Transitions

Terrific

Ensuring Continuity of 

Services for Children

and their Families
2 Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 

The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Institute of 

Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial 

products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

This document was produced with funding from the Institute of Education Sciences, 

U.S. Department of Education, under contract no. ED-01-CO-0015.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to the following 

individuals who provided 

information, feedback, and other 

assistance in the development of this 

publication:

David Cipolloni, Program Consultant, Pierson 

Montessori Center, Pierson, Florida

Oliver Harwas, Migrant Advocate, Okeechobee 

County Schools, Okeechobee, Florida

Kim McCorrison, Elementary Specialist, J.A. 

Thompson Elementary School, Vero Beach, 

Florida

Beth Rous, Principal Investigator/Director of 

Early Childhood Projects, Human Development 

Institute, University of Kentucky, Lexington, 

Kentucky

Pam Winton, Director of Dissemination, 

National Center for Early Development & 

Learning, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Special thanks also to the following 

SERVE staff who contributed

to the development of this 

publication:

Glyn Brown, Project Director, School Readiness 

Project

Lynn Amwake, Early Childhood Specialist, 

School Readiness Project

Nancy Livesay, former Program Manager, 

SERVEing Young Children

Kathleen Dufford-Melendez, Senior Program 

Specialist, Reading and School Improvement 

Donna Nalley, Director of Publications

Richard Emond, Senior Graphic Designer/Web 

Design Coordinator, Publications

Tracy Hamilton, Art Director/Senior Graphic 

Designer, Publications

Second Edition

First Printing, 2005

First Edition

First Printing, 1997

Second Printing, 1998

Revised Printing, 1999

Fourth Printing, 2000

© SERVE 2005 

Produced by The SERVE Center at the

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

In Association with the School of Education,

University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 3

Table of Contents

5

Transitions

Defining Transitions 5

 Horizontal and Vertical Transitions 5

6

Continuity

 Promoting Continuity Between

 Early Childhood Settings and

 Elementary School 6

 Current Research 7

 State and National Initiatives

 in Transition 8

9

Transitions for Children

and Families with Special 

Circumstances

 Children with Special Needs 9

 Migrant Families 12

 Homeless Families 13

 Immigrant Families 14

11

Exemplary Programs

Creative Preschool 11

 Okeechobee County Migrant

 Pre-K Program 16

 Pierson Montessori Center 16

 J. A. Thompson Elementary School 23

18

Transition Planning

 Preparing for Change 18

 Working Together in Transition 20

 Role of Administration

 or Leadership Team 20

 What Can Childcare Teachers

 Do to Help? 21

 Staff Development and Training 22

24

Preparing Children for Transition

 Tips for Supporting

 Children’s Transition 24

 Getting Families Ready for Transition 25

27

Other SERVE Products and 

Publications on the Topic of 

Transition

 Terrific Transition Website 27

 Planning for Terrific Transitions 27

28

References

31

Appendix 

38

About SERVE
4 Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 

Introduction

The transition to kindergarten is a critical time 

in children’s development. On one level, the 

transition from home (or preschool) to school is 

simply a change in physical location. However, 

this transition is often much more complicated 

than simply changing buildings or settings. For 

children, it means learning a new set of rules and 

behaviors, adjusting to a new peer group, and 

getting to know new teachers. For families, it 

means making sure that records and information 

about children are transferred, meeting and 

communicating with teachers, attending school 

programs, and adjusting to established school/

district policies. The purpose of this document 

is to provide an overview of the concept of 

transition and its importance to school success. 

This document includes a variety of transition 

strategies that can be tailored to the individual 

needs of children and their families. Additionally, 

the Appendix contains sample forms, letters, and 

examples of transition activities. 

Early Signs of Successful Transitions to School

How will you know if the process developed in your program or school has been successful 

in helping children, parents, educators, and communities? According to Ramey & Ramey, 

1994, some early signs are:

 Children will like school and look forward to going to school.

 Children will show steady growth in academic skills.

 Parents will become actively involved in their children’s education—at home, in school, 

 and in the community.

 Classroom environments will promote positive feelings for both teachers and children.

 Teachers, staff members, and families will value each other.

 Schools and programs will celebrate cultural diversity in their communities.

 Developmentally appropriate practices will be visible within the classroom.

 The community will show consistent investment in the education of children and will 

 strive to increase available learning opportunities.
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 5

Horizontal Transitions

(occur within the same time frame)

Vertical Transitions

(occur over time)

School

Preschool

Infancy

Medical Family Social

Birth

Services

Transitions

Defining Transitions

I

n the field of early childhood care and 

education, the word transition has traditionally 

been used to describe changes between different 

types of activities. More recently, transition

has been used to refer to differences in services 

among environments, agencies, or institutions 

(Lombardi, 1992). The most significant 

transitions seem to occur as children move from 

home to preschool, preschool to early 

elementary school, or school to after-school 

activities. They also occur as children and 

families seek and receive health and educational 

services from a variety of providers. 

Horizontal and Vertical 

Transitions

The focus on transitions first began 

with the increasing prominence of 

pre-kindergarten and mandated 

kindergarten programs in the early 

’80s and with 

the recognition 

that one of the 

most significant 

changes that 

occurs in a child’s 

life is the transition to formal school. 

Kagan (1992) has described two types 

of transitions: horizontal and vertical

transitions. Horizontal transitions refer 

to movement across various settings 

that a child and his or her family may 

encounter within the same time frame. 

For example, 

a child with 

special needs 

who lives 

at home 

and attends 

a local 

preschool may 

receive a variety of 

services including 

physical therapy, speech 

therapy, and visits from a social worker. 

During a typical day, this child will 

not only transition from home to 

school, but will often see a variety 

of people and make transitions from 

one service to another within the day. 

In contrast, vertical transitions 

refer to movement among 

care/education programs, 

health services, and social 

services across time. In 

this instance, the same 

child with special needs 

may receive rehabilitative 

services as an infant through 

an early intervention 

program; however, as the 

child approaches 

school age, he/

she will begin 

to receive 

special 

education 

and other 

related services 

through the public 

school system.
6 Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 

Continuity

Sometimes, service providers do little to 

share information or link their services. At 

other times, they work hard to collaborate and 

coordinate their efforts. The stronger the links 

or connections between settings/events the 

smoother the transition; these connections are 

referred to as continuity. Continuity is essential 

for children and families as they move from one 

setting or program to another. When programs 

work together to facilitate children’s transitions 

and involve families as full partners in the 

process, children experience less stress and are 

more likely to show progress more quickly in the 

new setting. As children become more familiar 

with each setting and its expectations of them, 

the more comfortable they become. 

Promoting Continuity Between 

Early Childhood Settings and 

Elementary School 

Efforts to help smooth children’s transitions 

evolved out of a concern that, for some children, 

movement from one activity to another—or 

from one environment to another—is often overly 

abrupt and may interfere with the child’s ability to 

adjust. In order to deal with transitions, processes 

need to be developed that make it comfortable and 

easy for children (and their families) to move and 

change from one program to another. Continuity

(and discontinuity) refers to the experiences 

children and families have as they move from one 

environment to the next (Love, Logue, Trudeau, & 

Thayer, 1992). If the two environments are similar 

or compatible, there is a continuity of experience. 

That is, when rules and expectations established in 

the first environment are maintained, children are 

able to make a smoother transition. However, if 

the two environments are different or incompatible 

and children and families aren’t prepared for 

these differences, then children may experience 

discontinuity as they make the transition from one 

environment into the next. For these children, the 

behaviors learned in the first environment are no 

longer appropriate, and new behaviors must be 

learned (Love et al., 1992). In studying transitions, 

researchers have found that when transitions are 

eased, supported, or smoothed, the gaps between 

activities, experiences, or services are “bridged,” 

and continuity results.

Providing continuity means building bridges 

for the transitions that young children and their 

families naturally move through. These “bridges” 

can be built, in part, through the alignment of 

several critical components shared by the early 

care and elementary settings. Some specific areas 

that may need this focus of alignment include 

(Pianta, 2005):

 Quality of learning experiences

 Teacher qualifications and training

 Curriculum and standards

 Assessment of children

Major transitions for children, such as entering 

kindergarten, can be very difficult due to the 

differences in curriculum, teaching practices, and 

standards. What children learn and experience 

in preschool and what they are expected to know 

and be able to do when they enter kindergarten 

are at times distinct and unrelated. It is 

important that elementary schools works with 

families, preschools, care providers, Head Start 

programs, and other community partners to align 
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 7

curriculum and create a more familiar learning 

environment for children as they make the move 

from early care to elementary school (National 

Governor’s Association, 2005).

Current Research Regarding 

Practices and Benefits of 

Transition Planning

While transition has long been a topic of interest 

and study in the field of special education and for 

Head Start programs, it has recently become a 

more important topic of discussion among early 

childhood professionals (Rous, 2000). According 

to Pianta and Cox (1999), several recent trends 

have sparked renewed interest in children’s 

transition into school: 1) the integration of 

developmental psychology and education, 2) 

the diversity of America’s families and school 

population, 3) the increase in number 

and type of public school programs for 

young children, and 4) the movement 

toward greater accountability. 

