Transcript Post-Secondary Transition

Planning for and Enabling Success in
22% of Americans with disabilities fail to complete high school
(2000)
 Only 32% of people with disabilities are likely to be employed
(2003)
 Transition Plan studies have shown that they do not align with
IDEA 1997 and 2004
 Youths with disabilities are less likely to participate in extracurricular activities, enrichment programs, community-based
programs
 75% of people with disabilities who are not working say that they
would prefer to be working
 Youths with disabilities drop out at twice the rate as compared to
those who do not.
 Studies have shown that students with disabilities “have minimal
involvement” with their IEP development, and thus are not selfadvocating and not involved in post-secondary planning
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1/3 of those needing job training, receive it
¼ of those needing life skills training, tutoring,
personal counseling, receive it
 Those with emotional disturbance see less contact
with post-secondary placements (agencies, job
placement programs, employers, social service,
mental health agencies). 3-5 years after graduation,
more than ½ of these youths are arrested at least
once
 Teachers “often” view transition planning as more
paperwork
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Students benefit from taking part in IEP and
transition planning (positive relationship)
 Post-Secondary environments – Benefit from
students who are aware of their own strengths nad
weaknesses
 Community Agencies – Better collaboration and selfevaluation/ better connection of needed skills with
available future employees
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Transition planning began in the 50s, but mostly
focused on vocational/ occupational prep (career
education). This was strengthened in the 60s.
Between 1983 and 1989, al 50 states developed
school-to-work planning processes.
 1980s – Moved beyond questions of employment to
other domains of interest (community living, social
domain, interpersonal domain, , recreation)
 IDEA 2004/ 94-142 – separately and jointly with IEP
planning
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Postsecondary education  Personal management
 Communication
 Vocational evaluation
 Relationship/ social skills
 Transportation/ mobility
 Self-determination/ self Advocacy/ legal
advocacy
 Daily living
 Career-vocational training  Financial/ income/ money
 Employment
management
 Community participation
 Health
 Independent living
(Patton & Black, 1996)
 Leisure/ recreation
 Lifelong learning
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Changes from 1997
 Shift from 14 back to 16
 Accountability for outcomes: Transition is an “outcomeoriented process, that is focused on improving the academic
and functional achievement of the child to facilitate the child’s
movement from school to post-school activities . . .”
 Consideration of special factors (behavior that impedes
learning, LEP, Braille needs, communication needs, assistive
technology)
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NCLB’s influence
Involve students in planning
 Enable active family involvement
 Create opportunities to participate in inclusive environments
 Opportunities for work experience while in high school
 “Meaningful” vocational courses
 Student achievement in academic skill areas
 Direct instruction in pragmatic skills
 Access to assistive technology (services)
 Administrative support (transition specialist)
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UDL (Maximum usability by a diverse population)
 Flexible curriculum (flexible planning timetables)
 Access General Ed Curriculum (integrated transitional functional
and academic skills)
Age 25 Projection (envisioning the future, planning
for the future)
 Assessment-driven Planning
 Summary of Performance
 Self-Determination/ Person-Centered Planning
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Characteristics of transition assessments
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Student strengths and preferences
Person-centered
Emphasis on individual capabilities (rather than disabilities)
Assess areas of need in the many domains
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Interviews
Observations (of simulated environments, e.g.)
Anecdotal information from parents/ teachers/ student
Standardized/ Normed assessments (Commercial)
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Achievement/ Aptitude
Adaptive Behavior
Interests
Learning Styles
Life Skills
Self-Determination, Social Skills
Transition Planning Needs
 Informal assessments
 Can move from the very general to the very specific (especially
as aligned with age-based phases of transition planning)
Vocational interests/ preferences
Aptitudes in skills (mechanical, spatial, numerical,
clerical)
 Worker style preferences (people vs. things)
 Learning preferences/ styles (auditory/ visual/ tactile)
 Worker characteristics (traits, values, employability)
 Abilities in specific technical, industrial, specific jobs
 Functional/ life skills (transportation, financial
management, housing management, social skills),
Community
 Use of ecological method (looking at environment and
analyzing need)
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Job/ Task Analysis in Employment Sites
 Analysis of Secondary Courses/ Programs (regular ed,
vocational and technical ed, work-based experiences,
community-based life skills, youth employment programs,
ROTC)
 Analysis of Postsecondary Courses and Programs
(admissions, financial aid, support services, majors)
 Community Analysis
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Independent Living Options
Community Agencies and Services
Transportation
Social & Recreational Programs
Before Age 14 (Elementary) – Career Exploration/ Orientation
for most
 Ages 14 to 15 – Transition Planning and Goal Setting for
Secondary School, with the following represented in the IEP . . .
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Develop post-school goal statements
Transition PLOP
Identify goals and objectives
Identify Related Services
Coordinate activities (UDL, course of study considerations)
Age 16 and beyond – Transition Services Begin/ Planning for
Post-Secondary , with the following represented in the IEP . . .
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Develop post-school goal statements
Transition PLOP
Identify goals and objectives
Identify Related and Community-Based Services
Coordinate activities (UDL, course of study considerations
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Separate ITP document . . .
 Identify PLOP (strengths, preferences, areas of need, specific
assessment data)
 Identify overall post-school goals
 Identify goals, parties responsible, timeline and specific action
plans for
 Vocational goals
 Community-living goals
 Independent living goals
VS. completely integrated into IEP, where it is a
natural consideration
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Includes
 Background and demographic information
 Student’s post-secondary goals
 PLOP (academic, cognitive, functional areas) and Essential
accomodations
 Recommendations to assist student with post-secondary goals
 Student input (could be independently filled out by student . . .)
Assessment moves from collecting data and info on
student and environments to compiling and
documenting information about the student
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Developmental disabilities
services
 Vocational rehabilitation services
 Community rehabilitation
programs
 Community or public health
programs
 Community mental health
services
 Residential or housing services
 Respite care services
 One stop employment centers
 Post-secondary institutions
 Social work services
 Adult agencies
 Advocacy organizations
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Assistive technology
organizations
 Dropout prevention programs
 Business-education partnerships
 Alcohol and substance abuse
services
 Correctional education or juvenile
services offices
 Employers and employment
specialists
 Recreation and leisure programs
 Adult education programs
 Parent training and information
centers
 Transportation offices
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The use of inter-agency agreements
The involvement of agencies in the IEP process
SOPs
What areas do we, Central Virginia, need to explore
further to better meet the needs of our students
benefiting from transition services and planning?
 What tools, services, and supports are needed to
further improving the development of effective
transition processes in our districts?
 What other areas can we tackle as “action plan
items” to improve transition services here in Central
Virginia?
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