Postsecondary Transition and the Courts: An Update

Postsecondary transition programming for students with disabilities has been a priority for state departments of education, local school districts, and individual education program planning teams since a transition requirement was added to the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990. Whereas the legal requirements of transition programming are clear, it is instructive to see how courts have interpreted this mandate. In this article, we review six district-level court cases from 2012 to 2013 that involved postsecondary transition planning and services provided under IDEA 2004. Of these six cases, three were decided in favor of the school district, and three were decided in favor of the student and their families. We discuss recommendations to ensure that school districts provide legally appropriate transition planning and programming for eligible students with disabilities.