Further adding to the interest in 

transitions are the results of 

a recent survey conducted 

by Pianta and colleagues 

(Early, Pianta, Taylor, & 

Cox, 2001; Pianta, Cox, 

Taylor, & Early, 1999; 

NCEDL, 1999). The results 

of this survey found that 

kindergarten teachers were 

concerned about children’s 

transitions to school. According 

to teachers, approximately 48% 

of children entering kindergarten 

have moderate or serious problems 

with skills such as following directions, 

working independently, communicating 

needs, and working within a group with peers. 

Results from the survey may provide clues to 

the basis for the difficulties. According to the 

teachers, their most common transition practices 

to help families and children through the process 

are to send a letter to parents after the beginning 

of school, attend an open house after school 

starts, provide a flyer or brochure after school 

starts, and read records of the child’s previous 

experiences. None of these strategies provide 

deliberate opportunities to fully involve parents 

and carefully prepare children for their transition. 

The least commonly reported strategies (visiting 

the child’s home, calling the child’s home before 

school starts or after school starts, and visiting 

programs where four-year-olds are enrolled) 

are, ironically, the most effective strategies for 

facilitating transition. 

Similar results were reported by Rathbun and 

Germino-Hausken (2001) who also surveyed 

teachers about their transition practices. In this 

study, teachers reported that their most common 

practices were calling parents, sending home 

information about the kindergarten program, and 

inviting parents to an open house/orientation. 

Least common activities were home visits and 

gradually introducing new students by shortening 

the school day at the start of the year.

Teachers offered a number of administrative and 

other barriers to effective transition practices 

(Pianta et al., 1999). The barrier teachers most 

commonly listed (56%) was the timing of 

class lists. Teachers reported that class lists are 

generated very late—on average 15 days before 

school 

starts—and 

it is impossible for them to begin transition 

activities until they know who will be in the 

classroom. Other barriers teachers listed 

included no compensation for summer work 

(47%), no schoolwide transition plan to follow 

(43%), and the time it takes to implement 

transition activities (37%). It seems that teachers 

are willing to implement specific activities to 

help children make the transition and do not feel 

that they are discouraged from doing so. The 

least frequent responses for barriers (less than 

8% for each) were lack of interest on the part 

of preschool teachers, concern about creating 

negative expectations, and being discouraged 

from contacting parents before school. 

Administrative and logistical barriers seem to 

be the more important impediments.
8 Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 

State and National Initiatives 

in Transitions

Planning for smooth transitions not 

only benefits children and families;

it is the law.

Preparing the child for success in the future 

environment is a critical component of transition. 

As a result, specific practices and requirements 

have been mandated through legislation that 

will help children and families as they make 

the transition between home, preschool, and 

kindergarten settings. To date, much of the 

attention in establishing transition services 

has focused on those most likely to encounter 

difficulties in regular settings—children with 

special needs and those from disadvantaged 

families (West Virginia Education Association 

& AEL, 1994). Of the laws relating to young 

children, there are three pieces of legislation 

that most directly relate to the need for states to 

establish transition services: Individuals with 

Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part C; 

IDEA, Part B; and Title I of the No Child Left 

Behind Act.

Part C (birth to age three) and Part B, Section 

619 (age three to five) of the Individuals with 

Disabilities Education Act (PL 102-119) were 

created to provide a seamless delivery of services 

for young children between birth and age 5. This 

legislation specifically mandates that programs 

support transition planning for children who 

receive early intervention or special education 

services. (For more on this legislation, see 

the section, From Early Childhood Special 

Education Programs to Public School.)

Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 

provides funding that allows local school districts 

to develop and operate programs 

designed to assist low-income 

students and their families. This 

legislation stipulates that each 

district must prepare a plan 

for the transition of each 

child from Head Start, or 

other early childhood 

development programs, 

to kindergarten. The 

goal of this legislation 

is to create as much continuity as possible for 

five-year-olds entering kindergarten. Although 

efforts to assist children and their families in the 

process of transition may differ slightly, most 

legislation requires attention to the following key 

elements (West Virginia Education Association 

& Appalachian Educational Laboratory, 1994): 

 Serving underserved children or those 

with special needs and their families 

 Establishing communication and 

coordination between service providers

 Involving families as partners in planning 

and decision making 

In addition to the above legislation, Head Start 

also is mandated to assist families and children 

as they move from Early Head Start or Head 

Start into the elementary school setting. This 

legislation encourages Head Start programs to 

coordinate and collaborate with other education 

and social service agencies to better serve 

children and their families.

When transitions are handled hastily, children 

and families may experience distress that leads 

to other difficulties. However, by developing a 

transition plan prior to a child’s entrance into a 

new setting or program, both staff and parents 

can prepare for and ensure the delivery of 

appropriate services. 
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 9

Transitions 

for Children 

and Families 

with Special 

Circumstances

Children with Special Needs

Parents and families often have to overcome a 

multitude of obstacles when trying to locate 

accessible, high-quality early education services 

for their young children with disabilities. Several 

federal laws have been enacted to assist them in 

this process. These include the 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 

 The ADA gives children with

 disabilities the opportunity to be 

 included in regular childcare settings. 

 Generally speaking, children may 

 not be excluded from a childcare 

 setting based solely on their disability.

Individuals with Disabilities Education 

Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004). 

 Under IDEA, all eligible children 

 with disabilities birth to 21 are to 

 receive services. 

 Part C ensures early intervention 

 services for children with 

 disabilities under the age three.

 Part B, Section 619 ensures

 free, appropriate public education

 for three- to five-year-old children

 with disabilities. 

In 2001, over 231,000 children under the age 

of three (infants and toddlers) received early 

intervention, and 599,000 children age three to 

five (preschoolers) received special education 

services. Approximately 36% of the preschoolers 

were served full-time in early childhood settings; 

and another 12.9% were served part-time in early 

childhood settings (US GAO Report #02-394). 

Both ADA and IDEA 2004 have provisions that 

help ensure that children with disabilities will 

be served in regular settings, such as a childcare 

program or a classroom that includes children 

who do not have a disability. For infants and 

toddlers, these settings are considered “natural 

environments” and in preschool settings 

“inclusive or general education settings.” It is very 

likely that you will be a part of the planning team 

for children with disabilities and their families. 

Part C of the IDEA governs the services for 

children birth to age three. These services are 

coordinated through the Individualized Family 

Service Plan (IFSP). The IFSP is a document that 

is written by a joint planning team that includes 

the parent(s) or guardian(s) and other service 

providers—teachers, therapists, physicians, etc. 

The IFSP includes specific goals and outcomes 

for the child, as well as outlining services to 

address the family’s resources, priorities, and 

concerns as they relate to addressing their child’s 

needs, growth, and development. As children 

approach age three, federal law requires that 

planning for transition begin at least 90 days and 

up to 9 months prior to the child’s third birthday; 

some states require an even earlier intervention. 

This planning conference is intended to promote 

interagency collaboration, form partnerships 

with families, and support individual children in 

their transition from Part C to other services and 

settings (e.g., Part B, childcare, home).
10 Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 

As children grow and develop, the programs they 

attend and the services provided by the various 

agencies will change. For example, the homebased intervention program may shift to services 

being provided in a center-based or school-based 

program. Additionally, the way goals are written 

will change format. As children transition from 

Part C services to Part B, the birth to three-yearold documents (and sometimes older, depending 

on locale) change from the Individualized Family 

Service Plan to the Individualized Education 

Program. Understanding the differences between 

the laws that govern early intervention and those 

that govern services to three- to five-year-olds 

may help families prepare for the changes that 

will occur. It is critical that families understand 

the differences in the programs and how the new 

program will address their children’s changing 

needs. Some of the changes that might occur 

between early intervention and preschool 

programs include:

 Location of services (home-based versus 

center-based) 

 Family-focused versus the child-focused 

planning process

 Frequency, availability, and location for 

related services (physical therapy, speech 

therapy, occupational therapy, etc.)

 Options and requirements for family 

participation

While transitions are common for young 

children, they may be more intense and frequent 

for children with special needs. To prepare 

children with special needs for change and to 

ensure that the transition between programs 

unfolds smoothly, it is important that parents, 

family members, educators, and other service 

providers communicate well in advance. This 

coordinated effort is supported by the No 

Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). NCLB 

emphasizes coordination between Head Start, 

Early Reading First, and other early childhood 

programs and the public schools. Activities 

specifically mentioned in Section 1120B include:

 Developing and implementing a 

systematic procedure for receiving 

records, transferred with parental 

consent, as children move from Head 

Start into the local education system

 Establishing channels of communication 

to facilitate coordination of programs

 Conducting meetings involving parents, 

kindergarten or elementary school 

teachers, and Head Start teachers to 

discuss the developmental and other 

needs of individual children

 Organizing and participating in joint 

transition-related training of school staff, 

Head Start staff, and where appropriate, 

other early childhood development 

program staff

To prepare children with special needs for 

change and ensure that transition will transpire 

smoothly, it is important that parents, family 

members, educators, and service providers 

communicate well in advance. Researchers at 

the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 

(Donegan, Fink, Fowler, and Wischnowski, 

1994) point out these six strategies to prepare a 

child for an upcoming change:

 Begin early. 

 Talk about the new setting in 

positive ways.

 Encourage the child to ask questions

and express fears.

 Engage the child in concrete experiences.

 Teach the child specific skills and 

routines that will be useful in the

new program.

 Communicate and share information 

between programs in advance.

They also point out the following additional 

strategies that families and providers can use 

following initial entry into a new setting to 

ensure a successful adjustment:

 Incorporate information obtained from 

the sending program and family into the 

receiving program plan.

