Which stakeholder group should be a central partner in transition planning for students aging out of high school?

• A. The IEP team, including the student and family.
• B. Only the student and school counselor.
• C. External agencies alone.
• D. The IEP team, including the student and family, with collaboration from vocational services and community supports.

Answer: (D)

Transition planning works best when it is a shared, cross-system effort that centers the student and connects school planning with real-world supports. The most effective approach brings together the IEP team with the student and their family and actively coordinates with vocational services and community supports. The student should drive their goals and be a central participant, while the family contributes insights, values, and continuity of support. At the same time, external resources from vocational services and community supports provide essential post-school pathways—like job training, internships, independent living skills, transportation assistance, and postsecondary accommodations—that the school alone cannot supply long-term. By weaving these external partnerships into the IEP transition plan from the start, the student is more likely to have a smooth and successful move after high school. Relying on only the student and a school counselor, or on external agencies alone, or omitting outside collaboration, misses either the student-centered planning or the necessary post-school supports.