Transcript Working Across States and Stakeholders to Build

The IDEA Partnership’s
National Transition
Community of Practice
Working Across States and
Stakeholders to Build Interagency
Bridges for Youth
PA Community on Transition Conference
Thursday, July 21, 2005
11:00 a.m. – 12:15, Room 203
1
What is a
Community of Practice?
Marty Kester, Consultant
The IDEA Partnership
We are in this together
2
The Communication Structure
Federal to State
State to State
The IDEA Partnership
State to Federal Community of Practice
Local to State
State to Local
Local to Local
3
States participate in…
 Monthly
calls
 Face-face meetings
 Representative participation in State
meetings
 Practice Groups
 Youth Engagement
 Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare
 Transportation
4
What's Going on in
New Hampshire
A Youth Advocate’s
Perspective
5
What is Happening Now in NH?

Coordinating Team now includes VR, Special Ed.,
Mental Health, Youth, Families, LEA and regional
representation

Engaged in development of NH Disability Mentoring
Day in October 2005

Coordinating Team to focus on Transition CoP
model development

Special Education working to deliver SIG II
Secondary Transition goals through CoP

Discussing innovative ways in which to connect our
youth members’ high school/college education to
their participation in the CoP.
6
NH Transition CoP –
What a Difference a Year Makes!

Cross-partnership work among agencies, organizations, youth
and families has energized commitment to work together and to
bring others aboard.

Coordinating Team members invited to share work (and learn
from others!) at national conferences and meetings

State-to-State conference calls and participation in conferences
has increased understanding of CoP model and how working
in this way differs from “typical” ways of “doing business”

Each partner is valuable and a key to our success as a
community.

Regular meetings and communication are essential to
developing our Community of Practice.
7
NH’s Transition CoP Enters Year #2
On Our Radar Screen:





Focus on the development of Youth Leadership and
Advocacy
Get the word out and build understanding within
agencies, organizations, LEAs, community
resources
Establish practice groups to address work to be
done
Establish NH community network: in-state
conference calls, list serves
Secure meaningful partnerships with Juvenile
Justice and Child Protection Agencies
8
How is the Community
of Practice Working
within Alabama?
We are in this together
9
One Example: The Prison Transition Initiative
Local Informs State
STATE
TO
LOCAL
LOCAL
TO
LOCAL
LOCAL
TO
STATE
 Who Isn’t There?
 State Decisions Influenced (those who can
make change)
 Significant Impact
10
How is the Community
of Practice Working
within Arizona?
We are in this together
11
Arizona
Arizona History of “community”;







Agreements (IGAs and MOUs) between RSA and ADE to
facilitate working with PEAs.
Developed Local Transition Teams.
Participated in a replication grant for Youth Transition Programs
(YTP) with the state of Oregon, University of Oregon.
Combined RSA and ADE Conference for Transition.
Conference is now supported by Secure Education Committee
and ASPAC (Higher Education). This year the Governors Council
on Developmental Disabilities is an official sponsor as are DDD,
PINS, and Department of Health Service Office of Children with
Special Health Needs.
AZ joined, as one of six states, in the Community of Practice
efforts to become a community across multiple states.
Expanded the IGA to include the Division of Developmental
Disabilities.
12
Arizona

The partners that attend meetings every other month
include: AZ Board of Regents, AZ Charter School Association, AZ
Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, AZ Department of
Corrections, AZ Department of Commerce, AZ Department of
Juvenile Corrections, AZ Office for Americans with Disabilities, AZ
State Board for Charter Schools, AZ State Schools for the Deaf and
Blind, AZ State University, Aspergers Parent Network, Bureau of
Indian Affairs, Center for Academic Success, City of Scottsdale,
Department of Health Services, Department of Economic Security,
Department of Education Employers, Governor’s Council on
Developmental Disabilities, Melmed Center, Mesa Community
College, Parent Information Network, Pilot Parents of Southern AZ,
College, Pima Community College, Raising Special Kids, Social
Security Administration, Youth and Young Adults

And we continue to ask, “Who needs to be here.”
13
Arizona
How it works in Arizona…






Meetings for the state level Arizona Transition
Leadership Team are conducted every other month at
various partners locations.
Each meeting begins with a welcome to our new
members.
We take time for announcements on new and exciting
activities and accomplishment from the attendees.
Tasks at hand are accomplished to continue, develop
and expand our process for our “Community of Practice”
Strategic planning, facilitated by Mountain Plains
Regional Resource Center, takes place.
Committee work on the identified areas continues and
documented for dissemination to the entire community.
14
Arizona
We continue work in four areas:
 Initiating Systems Change,

Developing Marketing Strategies,

Developing a System for Continuous Change (Data
Keeping) and

Promoting Evidence-based Practices.