 Maximize parental involvement and 

support during the initial entry and 

adjustment.

 Individualize communication with the 

child’s family. 

 Adjust expectations for the child’s 

behavior.
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 11

Exemplary Programs

Creative Preschool

Leaving the safety and security of a childcare setting—which some children may have 

attended since infancy—can be an especially hard adjustment for both children and their 

families. One preschool in Tallahassee, Florida, has a comprehensive plan to make sure that 

the move from their childcare setting into the public school setting is a smooth one. This 

center, Creative Preschool, is recognized as a national and state model for the inclusion of 

children with disabilities. In 2005 23% of the children at Creative Preschool had some type 

of identified disability. They have built a solid partnership with the local public school 

system, Leon County Schools. The school system provides many services to children ages 

three to five within the childcare setting. Certified teachers employed by Leon County 

provide direct service to the children in the childcare setting alongside the child’s typically 

developing peers. Any needed therapies—speech, occupational, physical—are provided in the 

setting as well.

At Creative Preschool, planning begins at the first IEP meeting when a child is four-yearsold. At that time, the lead teacher of special education begins conversations with the family 

about what the options for the following year are most likely to be. Some practices utilized by 

Creative Preschool include:

 The preschool staff research in advance where children will most likely attend school 

based on the child’s residency. Then the lead teacher of special education at the preschool 

makes an effort to visit all the schools where the children will most likely attend the 

following year. These visits are made in January or February and are used to acquaint the 

teacher with programs and staff of the schools and to begin to plan what options might be 

best for individual children. 

 If there doesn’t appear to be a good match between assigned schools and a 

 child’s needs, there is time to look at further options. The school system has a 

 representative that can place children in an alternate setting if deemed necessary.

 After exploring options, the lead teacher will accompany family members as they visit 

different programs and finalize where children will attend public school.

 Teachers from the elementary school are encouraged to visit the preschool program to 

observe any children they will have the next year. This allows the elementary staff to see 

the child in an environment that he or she is most comfortable with.

 The child’s preschool teacher visits the public kindergarten classroom where a child will 

go the following year to help in preparing an individualized plan for transition.

 Children’s portfolios are shared between settings. 

 Preschool teachers consult with their elementary counterparts when a child is having a 

difficult time adjusting to the new environment. 

Creative Preschool

2750 West Tharpe Street

Tallahassee, FL 32303-3210 

850-386-1450

Pamela C. Phelps
12 Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 

Migrant Children and 

Families

Children of migrant farm workers make many 

transitions throughout their lives, but many 

transition into new schools as often as two to 

three times within a school year (ESCORT, 

2001). For highly mobile families, continuity in 

education is a luxury not often acquired. Moving 

into a new community and school multiple 

times a year can be very difficult for children. In 

addition, their parents are often undereducated 

and have limited knowledge of the English 

language, restricting the support parents can 

give their children in the transition to school. 

Therefore, starting school and/or moving into a 

new school can be very intimidating for young 

children. For educators, the challenge is to 

develop strategies that support children as they 

migrate to their schools. By learning more about 

migrant families, educators can begin to develop 

transition plans that support continuity. 

Migrant farm workers travel between school 

districts, usually across state lines, in order 

to obtain work in the agricultural field. Many 

migrants are married with children and maintain 

one home as their “base” for the majority of 

their time. This home base may be in their native 

country, like Mexico, or in a specific part of 

the U.S. They stay in temporary housing during 

the remainder of the year. Sadly, the temporary 

housing can be substandard and/or a shared place 

with friends or family. The living conditions are 

usually cramped with little individual space. 

Indeed, according to the National Agricultural 

Workers Survey (U.S. Department of Labor, 2000), 

52% of migrant farm workers are married and 45% 

are parents—with a third of parents reporting to 

have more than three children. The vast majority 

of farm workers are foreign-born (81%), primarily 

from Mexico (77%), although others are from 

countries in Latin America and Asia. 

Language and literacy levels can be barriers for 

adults trying to assimilate into the mainstream 

culture. Spanish is mainly spoken among the 

population, and the average adult has only 

completed the sixth grade. Moreover, 85% have 

difficulty obtaining information from printed 

materials in any language (U.S. Department of 

Labor, 2000). 

Three of four farm workers are paid an hourly 

wage averaging $5.94, making an annual income 

of less than $10,000 per year. Sixty percent 

of families are living below the poverty level. 

Families work together to increase the family 

income. In fact, it is estimated that between 

200,000 and 800,000 children work in the fields 

alongside their parents. 

Given the statistics, it is safe to assume that 

children of migrant farm workers have an 

especially difficult time attaining a quality 

education. Because of parents’ limited 

education and English skills, compounded with 

their own negative feelings toward previous 

school experiences, parents are not always 

able to sufficiently support their children as 

they begin school. Still, migrant parents are 

overwhelmingly in favor of their children 

receiving educational services and feel it is 

extremely important to the future success of 

their children.

Educators can assist migrant children by 

understanding their complicated lives and 

searching for unique and innovative ways 

to support their transitions. For example, 

migrant programs across the country provide 

families with red bags that contain pertinent 

information children need for school as well as 

health records. Families are instructed on the 

kinds of information needed and to only keep 

these records in the bag and not use it for other 

purposes. One program, as another example, 

compiled children’s information, such as health 

records, immunizations, screening results, and 

allergy risks, on a CD that they could carry with 

them as they migrated. 

Most communities have a Migrant Education 

Program that recruits, records, and serves 

migrant children from birth to age 21. These 

programs are very helpful and informative when 

dealing with migrant families.

Other ideas for supporting migrant children in 

transition include:

 Seek assistance from the local Migrant 

Education Program in identifying 

migrant children and those who may be 

in need of extra support.

 Hold transition parent group meetings at 

local churches, in the house of an active 

parent, the early childcare program where 

many migrant children attend, or at local 

businesses migrant families patronize to 

reach migrant families who may not be 

comfortable going to the school.
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 13

 Hire staff from the migrant community.

 Provide diversity training to teachers so 

that they have a better understanding of 

the homes from which children come.

 Be sensitive to the language, culture, and 

education levels at home when sending 

home materials, flyers, or assignments.

Homeless Children and 

Families

According to the McKinney-Vento Homeless 

Assistance Act of 2001, homeless children are 

those who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate 

nighttime residence. These can include children 

and youth who are:

 Sharing the housing of other persons due 

to loss of housing, economic hardship, or 

a similar reason. This includes families 

that move in with relatives or friends. 

 Living in hotels, trailer parks, or camping 

grounds due to the lack of alternative 

adequate accommodations. 

 Living in emergency or transitional 

shelters, temporary foster care, or 

abandoned in hospitals. 

 Have an evening residence that is a 

public or private place not designed 

for or ordinarily used as sleeping 

accommodations for humans, such 

as cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned 

buildings, bus, or train stations, and other 

substandard housing. 

 Migrant children may also be classified 

as homeless.

People are homeless because of poverty and a 

lack of affordable housing. In fact, approximately 

31.1 million people live in poverty (U.S. Bureau 

of the Census 2001, as cited in the National 

Coalition for the Homeless, 2000b), and 39% of 

all people living in poverty have incomes less 

than half the poverty level. Because housing is a 

large expense, it is often the first to be cut when 

there is little income. Emergency shelters are not 

always an option for families in crisis. In 2001, 

50% of emergency shelter request from families 

were denied. A report from the U.S. Department 

of Education states that only 35% of homeless 

children lived in shelters, while 34% lived 

with family or friends, and 23% are in motels 

or other form of habitation (U.S. Department 

of Education, 2000, as cited in the National 

Coalition for the Homeless, 2000a).

Recent reforms in welfare laws have 

influenced the homeless problem. Although 

the number of welfare clients has decreased 

over the past several years, more adults are 

obtaining lower-wage jobs that do not permit 

them to obtain affordable housing. Because 

subsidized housing is limited, many working 

poor are becoming homeless. 

Children’s Educational Rights

(from the National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE)

 Lack of records cannot prevent a homeless student from immediate enrollment in the new 

school. Parents should ask the school officials for assistance in getting children’s records 

from the last school attended.

 Each child has the right to go to school, no matter where the child lives or how long he/

she has lived there.

 Children are not required to give a permanent address in order to enroll in school. Schools 

cannot require proof of residency that might prevent or delay school enrollment.

 If homeless, the child has the right to stay in the school he/she last attended or move to 

the school in the district/attendance zone where the family is currently living. Parents and 

school administrators should jointly make this decision in the best interest of the child. 

Whatever option is chosen, the child has the right to transportation that is equal to that of 

other students. 
14 Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 

It is important to know that 36% of the homeless 

population are families with children (U.S. 

Conference of Mayors, 2000). Homeless families 

are often separated from each other because 

parents leave their children with relatives or 

friends so that they can remain in 

school. However, many children are 

placed in foster homes or separate 

living arrangements, as some 

shelters do not permit fathers 

and older boys to stay in the 

same location as women and 

younger children. 

Homeless children 

are at a higher risk 

of health problems, 

including asthma, ear 

infections, stomach 

problems, mental health 

disorders, poor nutrition, 

and developmental delays 

(Better Homes Fund, 1999, as 

cited in National Coalition for the 

Homeless, 2000b). They face many 

barriers to continuity in education 

due to lack of transportation, slow 

transfer of education and immunization records, 

guardianship requirements, and a permanent 

address. They are less likely to have adequate 

clothing and school supplies, be evaluated 

for special education services, participate in 

extracurricular activities, and enroll in afterschool programs. 

