Transition Guidance
The United States and Iowa Departments of Education as well as the Rehabilitation Services Administration provide guidance on what is required by schools in the transition process. This includes both transition planning and services provided to youth.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the federal law that creates the requirements and provides funding for Special Education services for students with disabilities. Each student who qualifies will have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that outlines the specialized support and instruction that is needed to make appropriate progress in the general curriculum. Transition Planning is required under IDEA for students with IEPs to work on skills related to living, learning and working to be prepared for life after high school.
You can find the federal IDEA regulations and more information from the U.S. Department of Education and Office of Special Education Programs by clicking the title above.
Click here to see the U.S. Department of Education's Secondary Transition resources.
The Iowa Administrative Rules of Special Education are created by the Iowa Department of Education and approved by the legislature. Each state sets their own rules around Special Education which can go beyond but not below the federal IDEA requirements. For example, the federal law requires IEP teams to start the transition planning process for each student at age 16 but Iowa decided to lower the age to 14, which is reflected in the Iowa Rules.
Click here to get the definition of Transition Services from the Iowa code.
Find State Guidance on Secondary Transition from the Iowa Department of Education here.
The Rehabilitation Services Administration provides guidance on what is required by vocational rehabilitation agencies in the transition process. This includes Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) that supports work readiness for students with disabilities and other services provided to youth with disabilities.
Find the WIOA rules and frequently asked questions from the United States Department of Labor by clicking the title above.
Find training and technical assistance on WIOA and Pre-ETS from Workforce Innovation Technical Assistance Center (WINTAC) here.
The resources below provide guidance on various topics that impact youth with disabilities as they transition to adult life.
Transition Planning
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| Iowa Transition Model- The Iowa Department of Education and Area Education Agency (AEAs) collaborated to provide an outline of what is expected in each piece of the IEP transition planning process. |
| Secondary Transition- The Iowa AEAs provide information and guidance on the transition planning process including Age of Majority, Transition Planning Components in the IEP, Services provided beyond the 4th year of high school (4+), and Post-Secondary Summary Information. |
| A Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment- An updated Transition Guide is provided by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services including best practices. |
| Transition to Postsecondary Education for High School Educators- The Office of Civil Rights provides information to help educators advise students about the process of transitioning from high school to college. |
| DE/LEA/IDB/IVRS Collaboration Frequently Asked questions- This document from the Iowa Department of Education, Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Iowa Department for the Blind provides basic information about programs and services provided by the agencies and information about WIOA and Pre-Employment Transition Services. It also describes the collaboration that occurs to support students. |
Work-based Learning and Employment
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| FAQ on Competitive Integrated Employment- The Rehabilitation Services Administration defines Competitive Integrated Employment within Vocational Rehabilitation Services as well as other frequently asked questions in this document. |
| Iowa Work-based Learning Guide- An Iowa Work-based Learning Guide is provided by the Iowa Department of Education and provides information for school district personnel on the components of a quality work-based learning program, different types of work-based learning experiences, and more. |
| School Responsibility for Employment Preparation- Iowa's Director of Special Education outlines the responsibility of each public school for employment preparation for students with IEPs. |
| Work Based Learning Experiences for Students with Disabilities- A fact-sheet that describes general and legislative information as well as the benefits of work-based learning experiences from the Federal Partners in Transition. |
Age of Majority
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| Age of Majority FAQ for Parents and Guardians- Frequently asked questions are answered by the Iowa Department of Education in this document about Age of Majority, the age when the rights of students transfer from parents to student. |
| Age of Majority Guidance- Student Version- Frequently Asked Questions about the Age of Majority are answered for students in this document by the Iowa Department of Education. Includes a definition of terms and outline of rights. |
| Age of Majority Resources- A number of resources regarding the Age of Majority, when educational rights are transferred to a student, are provided by the Iowa Department of Education in multiple languages. |
| Transfer of Rights- The Iowa Department of Education provides a decision tree and charts that help explain what rights transfer under certain circumstances when a student has reached the Age of Majority. |