process, including the stages of transition planning, strategies for a successful transition and challenges students may face. Understand how college is different from high school. Learn about the importance of parent partnerships and transition tips for parents. Review the multiple paths to college that are available to students with disabilities.
Graduates-timeline.pdf - A timeline for students exiting school and turning 21
Interests and Preferences: List of Inventories - This pdf contains a set of informal assessments focused on individual interests and preferences for students in the transition planning process
LifeCourse Nexus: Training and Technical Assistance Center - The Charting the LifeCourse framework was developed by families to help individuals with disabilities and families at any age or stage of life develop a vision for a good life, think about what they need to know and do, identify how to find or develop supports, and discover what it takes to live the lives they want to live.
National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative (NTACT:C) - The National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative (NTACT:C) is a Technical Assistance Center co-funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA).
The New Jersey Transition Toolkit: School to Adult Life | NJDOE - The New Jersey Transition Toolkit is designed to assist school staff and students with disabilities and their families in their efforts to prepare students with disabilities for entry into a successful adult life after high school.
Pacer's National Parent Center on Transition and Employment - Find helpful information and resources on transition topics such as independent living, postsecondary education, and employment.
Person-Centered Approaches in Schools and Transition (PCAST)- The NJDOE, Office of Special Education, in partnership with The Boggs Center on Disability and Human Development at Rutgers University, provides training, coaching and other professional learning opportunities to school staff, students, and family members to promote using person-centered approaches to ensure effective supports are available and used to achieve positive outcomes for students in elementary grades through high school and 18-to-21-year-old programs.
Secondary Transition: Entitlement vs. Eligibility (IDEA, ADA, and Section 504) PDF | PaTTAN
Secondary Transition: Helping Students with Disabilities Plan for Post-High School Settings | IRIS
SPAN Family Guide to Transition Services in New Jersey - SPAN is pleased to provide this Family Guide to Transition Services in New Jersey, which provides one cohesive document on the transition process, services, and supports.
Seeking Employment | NJCDD - Services to enable eligible individuals with disabilities to achieve employment.
Transition Assessment Matrix - These simple tools allow you to capture transition-related services and activities happening in the classroom, during community-based instruction, in a career/technical education classroom/program, and throughout a student’s school year. Authentic assessments can help inform transition and Transition IEP decision-making.
Transition Coalition - Provides specialized professional development, technical assistance, and research-based practices and resources for students with disabilities involved in the transition planning process.
Transition from School to Adult Life - NJDOE resources to assist students with disabilities to successfully move from school into the adult world.
Transition Improvement Grant: Age-Appropriate Transition Assessments and Resources
Transition of Students With Disabilities To Postsecondary Education: A Guide for High School Educators | USDOE, OCR - The purpose of this guide is to provide high school educators with answers to questions students with disabilities may have as they get ready to move to the postsecondary education environment.
Transition to Adulthood for Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities: Boggs Center - Transitions occur in many areas of life as adolescents become young adults, including movement from school to work or postsecondary education, the shift from pediatric to adult health care, and leaving the family home. For students with disabilities, preparation for transition should begin by age 14 and focus on academic instruction, community experiences, employment, daily living skills, and exploration of supports needed for success in adult life. This timeline identifies considerations in planning for transition by age, from 14 to the end of your child’s educational entitlement at age 21.
STEAM Resources
3D Printing
7 Fun & Easy 3D Printing Lesson Plans - The MakerBot Learning Team’s got a great collection of 3D printing lesson plans to help get you started as you reinforce complex STEAM concepts with projects that encourage experimentation and innovation.
3D Printing Collection Resources | OER Commons - Collection of projects related to 3D Printing, Tinkercad, Thingiverse, and other 3D modeling software
3D Printing Educators' Guidebook & Lesson Plan | MakerBot - The definitive how-to on 3D printing in the classroom. Includes nine classroom-ready projects with step-by-step instructions and alignment to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
Educational 3D Printing Resources | MakerBot - 3D printing resources for teaching in the classroom.
The PrintLab Classroom - 3D printing lesson plans and professional development resources to help teachers integrate 3D printing into core curriculum.
Thingiverse - Digital Designs for Physical Objects - Search in nine different subject areas (art, engineering, geography, history, languages, math, science, special ed, or technology) and grade levels from kindergarten through higher ed. Each lesson includes a detailed activity plan with step-by-step instructions, learning objectives for students, assessment suggestions, and access to any pre-designed files needed. It also includes information on grade levels and subjects the lesson applies to, the materials required, the estimated duration of the lesson, optimal print settings, and design tips.
Coding and Robotics
Blackbird Code - Online platform for grades 6-12 makes it possible to teach coding to every student.
Code for Life - A free, easy-to-use resource that provides teaching and lesson plans, user guides and engagement through our two fun coding games: Rapid Router and Kurono. These games are specially designed for people learning computing for the first time.
Code.org - A nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation by young women and students from other underrepresented groups. Our vision is that every student in every school has the opportunity to learn computer science as part of their core K-12 education.
Coding Resources — Code for Fun - A collection of free and paid resources to support computer science in the classroom.
Educational Technology | LRC-South Online Resources - Find additional resources on our Educational Technology: Using Tech in the Classroom page!
FIRST Inspires - Engage kids in kindergarten through high school in exciting, mentor-based, research and robotics programs that help them become science and technology leaders, as well as well-rounded contributors to society.
Hello Ruby - Hello Ruby is the world’s most whimsical way to learn about technology, computing and coding. We are all about curiosity, playfulness and logic. We provide tools for kids, parents and educators to learn to understand programming in a fun and creative way.