Many of the considerations a transition team 

would make for migrant families can be used for 

homeless families. Continuity between settings 

can provide much-needed assurance for a child 

in life transitions. 

 Enroll young children in the same school 

an older sibling attends, whether or not 

the family is “zoned” for that school.

 Contact the local homeless shelter for 

assistance and/or to provide referrals to 

other programs that support the entire 

family.

 Conduct outreach readiness programs at 

the local shelter or community agencies 

for parents and children.

 Provide teacher/parent/child meetings 

in non-traditional locations and times to 

meet the needs of homeless families.

 Conduct in-service training for staff 

regarding the McKinny-Vento Homeless 

Assistance Act and the rights of parents.

Immigrant Children and 

Families 

A growing number of immigrants populate the 

U.S. school system. For the large majority, 

English is not their first language, and they begin 

their school experiences unable to communicate 

in the dominant language. In fact, of the 

approximately 48 million students enrolled in 

the K–12 system nationwide, about 4.7 million 

are deemed Limited English Proficient, a 95% 

growth rate since 1991. New York, Illinois, 

Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California have the 

highest numbers of English Language Learners, 

with Georgia, Nevada, and Nebraska numbers 

growing the most rapidly. These immigrant 

students represent almost 400 different 

languages, the majority of whom speak Spanish, 

Vietnamese, Hmong, Haitian Creole, Korean, 

Arabic, and Chinese/Cantonese (OELA, 2002). 

Fifty-two percent of the foreign-born population 

is from Mexico or other Central American 

Countries, 25.5% were born in Asia, 14% were 

born in Europe, and the remaining 8.3% were 

born in other regions of the world (U.S. Census 

Bureau, 2000).

Unfortunately, many immigrant children are at 

risk. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 

51% of immigrants are from Central America. 

Of this population, roughly 35% have less than 

a ninth-grade education level. Moreover, this 

population has a higher poverty rate than the 

native group, 17% and 11%, respectively. In 

addition to the higher poverty rates, they are 

twice as likely to have larger families than the 

native population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). 
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 15

Creating transition plans that include such a 

dynamic group as the immigrant population 

can strain resources. Fortunately, many districts 

only have a handful of languages and cultures 

represented in their schools. The following are 

ways that transitions can be made smoother for 

immigrant children:

 Understand that children who share 

similar languages do not necessarily 

share similar cultures.

 Recruit people from the local community 

who are representative of the culture 

to assist with transition activities, 

translate documents, and be a source of 

information in general.

 Be supportive of the home culture and/

or language by providing a print-rich 

environment that includes examples from 

children’s cultures, such as magazines, 

posters, pictures, food items, dress, etc.

 Ensure that children have an opportunity 

to see familiar cultural articles in the 

learning environment.

 Develop language/culture centers for 

children to play in.

 Learn a few key phrases from the child’s 

language and/or culture. 

 Understand the importance of a child’s 

first language on the acquisition of 

English as a second language.

 Hire staff from the community who 

reflect the community linguistically and 

culturally in order to reach out to families 

and involve them in meaningful ways 

(Fleck, 1995). 

 Provide opportunities for children to 

learn and communicate in their home 

language.

Simply gaining an understanding 

of the home language and 

culture of the children and 

families being served and 

providing opportunities for 

communication can help 

align expectations and 

smooth transitions. 

To learn more about how 

to ensure continuity for non-English speaking 

children in early childhood settings, read next 

about what two programs in Florida are doing 

to promote transitions and support the family’s 

home culture and language.
16 Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 

Exemplary Programs

Like many of Florida’s communities, Okeechobee County and Volusia County schools serve 

a diverse population of students, including a large migrant population. Like other migrant 

communities, there is a high percentage of families who speak Spanish as their primary 

language. As a result, many of the children enter school with limited-English proficiency. 

This language limitation, coupled with other factors such as low-income and poor literacy 

rates among adults, makes early school success difficult for these children. 

Okeechobee County Migrant

Pre-K Program

The Okeechobee County Migrant Pre-K Program is designed to help schools connect

with families and make the transition from pre-K to kindergarten a positive experience. 

The county has responded to the needs of the migrant community by implementing a number 

of services. 

 Hiring a school-based migrant aide to provide academic assistance to students in

grades K–2 

 Conducting regular home visits 

 Providing bilingual teacher aides 

 Maintaining low teacher/student ratios 

 Locating pre-K classrooms on the school campus 

 Arranging for migrant pre-K students to tour kindergarten classrooms prior to the 

conclusion of the school term 

 Ensuring that all migrant pre-K staff are included in staff development activities and 

school faculty meetings 

 Providing English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) training to all migrant pre-K 

teachers 

 Conducting a summer home-based outreach program to reinforce readiness skills 

 Providing a school-based migrant advocate at all schools in Okeechobee who can assist 

families with academic, social, and health services 

Pierson Montessori Center

Located in Volusia County, Pierson Montessori Center is an early childhood program that 

enrolls 64 children from birth through five years of age. The Center is located in rural 

northwest Volusia County to serve its predominantly Mexican farmworker community.

Pierson Montessori Center has been recognized by both the American Montessori Society 

(AMS) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) as a 

model program. The infant/toddler program is the model for the operating agency (Childcare 

Resource Network/CCRN) as an Early Head Start Grantee. In December of 2004, the Center 

received the Sally Provence Award for program excellence presented by Zero to Three.
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 17

In an effort to facilitate children’s transition from preschool into elementary school, Pierson 

Montessori Center has focused on two important factors within an overall framework of 

philosophy and pedagogy: supporting children’s home language and culture and interfacing 

with local schools who will be receiving children from Pierson Montessori Center.

From the time that they enter the program until they leave, children are related to and 

instructed in their home language. Children are provided daily instruction in their home 

language, and use of the home language is built into children’s experiences at the center. 

This means that books and stories are read to children in their home language and that home 

culture is reflected in the activities and materials provided. The philosophy of the Montessori 

program places great emphasis on the child as an individual and maintains that a child’s early 

years are of crucial importance for optimal development. The highly individualized nature 

of this approach greatly facilitates children’s acquisition of the home language prior to the 

acquisition of a second language for the development of true bilingualism and bi-literacy.

Connecting with local schools is also part of Pierson Montessori Center’s efforts to 

facilitate children’s transition. Staff from the Center have visited local schools and observed 

kindergarten classrooms. Similarly, school personnel have been invited to tour the Center 

and observe children in the context of the program. Staff periodically meet with kindergarten 

teachers and school principals to discuss teaching philosophies and expectations, in hopes 

that such dialogue will create a greater mutual understanding and appreciation. Prior to 

movement from preschool into kindergarten, children are provided with an opportunity to 

visit future classrooms and meet future teachers. The instruction of these children also begins 

to change, moving from self-directed activities to more teacher-directed activities. 

A critical component of this program is linking families to appropriate services. Because 

many of the families are unaware of available resources, as well as apprehensive about 

accessing them, staff members make every effort to bring families and community service 

agencies together. 

Outcome 

As a result of these programs, young children are entering school better prepared and ready 

to learn. The majority of children from Pierson Montessori are doing well in their respective 

schools and grade levels. Test scores and report card indices are generally in the upper 

percentiles. According to Okeechobee County teachers, children who participate in the 

Migrant Pre-K Program demonstrate greater readiness for kindergarten than children who did 

not participate in the program. There is also evidence that student attendance is improving. 

Since formation of the program, children’s attendance in preschool has improved dramatically 

and remains steady throughout the year.

For more information about these programs, contact:

Okeechobee County Schools

Lonnie Kirsch, Coordinator of Grants and Special Programs

700 SW Second Avenue

Okeechobee, FL 34974

863-462-5000

kirschl@okee.k12.fl.us

Pierson Montessori Center

David Cipolloni, Program Consultant

592 S. Volusia Avenue, County Road 3

Pierson, FL 32180

386-749-6995

davidc@ccrnetwork.org
18 Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 

Transition 

Planning

Preparing for Change

Helping children and their families prepare 

for the move to kindergarten involves a great 

deal of planning, as well as careful consideration 

of the specific needs of children and families 

within the community. In addition to the normal 

upheaval that occurs when children begin at a 

new school, many children and their families 

have specific needs to be met in transition. Just as 

politicians have “transition teams” to assist them 

with their new roles, children and families need 

teams to help them prepare for change. Helping to 

prepare children and families for change is called 

transition planning. 

To ensure smooth transitions and continuity 

of experience for children and their families, a 

number of elements must be in place. First, it is 

important to think of transition as a process that 

occurs over time, rather than a one-time event 

(Rous, 2000; Rous, Hemmeter, & Schuster, 

1994). When transition is viewed as a process, 

this encourages thoughtful planning and 

collaboration between early childhood programs, 

elementary school programs, and other 

community agencies/organizations involved in 

children’s transition into school. 

In addition to viewing transition as a process, it 

is important that transition planning address the 

unique needs and characteristics of the children 

and families who live in the community and are 

served by the school (Conn-Powers, Ross-Allen, 

& Holburn, 1990; Rous, 2000). No two schools 

or communities are exactly alike; therefore, 

a well-designed transition plan will take into 

consideration the resources, strengths, and 

challenges of the school/community in order to 

Transition Team Members

 Parents

 School personnel (e.g., teachers, district 

staff, administrators)

 Childcare and preschool

 Head Start

 Even Start

 Healthcare personnel

 Social service providers

 Mental health 

 Childcare resource/referral agency 

representatives

 Local government

 Local nonprofit (e.g., United Way)

 Business partners
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 19

meet the diverse needs of children and families 

that live there.

