Two studies were conducted to examine the problems experienced by special needs students in the process of making the transition to postsecondary vocational education programs, to develop a model of the transitional process, and to empirically examine that process via instruments related to the concept of educational adjustment. The first study was a statewide telephone survey of secondary education, postsecondary education, and vocational rehabilitation personnel in Minnesota. Based on this survey, it was concluded that the concept of transition is best viewed in terms of key persons, processes, and corresponding needs and resources that apply to students as well as to their educational environments. Thus, to enhance the educational adjustment of special needs students entering postsecondary institutions, practitioners could utilize various correctional, compensation, and circumvention strategies to modify conditions that are difficult for the students to tolerate and to enhance the students' ability to overcome or avoid frustration. The second study, which examined the progress of 96 students at a small rural postsecondary vocational education institution in Minnesota, supported the assumption that instructional variables are more educationally relevant than typical student data such as gender, race, economic status, and previously received supportive services. (MN)