Kodable - Kodable teaches kids to code at home or school using fun interactive games while providing teachers with a complete K-5 coding curriculum for the classroom.
Microsoft MakeCode - A free online learn-to-code platform where anyone can build games, code devices, and mod Minecraft!
Computer Science Course Materials | New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning - NJCTL is a nonprofit that is providing a simple, scalable solution for our nation's massive STEM teacher shortage. Providing free K-12 course materials, aligned to national standards, for use by teachers and students.
Robotics Curriculum - Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy - Research-based curriculum aligns with standards and focuses on developing 21st-century skill sets in students. Easy-to-use Robotics Education Curriculum that allows students to go from having no robotics experience to programming advanced behaviors.
Scratch - Program your own interactive stories, games, and animations — and share your creations with others in the online community. Scratch helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively — essential skills for life in the 21st century.
STEAM in Education | ISTE - A collection of resources, curated by ISTE focused on ways to engage learners with STEAM.
Think Like a Coder | Teaser Trailer - TED-Ed's 10-episode coding series, Think Like A Coder! The adventure follows a duo trying to save the world, solving programming puzzles along the way
Tynker - A complete online computer coding curriculum for students K-8, including online professional development, free lessons, projects, and more.
Wonder Workshop - From the makers of Dot and Dash, robotics and coding curriculum for teachers, including standards-based lesson plans and individual activities.
Youth Code Jam - Innovative, impactful and family-focused out of school time, hands-on computing programs for K-12 students as well as teacher professional development designed to bring computer science to every school and every classroom.
Engineering Design
DiscoverE - DiscoverE is a coalition providing every student with a shared STEM experience and the resources, programs, and connections to improve the understanding of engineering through a united voice and a global distribution network.
EngineerGirl - Designed to bring national attention to the exciting opportunities that engineering represents for girls and women.
Engineering Classroom Resources | NSF - National Science Foundation - Collection of lessons and web resources is aimed at classroom teachers, their students, and students' families.
The Engineering Design Process - Engineering For Kids | EFK - Encourage kids to develop a love of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is by teaching the engineering design process in a fun way.
TeachEngineering.org - A searchable, web-based digital library collection populated with standards-based engineering curricula for use by K-12 teachers and engineering faculty to make applied science and math (engineering) come alive in K-12 settings.
TryEngineering - TryEngineering aims to empower educators to foster the next generation of technology innovators. We provide educators and students with resources, lesson plans, and activities that engage and inspire.STEAM Activities and Resources
Design Squad Global | PBS KIDS - Hands-on activities and videos that connect 10- to 13-year-olds in out-of-school programs around the world.
Explore NASA STEM - Explore fun activities to do at home.
Free STEM Education Resources | TERC - A collection of free TERC resources to help educators, parents, and students. These resources were created by our math and science education and research experts and funded by the National Science Foundation, along with other funding agencies.
How to plan STEM lessons with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) - Learn how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can help you design inclusive STEM lessons. Get tips for using UDL before, during, and after your lessons.
How To Smile - Find fun, high-quality STEM informal learning activities from science centers and museums from across the United States.
How to Teach Online | The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM - STEAM resources for online learning.
Resources for STEM education: An educator’s guide to supporting kids who learn and think differently | Understood.org - STEM education can help all students build future-ready skills. Learn best practices, tips, and strategies for inclusive STEM teaching to support young people — including neurodivergent students — in pursuing careers in STEM and skilled trades.
STEAM Collection Resources | OER Commons - This collection features open curriculum materials that integrate science, technology, engineering, art and math. A STEAM curriculum encourages students to think critically and use engineering or technology in imaginative designs or creative approaches to real-world problems while building on students' mathematics and science base.
STEAM Learning Activity Sheets - STEAM Learning Activity Sheets are free online tools that guide parents, guardians, and students through hands-on learning activities taking advantage of common household items and without the need to purchase additional materials.
STEM Lesson Plans for K-12 Teachers - ORISE - Dozens of free lesson plans and teacher resources to help your students embrace STEM education.
STEAM Resources for Teachers | Institute for Arts Integration & STEAM - Find tips, STEAM resources and best practices for using this approach in your classroom or school.
STEAM Teaching Resources for Educators - STEAM education takes STEM learning and kicks it up a notch by applying creative thinking, imagination, and design skills – typically through project-based learning. Find lesson ideas, suggestions for including students with special needs, and professional development.
STEM Anywhere -Ideas, activities, and resources for hands-on, minds-on learning in the midst of uncommon education experiences.
STEM Engagement | NASA - Educational guides and activities to explore STEM based learning.
STEM From The Start - Designed for PreK-2 learners, SFTS uses the power of educational video to help lay the groundwork for STEM subjects by engaging children in learning that is fun, engaging and long-lasting.
STEM Sprouts Teaching Kit - The STEM Sprouts Teaching Kit is the product of a collaboration between National Grid, Boston Children’s Museum, and WGBH to assist preschool educators in focusing and refining the naturally inquisitive behaviors of three to five-year-olds on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
STEMIE | Resources - Resources from the STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education (STEMIE) Center to help families and practitioners engage young children with disabilities (0-5) in science, technology, engineering, and math learning opportunities. Filter by topic, type of resource, developmental stage, setting, audience, language, and more.
The Ultimate STEM Guide for Kids: 239 Cool Sites About Science - Inspires kids and teens to use their problem solving skills to find answers to impossible challenges and help shape a better future.