What follows is an overview of a transition 

planning process developed by SERVE. This 

process provides schools (and districts) with a 

means for getting started and developing a plan 

that is ready for implementation.

Step 1. Round Out the Team 

One of the most important pieces of forming 

the transition team is recruiting members. 

Discussion of transition issues requires the 

involvement of all key stakeholders, including 

families, school personnel, providers of early 

care/education services, healthcare providers, 

and social service representatives. 

Look for partners who represent a cross-section 

of the community: parents, principals, teachers, 

childcare providers, human service providers, 

etc. Make sure your partners reflect a variety of 

perspectives, experiences, cultures, and levels of 

authority. A team’s efforts to improve transitions 

will be enriched by a membership that is broad 

and diverse. 

Step 2. Assess the Situation 

In addition to learning about each other, partners 

need to know how the current system is working. 

In this case, schools and early childhood 

programs need to assess current services or 

activities related to transitions and examine 

barriers to successful transition activities. 

Once the information has been collected, you 

will be able to see what services or activities 

exist and where there might be gaps. Use the 

information gathered to help develop goals and 

transition activities.

Step 3. Planning the Work 

Include in your action plan a list of each goal, the 

steps or strategies needed to reach that goal, what 

additional resources are needed, the expected 

outcomes, how you will evaluate progress, who 

is responsible, and a timeline for accomplishing 

the goal.

Step 4. Working the Plan 

Throughout the implementation process, 

ongoing meetings are essential. These meetings 

allow members to share their ideas about how 

the process is working and will allow you to 

make changes or modifications in the process

as necessary.

Step 5. Measure Up 

The purpose of evaluation is to help partners 

understand whether their efforts are meeting 

identified goals. Having a well-planned process 

for gathering information and reporting results 

can be a powerful tool for generating additional 

support in your communities. Teams can use 

data to show where they are going, why they are 

going in that direction, and the progress they 

are making.

Forming an effective transition team is a 

challenging and complex task that requires time 

and commitment. Below are more ideas for 

making the process easier. 

Administrators

Additionally, administrators can promote successful transition efforts by:

 Initiating and supporting the development 

of a transition plan.

 Forming a transition team.

 Serving as an active member of a 

transition team.

 Proactively initiating contact between 

their program and the local school.

 Allocating resources to support transition 

efforts.

 Scheduling staff time for planning and 

working together.

 Providing incentives for involvement.

 Modeling collaboration.

 Maintaining confidentiality for children and 

families
20 Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 

Working Together in 

Transition

Role of Administration or 

Leadership Team

Administrators are perhaps those most responsible 

for ensuring a smooth transition for children 

and families. Their leadership sets policies and 

procedures, oversees the budget, and outlines the 

agency priorities. Administrators can also begin 

the necessary cross-agency communications that 

are necessary for really effective transition plans.

Communication between early-care-setting 

staff and elementary school staff needs to 

be established. The initial conversations and 

planning often take place at the administrative 

level. Effective programs utilize many strategies 

in order to promote good communication. The 

following ideas are helpful for establishing 

communication and collaboration between early 

care settings and the elementary school:

 Plan joint professional development 

sessions and workshops—invite 

preschool and kindergarten staff. Many 

issues are pertinent to both staffs. This 

can also save money by blending 

training funds and is an excellent way 

for the staff of both agencies to get to 

know one another.

 Schedule regular meetings and sharing 

sessions between the staffs of preschool 

and kindergarten. Some childcare 

centers reported that they hold breakfast 

meetings or luncheons for kindergarten 

teachers on elementary teacher workdays 

in order to encourage school staff to visit 

their program.

 Learn about the elementary staff and 

their programs. Each school is unique, 

and many districts have magnet schools 

that teach the regular elementary 

curriculum along with a particular 

focus—mathematics, science, arts, 

technology, culture, foreign language, 

etc. Become familiar with the schools 

that children will attend, and be able to 

talk to parents about each school.

 Become familiar with the childcare 

programs within the community. Learn 

about the curriculums being offered and 

meet the teachers and administrators.

 Make it a practice to arrange visits to 

the schools that children are most likely 

to attend. Have teachers take pictures 

of the facility and the staff during their 

visit. When they return, encourage them 

to make picture books to put in their 

reading centers. 

 Invite teachers and principals from 

schools to visit your center. Some centers 

have reported that they have a “teacher 

swap day” where the kindergarten 

teacher and the early childhood teacher 

swap classrooms for a few hours or a 

whole day. This is a great way for staff 

to become familiar with each other’s 

schools and curriculums.

 Find out what information about children 

the schools would like you to forward to 

them. For example, are there particular 

items they want flagged—allergies, other 

health information, etc.?

 Share school or center newsletters with 

each other’s programs—what activities 

are going on, what field trips you are 

taking, or what themes you

are exploring. 

 Help build a stronger support system 

by encouraging pairing up between 

preschool teachers and kindergarten 

teachers. This allows teachers to bounce 

ideas off each other, plan units of study, 

and share ideas. For example, pair a more 

experienced teacher of four-year-olds 

with a new kindergarten teacher.

 Offer parent meetings where personnel 

from the elementary school(s) are invited 

to answer questions from parents.

 Survey parents in order to find out if you 

are providing them with the information 

they would like to have available as their 

children make the move to kindergarten. 

 Conduct ongoing evaluations of how 

communications between the center and 

the school are working. For example, 

you might survey former parents and/or 

teachers from your program and from 

the school to see what they think about 

the help provided for children entering 

kindergarten. Make adjustments to your 

transition plan based on the feedback 

you receive.
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 21

 Develop a listserv for information about 

early childhood issues and happenings. 

The listserv would include any Head Start 

teachers, preschool teachers, kindergarten 

teachers, elementary principals, childcare 

directors, Head Start directors, early 

intervention specialists, and others 

interested in early childhood issues that 

you might have met through trainings or 

workshops. Encourage everyone to share 

details on events, trainings, etc., 

that others might be interested in 

participating in.

 Work with others in your community 

who are interested in early childhood 

to host a community forum on early 

childhood education.

 Call the local school systems to 

inform them that you are willing to 

help disseminate information about 

kindergarten registration and public 

school events.

What Can Childcare Teachers

Do to Help?

Childcare teachers often have a great deal of 

contact with families and their children. This 

provides many opportunities throughout the year 

to help them as they transition from the 4-yearold program into the elementary school. Here are 

some ways you can assist children and families:

 Provide children with opportunities 

to practice behaviors expected at the 

elementary school—carrying lunch 

trays, getting on a school bus, walking 

in a line, etc.

 Be an active participant in transition 

planning. Get involved in cross-program 

visits, classroom observations, and/or inservice trainings. Be a member of either 

the community-level or school-level 

transition team. If there is not a team, 

advocate for one being formed.

 Become educated about how a family’s 

culture can affect a child’s transition to 

school. For example, in some cultures, 

parents feel it is disrespectful to 

ask questions of teachers. If you 

suspect that this is affecting 

your communication with the 

families, you could put forth 

extra effort to make sure that 

parents know that 

you expect input from 

the families—you 

really want to hear 

their opinions.

 Become informed 

about where your children 

will be attending school 

next year. Ask questions and 

pass answers along to parents. 

Create child-specific packets 

that contain information about 

the schools and staff for parents. It 

can include the principal’s name, the 

school secretary’s name, phone numbers 

for the school, school times and calendar, 

location, health policies, staff photos, etc.

 Invite parents to participate in the 

transition planning process with you. 

 Talk to children and their families about 

the differences between the current 

program and the elementary school.

 Read and discuss books about 

starting school or about changes. 

You can download an extensive list 

of books for this purpose through the 

Terrific Transitions website at www.

terrifictransitions.org/booksfor.pdf

 Invite a past child from your program to 

come back and talk about the school he/

she attends.

 Have the children dictate a story to you 

about what they think starting the new 

school will be like.

 Arrange for class trips to visit a 

kindergarten classroom while school is 

in session. 
22 Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 

 Encourage children to ask questions and 

express their concerns about starting at 

the new school.

 Share with your children some 

experiences you have had with transitions 

in your life. Let them know that everyone 

experiences changes in their lives

and that it is okay to feel scared

or nervous.

 Create scrapbooks of the schools that 

the children will be attending. Have 

pictures of the buildings, the kindergarten 

staff, the administrators, etc. Place the 

scrapbook(s) in the reading center so that 

children have ample opportunities to look 

through them.

 With parental permission, create and 

distribute a “Buddy List” of children 

who will be attending the same school. 

Encourage parents to arrange playtime 

with these buddies before the new school 

year begins.

 Distribute flyers about kindergarten 

registration. Encourage parents to register 

and offer to assist them with forms or 

questions they have.

 Adopt a kindergarten classroom to be 

pen pals. Have your students periodically 

dictate and illustrate notes to send to the 

kindergarten.

Staff Development and 

Training 

Well-trained staffs at both the sending 

and receiving program are critical to the 

successful transition of children and families. 

