At the meeting, a teacher says, "We will do a transition assessment this fall." You nod. Afterward you realize you do not know whether that means a test, a survey, a conversation, or a day at a job site, and you do not know what it will be used for.
The answer is that it can mean any of those, and the choice matters. This guide explains what the federal rule asks for, how the common kinds of assessment differ, and how the results should show up in your child's goals. It is general information, not legal advice, and states add their own rules.
What the rule says
Section 300.320(b) requires the IEP's measurable postsecondary goals to be based on age-appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills. The definition of transition services in section 300.43 says the services must be based on the student's needs, taking into account the student's strengths, preferences, and interests.
Together they set the purpose of the assessment: to learn what this student wants and can do, so that the goals are the student's and not a template. The rule does not name a test. It does not set a number of assessments. It asks that what is used be age-appropriate and that the goals rest on it.
Formal and informal tools
OCALI, the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence, publishes an age-appropriate transition assessment planning guide that separates two groups.
- Formal tools are standardized and come with information on norming, reliability, validity, and recommended uses. Examples listed include adaptive behavior scales, aptitude tests, career and vocational assessments, achievement tests, and trade and industry exams.
- Informal tools give descriptive information about one person but lack formal norming. Examples listed include interviews and surveys, structured observation, anecdotal records, curriculum-based assessments, interest inventories, community or work-based observations, simulations, and student products.
OCALI adds that informal does not mean casual. Informal assessments are still structured and planned.
| Method | What it can show | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| Student interview or survey | Interests, preferences, worries, and what the student already knows | Informal |
| Family interview | What the student does at home and in the community, and what the family hopes for | Informal |
| Interest inventory | Types of work or study that appeal to the student | Informal or formal, depending on the tool |
| Structured observation | How the student handles tasks, directions, and social situations | Informal |
| Situational or work-based assessment | How the student performs in a real or simulated work or community setting | Informal |
| Job or program tryout | Whether the student enjoys the work and can see doing it long term | Informal |
| Aptitude or career assessment | Strengths in specific areas compared with a norm group | Formal |
| Adaptive behavior scale | Daily living skills, such as self-care, home, and community skills | Formal |
| Existing records | Grades, attendance, work samples, past evaluations | Records |
Start with the question
OCALI's central point is practical: the planning process focuses on the questions that need answers, not on a particular assessment. Some questions call for a formal tool, such as an industry exam when the goal is an industry-standard skill. Questions about how a student reacts in social situations are often better answered by watching in real settings.
| If the team wants to know | A method that fits |
|---|---|
| What kinds of work or study appeal to the student | Interest inventory, interviews, tryouts |
| Whether the student can handle a workplace routine | Situational assessment or work tryout |
| What daily tasks the student does alone | Family interview, adaptive behavior scale, observation at home or in the community |
| Whether the student meets an industry standard | Trade or industry exam |
| How the student feels about a setting | Student reflection after a tryout |
One state's picture
Colorado's Department of Education describes secondary transition assessment as helping students understand their strengths, interests, needs, and goals, and as the data for transition planning. It describes three sources: existing information such as the IEP, classwork, transcripts, and teacher, parent, and student reports; formal tools; and informal tools. It lists six areas to think about: career interests and goals, career skills and abilities, work readiness and habits, education and learning, independence, and social and emotional tolerance.
The page says the results guide postsecondary expectations, IEP goals and services, the course of study, the summary of performance, and the agencies that may support the student as an adult. It calls the student the most important person in the process. In Colorado, assessment must begin by age 15, and the page says it is updated yearly. Other states set other ages.
The student as the main source
A student can be an expert on one subject: themselves. The Colorado page describes students taking part in tryouts and then reflecting on whether they enjoyed the work, whether it was too easy or too hard, and whether they could see themselves doing it long term. That reflection is a kind of assessment too. See student voice in transition meetings.
If a student cannot easily answer questions in words, teams often use observation, input from people who know the student well, records, and ways to show preferences that do not rely on speaking, such as choices between pictures or trying an activity and seeing how the student responds. Ask which will be used.
What families can add
Schools see students in school. Families see the rest.
| Area | What to bring |
|---|---|
| Interests | What the student does with free time, and what they ask about |
| Skills | Chores, cooking, caring for pets, helping a relative, using a phone or transit |
| Work habits | How the student handles routines, directions, and breaks |
| Strengths | What neighbors, coaches, or relatives say the student is good at |
| Concerns | Safety, stamina, anxiety, or other things that affect settings |
Send these in writing before the meeting, and ask that they be included in the assessment summary.
From results to goals
An assessment is only useful if it shows up in the IEP. When you read the draft, look for a sentence that connects each postsecondary goal to what was learned. For example, "Based on the interest survey and the work tryout in the school kitchen, Sam wants to work in food preparation" is a visible link. A goal with no stated basis is worth a question. See postsecondary goals examples for how goals look, and what is an IEP transition plan for the bigger picture.
Assessment gaps to watch for
- One survey and nothing else. A single tool rarely answers all the questions.
- Results that sit in a file. They should show up in the goals.
- An assessment that does not fit the student. A written test for a student who does not read is not telling the team much.
- No family input. Home is where many independent living skills show.
- No update. What a student wants at fourteen may change by sixteen.
Terms are in the glossary.