"Transition" is a broad term, referring to the period of time during which a student with disabilities prepares to complete high school and to the process of preparation, including long-range planning, activities, and services aimed at helping the student move successfully from school into the adult world. The legal requirement that public school districts, including charter schools, provide transition planning and services to students with disabilities as part of their Individualized Education Program (IEP) helps to fulfill an important purpose of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that these students "be prepared to lead productive and independent adult lives, to the maximum extent possible." This guide helps explain transition services as well as the laws affecting the rights of students with disabilities in transition planning cases in New Jersey. [This manual, originally written by Skadden fellow Jenna L. Statfeld and published in 2011, was revised, updated, and expanded for Education Law Center by Cindy Fine.]