It is important that members of both staffs 

have sufficient knowledge and 

skills to work effectively with 

each other. Knowledge of 

specific activities, goals, 

and personnel will help 

staff members maintain 

effective communication 

and will foster an 

atmosphere of 

understanding and 

trust, collaboration, 

cooperation, and teamwork (Byrd et al., 1991). 

To accomplish this, many programs have 

begun to provide training that is relevant to 

personnel from all programs (e.g., Head Start, 

childcare, preschool, and kindergarten). Joint 

training promotes continuity of services, builds 

relationships, eliminates an “us-versus-them” 

mentality, and helps to define the transition 

activities that will facilitate children’s entry 

into the new program (Bridging Early Services 

Transition Taskforce, 1995b).

It is important that training be scheduled by 

program representatives to ensure convenience 

and accessibility. Programs may also find it 

helpful to share financial and organizational 

responsibilities. For example, one program may 

contribute to the actual cost of a speaker or 

consultant, while the other program provides the 

facility, refreshments, or materials so that training 

is a joint investment (Swan & Morgan, 1993).
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 23

Exemplary Programs

Transitions into kindergarten at J.A. Thompson Elementary are made with “Red Carpet Style!” 

Located at Vero Beach, Florida, J.A. Thompson Elementary is a public school of approximately 

500 students. The campus is home to a pre-K–5 program, several exceptional student programs, 

as well as a Head Start program. Creative teachers, strong administrative support, a desire to 

ensure a smooth transition into kindergarten, and a family-friendly philosophy have led to the 

creation, development, and implementation of two innovative transition programs: Red Carpet 

Roundup and Staggered Start.

Red Carpet Round-Up

Red Carpet Round-Up is an enhanced spring registration day for future kindergarten 

students and their families. Parents and future students are invited to spend the morning 

in the kindergarten classrooms with the teachers and students. They experience firsthand 

thematic, integrated lessons; interact with the current students; and meet the teachers as they 

demonstrate what they do best...teaching! Pertinent registration information is presented, 

questions are answered, and fun is had by one and all. The children who participate in this 

adventure are the Head Start and pre-K students on site, other preschool students who reside 

in the attendance zone, and younger siblings of any current students along with their families. 

An undertaking of this nature can only reach its potential with community collaboration and, 

again, administrative support. 

Staggered Start

Staggered Start is a four-day program of staggered participation for the new pre-K and 

kindergarten students during the first week of school. Students attend only one of the first 

four days of school in a small group with the entire class in attendance on the fifth day. This 

arrangement allows the teachers and students to learn about each other and experience school 

with a low teacher/student ratio. At J. A. Thompson Elementary, the transition from home to 

school for new students is taken in small, positive steps, making the journey enjoyable for 

everyone. Everyone starts the school year confident, comfortable, and ready!

J.A. Thompson Elementary School

Denise Roberts, Principal

1110 18th Avenue, SW

Vero Beach, FL 32962

772-564-3240

denise.roberts@indian-river.k12.fl.us
24 Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 

Preparing Children 

for Transition 

To ensure a smooth transition between 

programs, it is important that staff members 

from both the sending and receiving programs 

develop activities that will facilitate children’s 

adjustment. Children need to know what is 

expected of them in the new program and need 

to be presented with opportunities to practice 

appropriate behaviors. They should look forward 

to the experience with a sense of excitement 

and anticipation, rather than a feeling of fear or 

dread. Transition activities for young children 

can include stories, games, role playing, and field 

trips. The following are tips that staff members 

from both programs can use to help plan and 

implement transition activities for children.

Tips for Supporting Children’s 

Transition

If you are sending a child to another program, here 

are some suggestions that you may find helpful:

 Develop written policies and procedures 

that will guide transition efforts.

 Provide opportunities for staff to visit 

programs that will be receiving children. 

 Participate in joint transition planning 

with the receiving program. 

 Offer parent education regarding the 

receiving program. 

 Inform parents that their children will be 

attending a new program. Invite them to 

participate in the transition planning with 

you. (See “Sample Letter to Families” in 

the Appendix.) 

 Talk to children about the differences 

between the sending and receiving 

programs. 

 Encourage children to talk about any 

concerns or fears they may have about 

the new program. 

 Provide opportunities for children to visit 

the new program several times, to meet 

staff, and to tour the new building. 

 Arrange for the children to visit the new 

program while it is in session.

 Talk with the children about some of 

the rules that will be used in the new 

program and give them an opportunity 

to practice those new behaviors. 

For example, teach children using 

developmentally appropriate activities 

and games to line up and move in lines, if 

that is a rule in the new program. 

 Ask children to write or dictate a story 

about going to their new school. Allow 

them to create a puppet show around the 

story they have written.

 Read stories to children that discuss 

changes or moves. 

 Invite a kindergarten child or older 

sibling to visit the preschool and talk 

about the school he/she attends. 

 Survey parents to find out what services 

or information they need to help their 

children make a successful transition. 

(See “Sample Family Transition 

Questionnaire” in Appendix.)
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 25

If you are receiving a child from another 

program, here are some suggestions that you 

may find helpful: 

 Provide opportunities for staff to visit 

programs that will be sending children.

 Develop written policies and procedures 

that will guide transition efforts.

 Participate in joint transition planning 

with the sending program

 Review records for new children entering 

the program, and identify the current skill 

levels of these children. Adapt curriculum 

to these levels and build from there. 

 Provide new parents with a schedule of 

the best times to call or visit the program. 

 Invite new parents and children to an 

open house. Offer a tour of the facility, 

and make sure that parents meet staff 

who will be working with children.

 Talk about the new program with the 

children. Allow them an opportunity to 

ask questions and discuss any fears or 

concerns they may have. 

 Provide an opportunity for parents and 

staff to meet, and allow parents to ask 

questions about their children’s program. 

(See “Information About My Child” in 

the Appendix.) 

Communication

Some ideas for facilitating communication between sending and receiving programs include:

 Plan joint inservice training and workshops on topics applicable to both settings.

 Plan cross-program visitation.

 Schedule regular meetings and sharing sessions.

 Encourage communication via telephone, e-mail, or conference to discuss 

a particular child. 

 Develop a packet that will follow the child into the new program. Include information 

such as work samples, likes/dislikes of the child, and strengths/needs seen in the child. 

 Celebrate successes together. 

 Use peer coaching to support and assist each other. 

 Provide social situations where staff from both programs can meet.

 Develop written policies and procedures regarding transition.

 Review new procedures and rules daily 

during the first few weeks of class, and 

gradually fade this instruction. 

 Use familiar curriculum materials from 

the sending program to supplement 

existing curriculum. 

 Find out if new children know each other. 

Assign children to “buddies.”

 Send a personal letter or note card to 

all new students welcoming them into 

the classroom.

Getting Families Ready

for Transition

Families should be active partners with staff in 

the transition process. Parent involvement in 

the planning contributes to children’s success in 

school. (See “Learning About Transition” in the 

Appendix.) The following list offers activities 

and suggestions that may be helpful to parents 

as they assist their children during periods of 

transition. Parents should consider:

 Checking with their child’s current 

program for any documents or 

information to be sent to the new 

program. This information will be helpful 

in providing for their continued growth 

and development. Be sure that service 
26 Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 

providers have obtained written consent 

before allowing them to share records or 

other information.

 Keeping a journal of their child’s 

activities, skills, and interests. This may 

help to provide quick information to those 

who will be working with him or her.

 Helping their child get excited about the 

new program. Talk often about the new 

activities he or she will do there and how 

much fun it will be. 

 Helping their child to feel comfortable 

and more confident about the move by 

discussing any concerns or fears he or 

she might have. 

 Visiting and touring their child’s new 

school or program. 

 Asking if their child can bring a favorite 

toy or item from home to comfort him or 

her during this transition period. 

 Sharing any strategies or methods for 

working with their child. 

 Trying to meet all staff members who 

will be a part of their child’s day in the 

new program (e.g., teacher, teacher’s 

aide, bus driver, specialists). 

 Asking their child’s new teacher or 

specialists to observe the child in his or 

her current program. 

 Talking with families of other children 

who are currently enrolled in the program. 

Finding out what is being offered to new 

families and making a point to attend those 

functions (e.g., open house, observation 

opportunities, support groups).

 Helping their child begin to develop some 

basic self-help skills such as independent 

toileting, handwashing, 

tying shoes, and 

buttoning and 

zipping clothes. 

 Inquiring 

about special 

transportation 

if their child 

needs to move 

from one 

program to another during 

the day. 

 Becoming involved in school 

meetings such as PTA/PTO or school 

advisory council. 

 Maintaining ongoing contact with their 

child’s teacher, either through phone calls, 

notes, or regular meetings, to discuss his 

or her adjustment and progress. 
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 27

Other SERVE 

Products and 

Publications 

The SERVE Center at the University of

North Carolina at Greensboro has a variety 

of products and publications that are designed

to assist schools and communities in the 

transition improvement processes. 

 The Terrific Transitions website was 

developed jointly by the SERVE Center 

at UNCG and the National Head Start 

Association. This new tool provides 

early childhood educators with the 

latest and best resources for creating 

and supporting a successful transition 

into kindergarten. Terrific Transitions is 

intended for nearly everyone involved 

in the transition process—families, 

preschool and kindergarten teachers 

and administrators, Head Start staff, 

and community partners. (www.

terrifictransitions.org)

 SERVE also has developed a trainer’s 

guide, Planning for Terrific Transitions: 

A Guide for Transition-to-School Teams, 

to facilitate an eight-hour transition 

to kindergarten training. This training 

is designed to help learners improve 

their transition processes through more 

effective planning, implementation, 

and evaluation. By the end of training, 

participants should be able to:

 Form a comprehensive transition

 team.

