Our Resources
Our thoughtfully curated resources go beyond theory, delivering immediately actionable strategies that you can implement the next day. They are designed around the real challenges education communities are facing right now.
Our Selection
Building a Stronger Middle to High School Transition for Students with Disabilities
From Pilot to Blueprint:
A Model Built for Reporting and Scale
This case study explores how we partnered with one state agency to build a clearer, coordinated picture of the Middle to High School transition and a model other states can adapt.
A Model Built for Reporting and Scale
Framework: Dimensions and Indicators of Effective Middle to High School Transition
This framework outlines the key dimensions and indicators of an effective middle to high school transition for students with disabilities.
Tool: Initial Middle to High School Transition Meeting Agenda
This agenda helps teams kick off the transition process during a student's 8th-grade year. Use this tool to bring the student, family, and staff together to review their IEP, set short-term goals, and build a shared plan for the year ahead.
Case Study
From Pilot to Blueprint: A Model Built for Reporting and Scale
Most states can point to data on the transition into preschool and the transition out of high school, because those are the only transition points states are required to report. The years in between are largely a blind spot, not for lack of care, but for lack of a reporting requirement. We partnered with a state agency to close that gap for students with disabilities, piloting a Transition Toolkit across five districts alongside a coordinated set of supports and professional learning. The result was real visibility into how students ages 10 to 13 were experiencing this important transition, and the tools needed to strengthen that experience.
How to use this resource:
This case study is designed for state and district leaders facing a similar challenge with the middle to high school transition. Use this case study to see what a coordinated approach can look like in practice: how to structure a pilot, build a coordination process that keeps leadership and implementation teams connected, and pair it with a dashboard that turns student experience into something leaders can act on.
As a school leader, I watched paraprofessionals show up every single day for our most vulnerable students, then saw them sent to make copies during professional development. That disconnect became impossible to ignore. I kept thinking: what would happen if we invested in them the way we invest in teachers?
Framework
Framework: Dimensions and Indicators of Effective Middle to High School Transition
Every student deserves a transition into high school that sets them up to succeed, not just to survive the first few weeks. This resource provides a framework outlining the key dimensions and indicators of an effective transition for students with disabilities. Including:
Student Readiness
Family Preparation & Partnership
Middle & High School Connection
Structures & Ownership
Data for Improvement
How to use this resource:
Use this framework to build a shared understanding of what an effective transition looks like for your school community. Then reflect on what’s already in place and what isn’t, to identify which dimensions matter most for your students right now.
Note: This framework is the foundation for a full self-assessment and action planning process we offer to our partners, aligned to these same dimensions and indicators, along with support to turn results into a plan. Connect with our team to learn more.
archive
Explore Our Archived Resources
The Power of Innovative Leadership
This case study demonstrates what’s possible when a leader has a vision for changing howstudents with disabilities experience school in their community.
The Cycle of Student Support
The Cycle of Student Support provides a process for educators and support staff to collaborate in service of providing access to grade-level learning.
Co-Teacher Planning Meeting Agenda
The Co-Teaching Planning Meeting Agenda is designed to establish a clear process for intentional planning that fully leverages each educator in service of providing access to high-quality instruction for students with disabilities.
A Guide to Inclusive Education: A Guide for Educators
This guide defines Inclusive Education through three elements: Mindsets (believing all students can access grade-level learning), Systems & Structures (strategic planning, budgeting, and scheduling), and Practices (evidence-based instruction and collaboration). It provides actionable frameworks for district leaders, school leaders, and educators to create learning environments where all students, especially those with disabilities, belong and receive high-quality, accessible instruction.
Early and Targeted Literacy Support
K–5 leaders’ guide to early and targeted literacy support aligned with core instruction. Covers schoolwide structures, intervention design, data cycles, and when to consider a special education evaluation.
IEPs for Daily Instruction
Quick guide for turning IEP information into daily instruction. Covers what to review first and actionable steps for Present Levels, Special Factors, Accommodations, Related Services, and Stop/Start planning.
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