The transition of youth with disabilities first became a national priority in the early 1980s under the leadership of Madeleine Will—former assistant secretary for the U.S. Office of Special Education Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and an advocate who has led efforts to establish services for individuals with disabilities for more than three decades. Describing transition as …

The Summary of Performance (SOP) is designed to assist students in achieving positive postsecondary outcomes. The SOP, a requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), can be an effective tool for students if used in conjunction with other best practices for transition planning. Student involvement in creating the SOP helps focus the student on his or her postsecondary goals and also increases the likelihood that the student will know how to self-advocate for his or her needs in post-school life.

This FOCUS on Results document includes a  sample student scenario illustrating that student involvement in transition planning helps create positive postsecondary outcomes, guidance on developing a meaningful Summary of Performance (SOP), and technical assistance on how to approach writing a Michigan model SOP form.