 Initiate a needs assessment process.

 Explain how to conduct a focus 

 group.

 Initiate a Transition Plan.

 Explain their role in transition 

 implementation.

 Plan for the evaluation of their 

 transition goals and strategies.

This training is intended for school transition 

teams, which may include early childhood 

education staff (e.g., school-based pre-K 

staff, Head Start and community-based childcare teachers and directors, home-based 

care providers, family childcare providers), 

kindergarten teachers and administrators, 

transition coordinators, and parents. 

The training package includes the trainer’s 

guide, a participant’s guide, a CD with all the 

transparencies needed, and a camera-ready copy 

of all the handouts necessary for the training. 

You may request a complimentary copy of 

the training materials by phone at (800) 352-

6001, by fax at (850) 671-6020, or by e-mail at 

camwake@serve.org.
28 Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 

References

Bridging Early Services Transition Taskforce. 

(1995a). Hospital to home: A guide for 

transition planners. McPherson, KS: Author.

Bridging Early Services Transition Taskforce. 

(1995b). It’s a big step: A guide for transition 

to kindergarten. McPherson, KS: Author.

Byrd, R., Rous, B., Stephens, P., Dyk, L., & Perry, 

E. (1991). Sequenced transition to education 

in the public schools: Project STEPS 

replication manual. Lexington, KY: Child 

Development Centers of the Bluegrass, Inc.

Chandler, L., Fowler, S., Hadden, S., & 

Stahurski, L. (1995). Planning your child’s 

transition to preschool: A step-by-step guide 

for families. Champaign, IL: FACTS/LRE 

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Conn-Powers, M. C., Ross-Allen, J., & Holburn, 

S. (1990). Transition of young children into 

the elementary education mainstream. Topics 

in Early Childhood Special Education, 9(4), 

91-105.

Cook M. J., & Johnson, L. J. (1992). Rise-Tec: 

Transition model. Montgomery, AL: Alabama 

State Department of Education, Division of 

Special Education Services.

Donegan, M., Fink, D. B., Fowler, S. A., & 

Wischnowski, M. W. (1994) Entering a 

new preschool: How service providers and 

families can ease the transitions of children 

turning three who have special needs. 

Champaign, IL: FACTS/ LRE University of 

Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Early, D., Pianta, R. C., Taylor, L., & Cox, M. J. 

(2001). Transition practices: Findings from 

a national survey of kindergarten teachers. 

Early Childhood Education Journal, 28(3), 

199-206.

ESCORT. (2001). The Help! Kit: A Resource 

Guide for Secondary Teachers of Migrant 

English Language Learners. Available online 

www.escort.org.

Fleck, K. (May, 1995). Supporting the transition 

to elementary school. Principal, 74(5), 25-27.

Individuals with Disabilities Education 

Improvement Act of 2004. (HR 1350). 

Available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/

query/z?c108:h.r.1350.enr.

Kagan, S. (1992). The strategic importance of 

linkages and the transition between early 

childhood programs and early elementary 

school. In Sticking together: Strengthening 

linkages and the transition between early 

childhood education and early elementary 

school (Summary of a National Policy 

Forum). Washington, DC: U.S. Department 

of Education.

Kentucky Early Childhood Transition Project. 

(May, 1995). Families and the transition 

process: Primary style. Lexington, KY: Author.

Logue, M. E., & Love, J. M. (May, 1992). 

Making the transition to kindergarten. 

Principal, 71(5), 10-12.

Lombardi, J. (1992). Beyond transition: Ensuring 

continuity in early childhood services. ERIC 

Digest. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary 

and Early Childhood Education. (EDO-PS92-3)

Love, J. M., Logue, M. E., Trudeau, J. 

V., & Thayer, K. (1992). Transitions 

to kindergarten in American schools. 

Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research 

Corporation.
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 29

Melaville, A., Blank, M., & Asayesh, G. (1993). 

Together we can: A guide for crafting a 

pro-family system of education and human 

services. Washington, DC: U.S. Department 

of Education.

National Center for Early Development & 

Learning. (1998). Kindergarten transitions. 

NCEDL Spotlight, 1. University of North 

Carolina, Chapel Hill. 

National Coalition for the Homeless (2002a). 

Fact Sheet: How many people experience 

homelessness? Retrieved May 2004, from 

www.nationalhomeless.org/numbers.html

National Coalition for the Homeless (2002b). 

Fact Sheet: Why are people homeless?

Retrieved May 2004, from www.

nationalhomeless.org/causes.html

National Governor’s Association Task Force 

on School Readiness. (2005). Building the 

foundation for bright futures. Washington, 

DC: National Governor’s Association.

Office of English Language Acquisition, 

Language Enhancement and Academic 

Achievement for Limited English Proficient 

Students (OELA) (2002). The Growing 

Number of Limited English Proficient 

Students. Retrieved May 2004, from www.

ncel.gwu.edu/policy/states/stateposter.pdf

Pianta, R. C. (2005, February). Going to 

kindergarten: Transition models and 

practices. Presentation at the Georgia 

Partnership for Successful School Transition, 

Stone Mountain, GA.

Pianta, R. C., & Cox, M. J. (1999). The changing 

nature of the transition to school: Trends for 

the next decade. In R. C. Pianta & M. J. Cox, 

(Eds.), The transition to kindergarten (pp. 

363-379). Baltimore, 

MD: Brooks.

Pianta, R. C., Cox, M. J., Taylor, L. & Early, 

D. (1999). Kindergarten teachers’ practices 

related to the transition to school: Results 

of a national survey. Elementary School 

Journal, 100(1), 71-86. 

Ramey, C. T. & Ramey, S. L. (November, 1994). 

The transition to school: Why the first 

few years matter for a lifetime. Phi Delta 

Kappan, 76(3), 194-198.

Rathbun, A. H., & Germino-Hausken, E. (2001). 

How are transition-to-kindergarten activities 

associated with parent involvement during 

kindergarten? Paper presented at the Annual 

Meeting of the American Educational 

Research Association, Seattle, WA.

Regional Educational Laboratories’ Early 

Childhood Collaboration Network. 

(November, 1995). Continuity in early 

childhood: A framework for home, school, 

and community linkages. Washington, DC: 

Author.

Rous, B. (2000). Delaware transition initiative: 

Transition resources and practices in early 

childhood. Center for Collaborative Planning 

at the University of Kentucky.

Rous, B., Hemmeter, M. L., & Schuster, J. 

(1994). Sequenced transition to education in 

the public schools: A systems approach to 

transition planning. Topics in Early Childhood 

Special Education, 14(3), 374-393.

Swan, W. W., & Morgan, J. L. (1993). 

Collaborating for comprehensive services for 

young children and their families: The local 

interagency coordinating council. Baltimore, 

MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company.

U.S. Census Bureau (2000). The Foreign born 

population of the United States. Retrieved 

May 2004, from www.census.gov/prod/

2000pubs/p20-534.pdf

U.S. Conference of Mayors (2000). A status 

report on hunger and homelessness in 

America’s cities. Retrieved May 2004, from 

www.usmayors.org/uscm/hungersurvey/2000/

hunger2000.pdf

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 

Administration for Children, Youth, and 

Families, Head Start Bureau (1986). Easing 

the transition from preschool to kindergarten: 

A guide for early childhood teachers and 

administrators. Washington, DC: Author.

U. S. General Accounting Office (April, 2002). 

Special education: Grant programs designed 

to serve children ages 0 to 5. GAO Report# 

02-394. (Available at http://www.gao.gov/

new.items/d02394.pdf)

U.S. Department of Labor (2000). National 

Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS): A 

Demographic and Employment Profile of 

United States Farmworkers. Office of the 

Assistant Secretary for Policy, Office of 

Program Economics, Research Report No. 
30 Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 

8. March 2000. Retrieved May 2004, from 

www.doleta.gov/agworker/naws.cfm

West Virginia Educational Association & 

Appalachian Educational Laboratory 

(November, 1994). Early childhood 

transition: Preparing children and families 

for change. Charleston, WVA: Author.

Additional Readings

Kadel, S. (1993). Interagency collaboration: 

Improving the delivery of services to children 

and families. Tallahassee, FL: SERVE.

Maxwell, K. L., & Eller, S. K. (1994). 

Research in review: Children’s transition to 

kindergarten. Young Children, 49(6), 56-63.

Pianta, R. C. & Kraft-Sayre, M. (2003). 

Successful kindergarten transition: Your 

guide to connecting children, families, and 

schools. Baltimore, MD: Brooks.

Rosenketter, S. F., Hains, A. H., & Fowler, S. A. 

(1994). Bridging early services for children 

with special needs and their families: A 

practical guide for transition planning. 

Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing 

Company.

U.S. Department of Education (1996). Putting 

the pieces together: Comprehensive schoollinked services for children and families. 

Washington, DC: Author.

Wesley, P.W., (2001). Smooth moves to 

kindergarten. Chapel Hill Training Outreach, 

Inc. Chapel Hill, NC.
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families

Appendix
32 Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 

Sample Transition Timeline

(Adapted from Chandler, Fowler, Hadden, Stahurski, 1995)

This sample transition timeline identifies what steps will be followed in transition, who is responsible 

for each step in the transition process, and when each step will be accomplished. This includes 

steps that are required by law as part of the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and steps that 

are options to consider when developing a transition plan.

