Transition Assessments List
Transition assessments are tools that help students identify their strengths, interests, skills, and/or knowledge needed to reach their goals for life after high school. Postsecondary goals and transition services in the IEP must be based on the results of age-appropriate transition assessments, which can be formal or informal.
Other NextSteps resources on transition assessment:
- Transition Assessments page in our Transition IEP Tool goes into detail about Indicator 13 requirements for documenting transition assessments, with examples.
- Transition Assessment FAQs offers an introduction to transition assessment in an easy to use Q&A format. (NEW!)
- Recordings and materials from Next Steps webinar, Transition Assessment: Know the Options and How to Use Them
General assessment resources
- Age Appropriate Transition Assessment Toolkit, 4th edition (PDF, 54 pages, 2016) from NTACT, the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition. Covers the purposes and process of transition assessment, and provides help in selecting and using formal and informal assessments. You will have to create a free account to get to the toolkit.
- Transition Assessment Self-Reflection Tool (PDF, 7 pages, 2018), from Transition Tennessee.
- Zarrow Center’s Transition Assessment and Goal Generator (TAGG). It costs $3/student and is becoming widely used in schools.
Self-determination assessments
Formal:
- The Arc’s Self-Determination Scale, from the Beach Center on Disability at the University of Kansas, assesses self-determination across four areas: autonomy, self-regulation, psychological empowerment, and self-realization. The self-determination scale and procedures were revised in 2014. The Arc’s Self-Determination Scale – Adolescent Version (PDF, 9 pages, 2014), Procedural Guidelines (PDF, 85 pages, 2014) (free)
- The AIR Self-Determination Scale measures two broad self-determination components: capacity and opportunity. Capacity is the student’s knowledge, abilities, and perceptions that enable them to be self-determined. Opportunity is the student’s chances to use their knowledge and abilities. AIR stands for American Institutes for Research. Available from the Zarrow Center for Transition and Self-Determination at the University of Oklahoma. AIR Self-Determination Scale materials (free)
- The ChoiceMaker Self-Determination Assessment examines student self-determination skills and opportunities at school to exhibit self-determination skills. The assessment contains three sections: choosing goals, expressing goals, and taking action. From the Zarrow Center for Transition and Self-Determination at the University of Oklahoma. (free)
- Comparison of AIR and The Arc’s scales (PDF, 2 pages, 2008)
- Index of Learning Styles from North Carolina State University (free)
- The Personal Responsibility module from Conover (can do free trial)
- The Self-Determination Inventory System (SDIS), from the Kansas University Center for Developmental Disabilities, is an online snapshot of a student’s level of self-determination. There are three inventories: Student Report (SDI:SR), Parent/Teacher Report (SDI:PTR), and Adult Report (SDI:AR). The SDIS Student Report is also available in American Sign Language (ASL) through a collaboration with the National Deaf Center. Student and family flyer (PDF, 3 pages, 2020) is a family-friendly overview of self-determination and the SDIS. (free)
Informal:
- Self-determination Student Checklist from Virginia Department of Education I’m Determined Project (free)
- RENEW Youth Portfolio (free)
Assistive technology assessments
- Importance of accurate assessment to make the right match between technology and user, from techpotential.net
- See the Assistive Technology resource page on this site for more.
Independent living asessments
Formal:
- Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale
- Life Skills Inventory (free)
- Casey Life Skills (CLS) (free)
- Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire (TRAQ) to measure youth readiness for adult healthcare (free)
Informal:
- a questionnaire or survey you design (free)
- Index of Learning Styles from North Carolina State Universtity (free)
- RENEW Youth Portfolio (free)
Vocational & career exploration assessments
Formal:
- Brigance Transition Skills Inventory
- Career Cruising
- Choices360 (formerly Bridges)
- Kuder
- MECA System from Conover
- O*Net Online (free)
- O*Net Resource Center (free)
- SIGI (System of Integrated Guidance and Information)
Informal:
- Extended learning Opportunities (ELOs) (free)
- Work-based learning (job shadows, internships, business tours) (free)
- Interest inventories page on this site. Interest inventories are questionnaires that ask you to rate your interest in a wide variety of activities. The results tell you about careers that people with similar preferences enjoy. (free)
- My Next Move (free)
- Vocational Information Center (Khake) (free)
- Career One Stop (free)
- Kids Work (free)
College readiness assessments
Student Resource Guide (PDF, 30 pages, 2018) from Routledge has a College Readiness Assessment starting on page 14, and a series of college readiness activities. (free)
Landmark College developed a Guide to Assessing College Readiness (PDF, 6 pages, 2009) to help parents and students assess readiness for college work. (free)
Compilations of assessments
- The Transition Assessment Matrix from the Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center has a wealth of information. It’s well-designed – you can explore assessments by domain (employment, education, independent living), grade level, type of disability, or any combination of the above.
- Age-Appropriate Transition Assessments and Resources (PDF, 23 pages, 2021), from Wisconsin, has a straightforward overview of transition assessments plus an extensive listing (with links) of assessments and resources organized into transition planning areas.
- The Transition Assessments Chart: Formal and Informal (PDF, 2 pages, 2021) from Project 10: Transition Education Network in Florida breaks down assessments into different areas and designates them as informal or formal.
- The Transition Coalition maintains a list of assessments with user reviews. You can see what other people think and also add your own opinions.
- Quickbook of Transition Assessment (PDF, 175 pages, 2005) from South Dakota’s Transition Services Liaison Project.
Updated 10-16-23