This book is a "how-to" volume on implementing a career ladder program for challenged youths in transition from school to adult life. It presents an approach to career exploration, training, placement, and ongoing development that coordinates career-oriented activities with classroom activities. The core of the program is the community classroom, which is a 3-hour, semester-long, daily work experience in which 5 to 15 interns work throughout the business operations at a single work site, under the incrementally decreasing supervision of an on-site isntructor. The first chapter is an exposition of six principles key to the program's success. Chapter 2 outlines the mechanics of managing a community classroom, which introduces the work world in a way that gives the transition from school to work a tangible and meaningful expression. Chapter 3 presents the curriculum that accompanies the community classroom experience, including lesson plans for an entire semester. Chapter 4 describes the individualized and ongoing services made available to enhance vocational outcomes. This chapter also calls for a reform of day-to-day service delivery and challenges the overall format of social service delivery. Chapter 5 describes activities that will enable a staff to develop a community-based vocational training program, through development of host sites where a community classroom will be allowed to establish itself and offer on-site training. The volume concludes with a review of the legislative background of the transition initiative. (Contains approximately 40 references.) (JDD)