Date Responsibility

Hold first planning meeting to begin the 

transition process.

Develop a transition plan (as part of the sixmonth IFSP review) and provide information 

concerning child and parent rights and 

options for services.*

Identify goals, objectives, and methods to 

prepare the child and family for transitions.*

The family provides consent for release 

of information to public school and other 

programs or services.*

Identify necessary evaluations to determine 

eligibility for special education and related 

services and conduct evaluations.*

The transition team discusses eligibility for 

(continued) special education services and 

other issues related to transition, and identifies 

future program options (MDC meeting).*

Members of the transition team visit program 

options.

If the child is eligible to receive special 

services, the transition team writes the IEP 

and identifies new program(s) and services.

The family and child visit the new program, 

meet with the teacher and related services staff.

The early intervention staff transfers records 

and contacts the new program staff to 

exchange information.*

The child starts the new program on the 

eligible or agreed-upon date.*

The family meets with the new program staff 

to assess child adjustment.

Early intervention and the new program staff 

evaluate the transition process, including 

child adjustment and family satisfaction.

* Steps that are required as part of the IFSP
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 33

Preparing Your Family for Transition

(Chandler, Fowler, Hadden, Stahurski, 1995)

Transition can be an exciting time, one that 

can provide new opportunities for your child 

and family. It also can be a time of great change 

and adjustment. Your child or family may need 

to adjust to new teachers and therapists, new 

children, different schedules and daily routines, 

new classroom activities, and new options for 

parent involvement. You may find that both you 

and your child experience separation anxiety. It 

may be hard to “let go” of the staff and services 

in the early intervention program and to learn 

to trust and communicate with new staff. Your 

family may need to learn about the public school 

system, your child’s and family’s rights, new 

evaluations and technical terms, and how to 

advocate for the child when necessary.

All children and families make adjustments 

during transition. The amount of time required 

for these adjustments varies across children, 

families, and programs. It is normal to 

experience some uncertainty and, with that, 

some stress during transition. This is true for all 

families and children who start a new program, 

regardless of whether the child has special needs. 

Families who participate in transition planning 

report reduced stress. Some strategies that 

families have used to prepare for transition are 

listed below.

 Plan ahead for transition. Don’t wait until 

the last minute to begin thinking about 

transition. Give yourself and your family 

time to make decisions and adjust to the 

changes that will occur.

 Realize that stress, uncertainty, and 

separation anxiety are normal emotions. 

Many, if not all, parents experience these 

feelings when their child starts preschool 

or kindergarten.

 Ask questions throughout the transition 

process. You have a right to obtain 

information about transition and to be 

involved in the transition planning.

 Attend transition planning meetings. 

Share information with the team about 

your child and your family, your resources, 

your priorities, and any concerns that you 

may have.

 Talk with other families who have made 

the transition from early intervention to 

preschool programs.

 Talk with members of your family about 

transition and some of the changes that 

may occur.

 Learn about your child’s and family’s 

rights, how to interact with new program 

staff, and how to advocate for your child in 

the new program.

 Visit different programs to help select the 

program that best meets your child’s needs.

 Try to identify aspects of the new program 

that may be different or difficult for your 

child and give your child experiences with 

those aspects before the new program begins. 

For example, if you think that your child will 

have trouble working or playing alone, you 

might give your child an opportunity to play 

alone for short periods of time each day.
34 Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 

Sample Letter to Families

This letter could be sent to each family whose child will be entering a new school or program next 

year. It can be personalized to fit your particular situation.

(Date)

(Parent name)

(Address)

Dear (Parent’s name):

I am writing to let you know that your child may be enrolled in a new school or program next year. 

Sometimes when children are moving into a new program or school, the change can be scary and 

uncomfortable. Now is the time for us to begin thinking about and planning for the change. We want 

to make sure that when (child’s name) begins (his/her) new program that (he/she) feels comfortable 

and confident about the move.

I would like to meet with you and discuss how we can best help (child’s name) make a smooth 

transition into the new program. You will also have the opportunity to visit the new school/program 

as well as meet with new teachers and staff members.

Please call me at your convenience to set up a time. I believe that, by working together, we can 

make this a successful transition for (child’s name). If you have any additional questions, ideas, or 

comments, I can be reached at (phone number) between the hours of ____ and ____.

Sincerely,

(Teacher’s name)
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 35

Sample Family Transition Questionnaire

(Adapted from Cook & Johnson, 1992)

This brief questionnaire may be given to parents to help them determine and/or clarify their needs 

and concerns. It also represents one way of learning more about what children and families need 

in order to make a smooth transition.

Read the following questions carefully and circle your answers. Please add any additional comments 

or questions that you might have.

I need more information about or assistance in:

 1. Preparing my child for a new school or classroom. Yes No

 __________________________________________________________________

 __________________________________________________________________

2. Arranging a visit to my child’s new school/program. Yes No

 __________________________________________________________________

 __________________________________________________________________

3. Identifying the school or program that my child will be attending. Yes No

 __________________________________________________________________

 __________________________________________________________________

4. Contacting other parents whose children are currently enrolled

 in the school/program. Yes No

 __________________________________________________________________

 __________________________________________________________________

5. Locating community services that may provide additional resources. Yes No

 __________________________________________________________________

 __________________________________________________________________

6. Understanding my legal rights and responsibilities. Yes No

 __________________________________________________________________

 __________________________________________________________________

Additional Questions or Comments:

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Name:

_________________________________________________________________________________
36 Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 

Information About My Child This form may be given to parents as a way of eliciting information and involving them in the educational planning for their children. Teachers and caregivers can use this in an initial meeting with parents or send it home with the children at the beginning of the year (Adapted from Kentucky Early Childhood Transition Project, May 1995). These things please me most about my child: These are things my child does well: My child really likes: Right now, I am most concerned about: I would like my child to learn to do these things: My child learns best when: I think these services would help my child: Our family could also use help with: I would like to be involved in my child’s program in these ways:
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children and their Families 37

Learning About Transition

(Chandler, Fowler, Hadden, Stahurski, 1995)

An important step in promoting a positive transition for your child and family is learning about 

the transition process. At least three months before your child makes the move from early 

intervention to preschool, someone from the early intervention program will meet with you to talk 

about transition and will work with you to develop a transition plan.* Some of the topics that should 

be discussed during transition meetings are:

 What is involved in transition?

 When will your child make the transition to

a new program?

 What decisions need to be made related to 

the changes in service delivery?

 Who will be involved in making decisions?

 When will the decisions be made?

 What is your family’s role in the transition 

process?

 Is your child eligible for special education 

and related services?

 What options are available (for example, 

community preschool, pre-kindergarten,

self-contained special education)?

 How can you get information and learn about 

service options?

 What are the differences between early 

intervention and preschool programs?

 What are your child’s and family’s legal 

rights related to special education services?

 How can you prepare your child and family 

for transition?

Your family should feel free to ask questions 

during transition meetings and at any time during 

the year. Often it is helpful to make a list of 

questions or topics that you wish to discuss with 

program staff or the transition team. Space is 

provided here for you to write questions that you 

have or issues that you want to talk about. 

 

 

 

* Federal law requires that planning for transition begin at least 90 days before a child turns 3; in 

some states, such as Illinois, state law requires that planning begin even earlier, at least 6 months 

before the third birthday.
The SERVE Center at UNCG, under the leadership of Dr. Ludwig David van Broekhuizen, is an 

education organization with the mission to promote and support the continuous improvement 

of educational opportunities for all learners in the Southeast. The organization’s commitment to 

continuous improvement is manifest in an applied research-to-practice model that drives all of its 

work. Building on research, professional wisdom, and craft knowledge, SERVE staff members 

develop tools, processes, and interventions designed to assist practitioners and policymakers 

with their work. SERVE’s ultimate goal is to raise the level of student achievement in the region. 

Evaluation of the impact of these activities combined with input from stakeholders expands SERVE’s 

knowledge base and informs future research.

This rigorous and practical approach to research and development is supported by an experienced 

staff strategically located throughout the region. This staff is highly skilled in providing needs 

assessment services, conducting applied research in schools, and developing processes, products, 

and programs that support educational improvement and increase student achievement. In the last 

three years, in addition to its basic research and development work with over 170 southeastern 

schools, SERVE staff provided technical assistance and training to more than 18,000 teachers and 

administrators across the region.

The SERVE Center is governed by a board of directors that includes the governors, chief state 

school officers, educators, legislators, and private sector leaders from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, 

Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

SERVE’s operational core is the Regional Educational Laboratory. Funded by the U.S. Department of 

Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, the Regional Educational Laboratory for the Southeast 

is one of ten Laboratories providing research-based information and services to all 50 states and 

territories. These Laboratories form a nationwide education knowledge network, building a bank 

of information and resources shared and disseminated nationally and regionally to improve student 

achievement. SERVE’s National Leadership Area, Expanded Learning Opportunities, focuses on 

improving student outcomes through the use of exemplary pre-K and extended-day programs.

SERVE Main Office • P.O. Box 5367 • Greensboro, NC 27435

800-755-3277 • 336-315-7400 • Fax 336-315-7457

Ludwig David van Broekhuizen, Ph.D. • Executive Director

www.serve.org

About SERVE