High School is a Big Thing!

It’s preparation for life, for adult life. Although high school is often an exciting time, there can also be a sense of uncertainty for families especially if a student is receiving special education services. Fortunately, IDEA 2004 and the NH Standards for the Education of Children with Disabilities have protections in place to help students receiving special education services prepare for leaving high school. In high school, IEP teams begin to look at IEPs differently and start to think about planning for what comes next. Schools generally refer to this as Transition Planning and the focus is on the future. It starts with identifying what a student might want to do after high school. When families and schools work together, IEPs can be developed that identify and plan around a youth’s true interests in education, employment, and independent living.

Youth Friendly Resources!

Preparing for an IEP meeting about Transition from High School

  • Have a discussion with your child to find out what kinds of things interest him. Talk about what she likes or doesn’t like about different types of jobs and what if any further education or job training she might be interested in after high school
  • Familiarize yourself with your child’s IEP
  • Make a list of any questions you want to ask or ideas you want to discuss during the meeting about the transition process
  • If you’re not familiar with the special terms used to discuss transition from high school – terms like course of study, transition services and measurable post-secondary goals
  • Find out what the timelines for transition planning are, for example, when you and your child should start talking about possibilities for after high school, when you can schedule a transition planning meeting, etc.
  • Learn about graduation requirements
  • Learn about what things change when your child turns 18 and what options there are for guardianship
  • Think about how you will communicate with school personnel between meetings to discuss how things are going

Transition Resources

Download a flyer format of this page!

Download a copy of PIC’s award winning Transition Tool Kit

ELOs provide an opportunity to explore beyond school walls, to work with local experts, gain valuable real-world knowledge and skills, and earn high school credit.  Download a brochure about ELOs

Transition fairs connect students and their families to resources that help them build successful lives after high school. Research into transition practices shows that when educators, families, students, community members, and organizations work together, post-secondary outcomes improve for students with disabilities.  Download our brochure on How to Plan a Transition Fair

Download this 12p. PDF easy to follow guide designed to help high school administrators, staff and families to develop Family Engagement Teams using a focus group strategy to review of how effectively a school works with families. A group might be a follow-up to a survey, or a sole means of gathering parent comments. This guide leads you from initial concept to inviting parents to conducting the meetings.