www.ade.az.gov\ess\transitionservices\transitioninaz\atlt15
Arizona

During the Summit in Washington D.C., we
identified state priorities which will be provided to our
“community” on Friday, July 22, 2005 for further
development and application to committee work.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Identify, promote and the provision of ongoing support for
evidence-based practices,
Initiate systems change through increased youth involvement in
local teams,
Disseminate information- building public awareness,
Create a system for continuous change and
Address the issue of sustainability of our community over time
as we begin to lose some of our original partner
representatives.
We were able to “pick the brains” of “experts” which
deepened our understanding and aided the
development of these proposed priorities.
16
Arizona

Examples of success for our community of practice work
 Expanded Youth numbers, direct involvement and have
provided a conference strand in our conference this
September specifically for the Youth. The Youth said
these are the topics they wanted to hear about.
 Recent RFP to serve Youth in the Foster Care system.
 Recent request from and individual to be a part of our
community from our BIA community in Arizona.
 Juvenile Justice/Merging Two Worlds Curriculum is
online now. Working on reintegration plans.
 Southwest Institute for Youth and Families, put on a
summit related to Health Care needs.
17
Arizona
 Youth
direct participation has been a key
feature to the Arizona efforts from the
beginning.
 Chris McLaughlin will share his role as
part of our Arizona Transition Leadership
Team (ATLT)
18
Arizona
Giving Voice to the Future
2005 Transition Conference in Arizona
September 20-22, 2005
www.ade.state.az.us
19
How is the Community
of Practice Working
within California?
We are in this together
20
California
 California
Transition Summit June
23, 2005.
 Assistance
and participation from
the IDEA Partnership, NASDSE, and
the Interagency Transition
Community of Practice.
21
California
 325
participants
 Youth panel
 State example: PA
 Topical groups: Employment, Community
Living, Postsecondary options, Cross-state
learning
 Planning next steps
22
Participants Feedback in California
What interest you in the community of practice
approach?
 Top




responses:
Turning idea into action (100)
Helping systems to become permanently
more collaborative with practitioners and
consumers (87)
Helping systems to become permanently
more collaborative with each other (83)
Building a communication system that will
grow and sustain (83)
23
Participants Feedback in California
In what kind of activities would you like to participate?
 Top
responses:
• Using a transition community website (82)
• Attending a cross-agency/consumer
training on transition issues (79)
• Attending regional cross-agency/consumer
conference (74)
• Joining a transition community list serve
(70)
24
How is the Community of
Practice Working within
Pennsylvania?
We are in this together
25
Moving from the Old Way of Doing
Business: Separate Pages in Separate
Books to being on the Same Page

Professional Development
 Policy & Regulation
Development
 Strategic Planning
 Service Delivery Systems
 Program Initiatives &
Allocation of Resources
 Data Collection
26
The Shift:
From Isolated, Single Agency
Activities to Cross-Systems Efforts
Professional Development
Program Initiatives
Data Collection
Policy & Regulation Development
Strategic Planning
Service Delivery System
27
A Shared Vision:
Foundation for our Future
All PA youth and young adults with disabilities will:
successfully transition to the role of productive,
participating adult citizens
be empowered to recognize their talents, strengths
and voice
have equal access to resources that will promote
full participation in the communities of their choice.
28
How does the Community
of Practice Work within
Virginia?
We are in this together
29
Virginia



Expand Virginia Intercommunity
Transition Council to have all
participating member agencies develop
MOU through CoP.
Strengthen working relationships with
DJJ, DRS & DOE through CoP.
Continue Professional Development by
providing joint agency trainings
30
Virginia: Future Goals

Joint Professional Development
 Aligning the IEP with the IPE

21st Annual VA Transition Forum


March 20-22, 2005
Increase youth Involvement at all levels:
local, state and federal.
31
Virginia: Future Goals
 Work
through the National Governors
Academy to increase graduation rates and
entrance to and retention in higher
education.
 Improve use of technology
 Increase awareness of need for
documentation within higher education
32
Bringing Together Federal,
State, and Local Partners,
through our Collaborative
Work
We are in this together
33
Together we can…



Improve Youth Outcomes
Work smarter
Make efficient use of limited resources and
staff resources
 Decrease duplication of efforts, through
collaboration
 Expand knowledge across agencies
Share the vision of youth with
disabilities as productive, selfsufficient citizens living in their
community.
34
“Coming together is a
beginning, staying
together is progress,
and working together
is success.”
Henry Ford
35
36
The IDEA Partnership
More information on the
Interagency Transition
Community and other
Cross-State/Cross Role
Communities is now
available at:
www.ideainfo.org
…or call us toll free at :
1-877- IDEAINFo
37