Transition plan IEP example, annotated part by part

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A transition plan IEP example shows every part 34 CFR 300.320(b) requires: measurable postsecondary goals based on transition assessments, transition services including a course of study, and annual goals that lead toward the postsecondary goals. Below is one complete fictional plan, with 16 annotated parts, weak and strong versions side by side, and a blank template.

Most transition plan examples online show one or two parts: a postsecondary goal here, a list of services there. That leaves case managers guessing how the parts fit. This page shows one complete plan for one fictional student, from the assessment summary to the course of study, with a note under each part on what makes it strong.

For the rules behind each part and when planning must start, read transition planning in the IEP first. This page is the worked example that goes with it. Rules vary by state, so check your state's IEP form and age requirements.

What the regulation requires in the plan

Beginning with the first IEP in effect when the student turns 16 (or younger if the team decides, and some states start at 14), the IEP must include measurable postsecondary goals in training, education, employment and, where appropriate, independent living skills. Those goals must be based on age-appropriate transition assessments. The IEP must also include the transition services, including courses of study, the student needs to reach those goals, and it must be updated every year.^[1]

Transition services are defined as a coordinated set of activities that is results-oriented and based on the student's needs, strengths, preferences and interests. They can include instruction, related services, community experiences, employment objectives and, when appropriate, daily living skills and a functional vocational evaluation.^[2]

Two more rules shape the meeting. The school must invite the student when transition is discussed and, with consent, a representative of any agency likely to provide or pay for services.^[3] And at least one year before the student reaches the age of majority under state law, the IEP must state that the student has been told which rights will transfer.^[4]

The student: Jasmine, age 17

Jasmine is fictional. She is 17, in grade 11, and has an intellectual disability. She reads at about a grade 3 level and uses a phone calculator for money math. She attends general education electives and a special education class for English and math. She is on track for her state's alternate diploma and plans to stay in the district's 18 to 21 program. All numbers below are illustrations.

Part 1: The transition assessment summary

The case manager gathered six sources between September and October.

Source	Date	What it showed
Student interview with picture supports	9/8	Wants to "work with animals" and "live with my friend Dana someday"
Parent interview	9/10	Family supports work with animals; worries about safety on the bus and money
Picture-based career interest inventory	9/15	Top areas: animal care, plants and outdoor work
Situational assessment, school kennel club, 4 sessions	9/22 to 10/13	9 of 11 kennel cleaning steps independent; stays on task 25 minutes before a break
Independent living skills checklist	10/1	Makes a simple breakfast independently; does not yet ride the city bus alone or budget
Real purchase probe at a pet store	10/6	Paid with the next-dollar strategy, 5 of 8 steps independent; missed the total and walked away before change

What makes it strong: every source has a date and a result. The interview is in the student's own words. The situational assessment gives numbers in a real setting. A strong summary also mixes informal and formal tools; see transition assessment in the glossary.

Part 2: Measurable postsecondary goals

Education or training: After graduation, Jasmine will complete the district's 18 to 21 transition program, including a community animal care training placement.
Employment: After leaving the 18 to 21 program, Jasmine will work part time, at least 15 hours a week, at an animal shelter, kennel or pet store, with support from a job coach as needed.
Independent living: After leaving the 18 to 21 program, Jasmine will ride the city bus on her own to work and shopping and manage her weekly spending money with a phone app.

What makes them strong: each one states an outcome that happens after high school, not a skill she works on this year. Each can be checked with a yes or no once she has left school. Each traces to the assessments: the kennel club, the career inventory, the bus and money gaps. The measurable postsecondary goals entry and postsecondary goal examples show more wording.

Weak version: "Jasmine will explore careers working with animals." That is an activity, it happens now, and no one can tell when it is done.

Part 3: Course of study

Year	Courses and programs	Why it fits the goals
Grade 11 (this year)	Functional English, functional math, Animal science elective, Work-based learning (school kennel)	Builds reading for work tasks and money math; first animal care experience
Grade 12	Functional English, consumer math, Horticulture elective, Community work experience (2 afternoons a week)	Moves job practice into the community
Ages 18 to 21	District transition program: job training, travel training, apartment skills	Bridges to paid work and independent living

What makes it strong: the course of study is a multi-year sequence, not this semester's schedule. Each line connects to a postsecondary goal. It names the diploma path, which affects when services end.

Part 4: Transition services

Service	Category	Responsible	Start and frequency
Reading instruction using work task cards and signs	Instruction	Special education teacher	Daily, 30 minutes
Money and next-dollar instruction with real purchases	Instruction	Special education teacher	3 times a week; community probe every 2 weeks
Travel training on the city bus	Community experience	Transition coordinator	Weekly from January
Job sampling at the county animal shelter	Community experience, employment	Transition coordinator	2 afternoons a month, spring semester
Self-advocacy lessons: asking for help at work	Instruction	Special education teacher	Weekly
Referral to vocational rehabilitation, with parent consent	Agency linkage	Case manager	By December 1
Information on the county developmental disabilities agency and supported decision-making	Agency linkage, adult living	Case manager and social worker	Before the spring IEP

What makes it strong: each service has a category, a person responsible and a start date. Agency linkages name the agency and the action. Vocational rehabilitation may offer pre-employment transition services; ages and services differ by state.^[5]

Weak version: "Transition services: job skills, community, VR." No one knows who does what or when.

