Skip to main content
California Department of Education Logo

Guideposts for Success

A document developed by the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) that identifies key educational and career development interventions.

The Guideposts for Success - What All Youth Need to Successfully Transition into Adulthood

Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) work in the youth arena is based on the Guideposts for Success External link opens in new window or tab. . The Guideposts represent what research and practice has identified as key educational and career development interventions that make a positive difference in the lives of all youth, including youth with disabilities. They were developed by ODEP in collaboration with one of its research and technical assistance centers, the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth), following an extensive review of research and best practices in education and workforce development.

The Five Guideposts for Success:

  • School-Based Preparatory Experiences
  • Career Preparation and Work-Based Learning Experiences
  • Youth Development and Leadership
  • Connecting Activities
  • Family Involvement and Supports
Questions:   Programs and Partnerships Unit | PPL@cde.ca.gov
Last Reviewed: Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Recently Posted in Special Education
  • Inclusion and UDL for DHH Students (added 30-Jun-2025)
    Technical assistance from CDE on the passage of Assembly Bill 1938 regarding Inclusion and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students.
  • WAI Executive Meeting June 26, 2025 (added 16-Jun-2025)
    WorkAbility I (WAI) State Advisory Executive Committee Meeting Agenda.
  • Annual Performance Report Measures (updated 10-Jun-2025)
    Short summaries of special education program and student outcome data for California local educational agencies (LEAs).
  • ACSE Agenda June 4-5, 2025 (updated 02-Jun-2025)
    Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE) meeting agenda.
  • IEP Implementation Data Collection (added 28-May-2025)
    This page provides information about the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Implementation data collection, an annual collection of local educational agency (LEA) level data related to their performance of implementation of IEPs.