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The relationship between transition planning/coordinating interventions and transition outcomes for secondary-aged youth with disabilities was explored in this systematic review. A total of 31 studies intervening with 859 youth with a wide variety of disabilities were reviewed. Using the transition intervention framework of Kohler and Field (2003) the findings of this review support the efficacy of student-focused planning and student-development interventions in improving the transition-related outcomes for youth with disabilities. There were not an adequate number of studies meeting minimal standards of methodological adequacy to assess the efficacy of family involvement, collaborative service delivery, and program structure interventions. Implications for practice are suggested as well as directions to the reader to locate more detailed descriptions of how several interventions associated with student-focused planning and some areas of student development might be acquired and implemented in secondary educational environments.

The relationship between social and communicative interventions and transition-related outcomes for secondary-aged youth with disabilities is explored in this systematic review. In all, 30 studies intervening with 316 youth with a broad range of disability labels (both high- and low-incidence disabilities) were reviewed. Subgroup analyses were conducted on original research in these areas: augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), conversation skills, decreasing aberrant behavior, and social skills training (SST). Little support was found for AAC and modest support for interventions designed to increase conversation skill acquisition and for SST, and the research in decreasing aberrant behavior was unable to be synthesized because of effect size calculation formula problems. Results are discussed in terms of alignment with extant literature reviews, methodological issues in meta-analysis, recommendations for further research, and practical implications.

The relationship between functional or life skills curricula (the intervention) and transition-related outcomes for secondary-aged youth with disabilities is explored in this systematic review. A total of 50 studies intervening with 482 youth with (largely) disability labels of moderate to severe mental retardation were reviewed. The findings of this review provide tentative support for the efficacy of the use of functional or life skills curricular interventions across educational environments, disability types, ages, and gender in promoting positive transition-related outcomes. These findings are discussed in terms of characteristic features of the literature set and competing trends in secondary education. Selected studies in a number of specific curricular areas are recommended.

Seven narrative and systematic reviews published since 2000 and focusing on self-determination for individuals with disabilities are reviewed in this narrative metasynthesis. The authors distinguish their work from other metasynthesis work by calling it a narrative metasynthesis because they include both narrative reviews and meta-analyses in this metasynthesis. These seven reviews focused on different disability groups, different intervention curricular and instructional techniques, and different outcomes. Findings were relatively consistent with multicomponent self-determination interventions demonstrating greater positive effects than single-component interventions and self-determination and academic productivity outcomes showing greater positive effects than academic quality outcomes. Theoretical, empirical, and methodological findings and implications are discussed.

The intervention-based literature that has appeared in the past 20 years in the field of secondary special education transition is reviewed. Published and unpublished original research studies that were written in English and whose sample was secondary-age youth with disabilities were acquired through the use of typical library electronic search processes, hand searches, and other techniques to identify and access the widest literature set possible. Using a standardized coding protocol, this literature set is described in terms of its interventions, outcomes, sample features, study contexts, and methodological features. The final literature set of 164 studies is tabulated according to six intervention areas: transition planning, vocational/employment preparation, social skills, self-determination, life skills curricula, and counseling.

This article explores the relationship between the school-to-career transition research findings and current school reform initiatives. We identified three compilations of secondary transition-related research (i.e., Kohler, 1993; Hughes, Hwang, Kim, Killian, Jarmer, & Alcantara, 1997; Phelps & Hanley-Maxwell, 1997) as sources documenting empirical trends within the field. To analyze the information these compilations provided, we grouped their results into four categories using a framework originally developed by Phelps and Wermuth (1992): (a) program administration, (b) curriculum and instruction, (c) support services, and (d) formalized articulation and communication categories. We compared this information to the reform policy and practices agenda to understand future challenges to the provision of transition services. We argue that secondary special educators should align their advocacy and research efforts within a "whole school reform" context as opposed to a "students with disabilities" context.

Since the late 1980s, the statewide systems change granting process has emerged as a mechanism in education by which federal interests in systemic educational reform are promoted. These reforms have occurred across the educational spectrum, with initiatives in special education (i.e., transition), vocational education (i.e., school-to-work), and general education (i.e., Goals 2000). While there have been differences in form and structure across these initiatives, there have been many commonalities, including, for example, application processes by states; federal intent on eventually funding all states; large-scale, multi-year funding; flow-through dollars to state agencies or a consortium of state agencies; an expectation of state funding of local demonstration efforts; meta-evaluation projects; and technical assistance to state grantees. This article highlights similarities and differences among these three major systems change initiatives. Discussions of these similarities and differences are presented along with thoughts about the efficacy of different elements of the statewide systems change initiative as a policy mechanism for promoting educational reform.