Part 5: Annual goals that support the plan

Reading at work: Given a picture-and-word task card for a kennel or shelter job with 6 to 8 steps, Jasmine will read and complete each step in order on 4 of 5 task cards with no more than 1 verbal prompt per card. Baseline: 2 of 5 cards. Supports the employment goal.
Paying with the next-dollar strategy: At a community register with totals under $20, Jasmine will complete 8 of 8 payment steps independently on 3 of 4 purchases, reading the total from the register screen. Baseline: median 5 of 8. Supports the independent living goal.
Riding the bus: Given her bus route card and phone app, Jasmine will complete 10 of 12 travel steps independently (check time, walk to stop, board, pay, ride, pull cord at the right stop) on 3 consecutive weekly trips. Baseline: 4 of 12 steps. Supports the independent living and employment goals.
Asking for help at work: When she cannot finish a job step, Jasmine will ask a supervisor for help using a taught script within 2 minutes on 4 of 5 opportunities across 2 job sites. Baseline: 1 of 5. Supports the employment goal.

What makes them strong: each annual goal has a baseline from the assessment summary, a criterion with a denominator and a line back to a postsecondary goal. Goals 2 and 3 come straight from the gaps in the purchase probe and the living skills checklist. For more goal wording, see transition IEP goals examples and the transition goal templates.

Part 6: Age of majority and student involvement

Age of majority statement (required one year before): "On 11/4, Jasmine and her parents were informed that the rights under IDEA will transfer to Jasmine at age 18, the age of majority in this state. The team shared information on supported decision-making and other options." See age of majority in the glossary.
Student involvement: Jasmine was invited in writing, attended the meeting, and presented 3 slides on her kennel club work.
Agency invitation: With parent consent, the vocational rehabilitation counselor was invited and joined by phone.

What makes it strong: the statement has a date, says who was told and names the state's age. The meeting notes show the student and the agency were invited, as the regulation requires.

Annotated checklist: 16 parts of a strong transition plan

Part	Strong when it...	Jasmine's plan
1. Assessment sources	Lists 3 or more dated sources, formal and informal	6 sources
2. Student voice	Quotes the student's own preferences	Interview with picture supports
3. Results in numbers	Gives data from real settings	9 of 11 kennel steps
4. Education or training goal	States an outcome after school	18 to 21 program and training placement
5. Employment goal	Names a job type and hours or setting	15 hours a week, animal care
6. Independent living goal	Included when assessments show a need, or the team records why not	Bus and spending money
7. Goals based on assessment	Each traces to a source	All 3 trace
8. Course of study	Covers multiple years and the diploma path	Grades 11, 12, 18 to 21
9. Instruction services	Name the skill and frequency	Reading, money, self-advocacy
10. Community experiences	Name the place and schedule	Travel training, shelter job sampling
11. Agency linkages	Name the agency and action	VR referral, county DD agency
12. Responsible people	Each service has a named role	Yes
13. Annual goals linked	Each annual goal supports a postsecondary goal	4 of 4 linked
14. Baselines	Annual goals start from measured data	All 4
15. Age of majority	Stated, dated, a year before	Yes, at 17
16. Student and agency invited	Documented in the meeting record	Yes

Weak and strong versions side by side

Part	Weak	Strong	Data behind the strong version
Employment goal	"Will get a job."	"Will work at least 15 hours a week at an animal shelter, kennel or pet store, with a job coach as needed."	Career inventory, kennel club data
Independent living goal	"Will be more independent."	"Will ride the city bus on her own to work and shopping."	Living skills checklist
Service	"Community experience."	"Travel training on the city bus, weekly from January, transition coordinator."	Checklist: does not ride the bus alone
Annual goal	"Will improve money skills."	"Will complete 8 of 8 payment steps independently on 3 of 4 purchases."	Purchase probe: 5 of 8 steps
Course of study	"General courses."	Grade-by-grade sequence with electives and work-based learning	Interests and diploma path

Fill-in transition plan template

Copy this structure into your district form or notes.

Assessment summary: source, date and result for each of 3 to 6 assessments, including the student's own words.
Postsecondary goal, education or training: After high school, the student will ___.
Postsecondary goal, employment: After high school or training, the student will work ___ (job type, hours or setting).
Postsecondary goal, independent living (where appropriate): After high school, the student will ___, or the reason the team found no need.
Course of study: courses, programs and diploma path for each remaining year.
Transition services: service, category (instruction, related service, community experience, employment, adult living, daily living, vocational evaluation), responsible person, start date and frequency.
Annual goals: condition, behavior, criterion with a denominator, baseline, and which postsecondary goal each supports.
Age of majority statement: date informed, who was informed, the age in your state.
Participation: student invited and attended; agencies invited with consent.

Once the plan is written, measure each annual goal the same way as any other goal; the IEP progress monitoring guide has methods, and the task analysis data sheet fits multi-step goals like bus riding and paying. Before the student exits, the school also provides a summary of performance. Paste each annual goal into the goal checker before the meeting.

Frequently asked questions

What must a transition plan in an IEP include?

Measurable postsecondary goals in training, education, employment and, where appropriate, independent living, based on age-appropriate transition assessments. It must also list the transition services, including a course of study, needed to reach those goals, and be updated every year.

Is an individual transition plan a separate document?

Under federal law, the transition plan is part of the IEP, not a separate document. Some states and districts use a separate form or call it an individual transition plan. Either way, the required parts must appear in the IEP.

Does every student need an independent living postsecondary goal?

No. The regulation says where appropriate. The team looks at assessment data, and if the student has no need in that area, it records that decision. Many students with significant support needs will have an independent living goal.

How is a postsecondary goal different from an annual goal?

A postsecondary goal describes what the student will do after leaving high school, such as working part time. An annual goal is a skill the student works on this year, measured with a baseline and criterion, that moves the student toward that outcome.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.43: Transition services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.321: IEP Team, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
34 CFR §300.520: Transfer of parental rights at age of majority, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
A Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students and Youth with Disabilities (August 2020), U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.