Secondary Transition Organizations

National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center - The National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) is a national Technical Assistance and Dissemination center funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs.  It's purpose is to assist states to build capacity to support and improve transition planning, services, and outcomes for youth with disabilities.

National Post-School Outcomes Center - This OSEP-funded center, at the University of Oregon, exists to support states in (1) developing practical, efficient, cost-effective, and  sustainable strategies for collecting and using data to improve secondary, transition, and post-secondary outcomes for youth with disabilities; and (2) identifying state needs and providing technical assistance that will result in improved systems for post-school outcome data collection and use.

National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET) - The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET) coordinates national resources, offers technical assistance, and disseminates information related to secondary education and transition for youth with disabilities in order to create opportunities for youth to achieve successful futures.

Council for Exceptional Children - Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT) - The Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT), a division of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), is a membership organization for persons and families interested in career and vocational issues for students with disabilities.

The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth - The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) assists state and local workforce development systems to better serve youth with disabilities.  The NCWD/Youth, created in late 2001, is composed of partners with expertise in disability, education, employment, and workforce development issues. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), the NCWD/Youth is housed at the Institute for Educational Leadership.

National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) - NLTS2 is a study begun in 2001 that is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Over the next several years, NLTS2 will document the experiences of a national sample of students as they move into adult roles. NLTS2 is focusing on a wide range of important topics, such as high school coursework, extracurricular activities, academic performance, postsecondary education and training, employment, independent living, and community participation.

The Transition Center (at the University of Florida) - To serve as a catalyst for coordination of research, education, and service relating to adolescents and adults, especially those with disabilities, as they make and act upon community,  employment, and personal/social choices. Research includes the development and assessment of best practices. Education involves both pre-service and in-service education for consumers, families, and professionals. Service includes the dissemination of information and creation of opportunities for sharing of best practices, research, and educational programming.

The Transition Coalition (at the University of Kansas) - Information, support, and linkages for all people interested and involved in the transition of  students with disabilities from school to adult life.

Transition Research Institute at the University of Illinois - The Transition Research Institute at the University of Illinois (TRI), established in 1985, identifies effective practices, conducts intervention and evaluation research, and provides technical assistance activities that promote the successful transition of youth with disabilities from school to adult life. TRI also serves as an information resource for teachers, service providers and researchers statewide, nationally and internationally.

Center for Self-Determination - The Center for Self-Determination is not a place. It is a highly interactive working collaborative of individuals and organizations committed to the principles of self-determination. The purpose of the collaborative is to change the nature of the support and service system for individuals with disabilities, using the principles of self-determination to help all persons create the lives they want, connected to and with their communities.

Project Keys: Opening Doors through Self-Advocacy -  Project Keys, at Utah State University's HOPE Institute, is dedicated to assisting those who work with people with disabilities in becoming strong self-advocates. Our goal is to aid all people with disabilities to create independent lives and to fully participate in their communities.

Institute on Community Integration - The mission of the ICI is to "improve the community services and social supports  available to individuals with developmental and other disabilities, and their families, throughout the United States."

Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy - The Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy (CSADP) provides public education, leadership development and training, technical assistance and information dissemination, and conducts action-research and analysis of public policy issues affecting individuals with disabilities and their families.

Healthy & Ready to Work - Health is a key factor in the transition process and something that may  either be left out or a low priority. The Healthy & Ready to Work search option is very easy to  use so you can go in and put in terms like education and get lots of results. You can also put in acronyms like FERPA and get resources.

Project TechLink - The purpose of the project is to disseminate information on successful best practices, curricula, and products that have been proven effective including students in social, vocational, and academic settings and activities.

DO - IT - DO - IT is a project at the University of Washington that provides resources and support  to individuals with disabilities and others regarding post school outcomes.

National Center for Education Statistics - Postsecondary Survey ( Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)).  The NCES survey program at the postsecondary education level provides statistical information used by planners, policymakers, and educators in addressing a multitude of issues. One major source of this information is the annual Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Survey which provides a variety of data on the nation's 10,600 public and private postsecondary institutions. Special studies of student financial aid, postsecondary faculty, doctoral degree recipients, transcript studies, and various longitudinal studies, complement IPEDS.

United Cerebral Palsy Disability Resources by State -  United Cerebral Palsy has recently created a web-based national resource center, "The One-Stop Resource guide," that lists all disability service related organizations by state. These comprehensive state listings are downloadable for each state individually. Information is effectively organized by topic and spans from "aging" to "employment" to "violence against people with disabilities." An excellent quick reference for transition specialists, One-Stop staff, job seekers and others involved in helping job seekers with disabilities enter the workforce with supports.