SECTIONS 56460-56463 - California Statutes

EDUCATION CODE

SECTION 56460-56463

56460. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) That while the passage of the Education for All Handicapped
Children Act of 1975 (Public Law 94-142) and the California Master
Plan for Special Education have resulted in improved educational
services for individuals with exceptional needs; this has not
translated into paid employment opportunities or maximum integration
into our heterogeneous communities for individuals with exceptional
needs.
(b) That there is no formalized process that bridges the gap
between the security and structure of school and the complexity of
service options and resources available for individuals with
exceptional needs in the adult community.
(c) That there is insufficient coordination between educators,
adult service providers, potential employers, and families and
students in order to effectively plan and implement a successful
transition for students to the adult world of paid employment and
social independence.
(d) That because of insufficient vocational training throughout
the middle and secondary school years, and effective interagency
coordination and involvement of potential employers in a planning
process, the majority of options available for individuals with
exceptional needs in the adult community are programs that support
dependence rather than independence.
(e) The goal of transition services is planned movement from
secondary education to adult life that provides opportunities which
maximize economic and social independence in the least restrictive
environment for individuals with exceptional needs. Planning for
transition from school to postsecondary environments should begin in
the school system well before the student leaves the system.

56461. The superintendent shall establish the capacity to provide
transition services for a broad range of individuals with exceptional
needs such as employment and academic training, strategic planning,
interagency coordination, and parent training.

56462. The transition services shall include, but not be limited
to, the following:
(a) In-service training programs, resource materials, and
handbooks that identify the following:
(1) The definition of "transition," including the major components
of an effective school-based transition program.
(2) Relevant laws and regulations.
(3) The roles of other agencies in the transition process
including, but not limited to, the scope of their services,
eligibility criteria, and funding.
(4) The components of effective transition planning.
(5) The role of families in the individualized transition process.
(6) Resources and model programs currently available in this
state.
(b) Development of the role and responsibilities of special
education in the transition process, including the following:
(1) The provision of work skills training, including those skills
that are necessary in order to exhibit competence on the job.
(2) The provision of multiple employment options and facilitating
job or career choice by providing a variety of vocational
experiences.
(3) The collection and analysis of data on what happens to pupils
once they leave the school system and enter the adult world.
(4) The coordination of the transition planning process, including
development of necessary interagency agreements and procedures at
both state and local levels.
(5) The provision of instructional learning strategies that will
assist pupils who find learning difficult in acquiring skills that
will enable them to obtain diplomas, promote a positive attitude
toward secondary and postsecondary education and training, and make a
successful transition to postsecondary life.
(c) The development and implementation of systematic and
longitudinal vocational education curriculum including the following:
(1) Instructional strategies that will prepare pupils with severe
disabilities to make a successful transition to supported employment
and the community.
(2) The introduction of vocational and career education curriculum
in the elementary grades for those pupils who can benefit from it.
(d) Materials, resource manuals, and in-service training programs
to support the active participation of families in the planning and
implementation of transition-related goals and activities.
(e) The development of resources and in-service training that will
support the implementation of individualized transition planning for
all pupils with exceptional needs.
(f) The development of a network of model demonstration sites that
illustrate a wide variety of transition models and implementation
strategies.
(g) Coordination with other specialized programs that serve
students who face barriers to successful transition.
(h) A research, evaluation, and dissemination program that will
support the major programmatic aspects of transition services.
Through a variety of competitive grants, bids, contracts, and other
awards specific content areas will be developed in cooperation with a
variety of field-based agencies, including local education agencies,
special education local plan areas, county offices, institutions of
higher education, and in-service training agencies.

56463. Transition services shall be funded pursuant to the Budget
Act.