A Look at the Past, Present, and Future of Rural Secondary Transition

Depending on which date is attributed to the birth of secondary transition, it can be considered anywhere from 27 to 57 years old. No matter which date is used, it has been a while since the field “took stock” of itself. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to (a) briefly summarize where the field of secondary transition has been; (b) briefly summarize where we think the field of secondary transition now stands in terms of student postschool outcomes and barriers to successful outcomes in rural communities; and (c) conclude with some thoughts on what is next, how we might get there, and what this means for secondary transition in rural areas.