Transitions

Overview

Transitions occur when students move from one school environment to another. Major transitions are: preschool to elementary school, elementary to middle school, middle school to high school, and high school to postsecondary. Effective transition programs help students move to a new school, become a part of the new school, and maintain their social and academic status. With the implementation of transition programs and the support of parents, teachers, and administrators, transitions can become more effective and less intimidating.

Statute from ESEA as amended through P.L. 114-95, enacted December 10, 2015 (ESSA)

To ensure that all children receive a high quality education, and to close the achievement gap between children meeting the challenging State standards and those children who are not meeting such standards, each local educational agency plan shall describe:

if applicable, how the the local educational agency will support, coordinate, and integrate services provided under this part with early childhood education programs at the local educational agency or individual school level, including plans for the transition of participants in such programs to local elementary school programs 1112(b)(8)
how the local educational agency will implement strategies to facilitate effective transitions for students from middle grades to high school and from high school to postsecondary education, if applicable - 1112(b)(10)

An eligible school operating a schoolwide program shall develop a comprehensive plan (or amend a plan for such a program that was in existence on the day before the date of the enactment of ESSA that:

includes a description of:
- the strategies that the school will be implementing to address school needs, including a description of how such strategies will:
  - address the needs of all children in the school, but particularly the needs of those at risk of not meeting the challenging State academic standards, through activities which may include:
    - strategies for assisting preschool children in the transition from early childhood programs to local elementary school programs 1114(b)(7)(iii)(V)

To assist targeted assistance schools and local educational agencies to meet their responsibility to provide for all their students served under this part the opportunity to meet the challenging State academic standards, each targeted assistance program under this section shall:

serve participating students identified as eligible children under subsection (c), including by:
- coordinating with and supporting the regular educational program, which may include services to assist preschool children in the transition from early childhood education programs such as Head Start, the literacy program under subpart 2 of part B of Title II, or State-run preschool programs to elementary school programs 1115(b)(2)(C)