I N D I C AT O R 1 3 , I D E A , & S U C C E S S F U L S T U D E N T S

TRANSITION PLANS

Based on information presented by OCALI - Secondary Transition Planning, June 9 & 10, 2011

M. Elia, 2012

Transition

SOME STARTLING STATISTICS

• 30% of students receiving special education services will leave school without a diploma• 4% of students in special education had ever

been enrolled in a four-year college 3–5 years after high school.• 12 to 30% of graduating LD students go on to

college .• Two years after leaving high school, only about

11% of special education youth were living independently (Levine & Wagner, 2005).

Did you know?• 70% of the 30 fasted growing jobs will require education

beyond high school.• 40% of all new jobs will require at least an associate’s

degree.• Students planning to go to work right after high school do

NOT need a different and less rigorous curriculum than those planning to attend college.

• Our students need more rigorous academic preparation than we thought.

Data Trends

Rigorous Academics & Greater Success in College

Paid Work Experience& Getting and Keeping a Job

A Plan for the Future & Post School Success

• 1997 Revision to IDEA – Transition Plan Added

• Part of the transitional plan can include vocational education courses. In 2001, 60% of special education students, were taking a vocational education course in a semester. Half of which were in occupationally specific courses.

• Participation in vocational education classes has declined 15% from 1995 – 2005 (increased emphasis on academic courses)

• Occupational vs. College Bound Coursework

• Schools foster dependence, the real world requires independence.

IDEA & IEP’S

?

LET’S LOOK AT…

•Future Planning•Age 14 Transition Statement•Age Appropriate Transition Assessment (AATA)•Course of Study

FUTURE PLANNING STATEMENT

• Pointer – points the direction of the IEP• The first step of the process – must create an

accurate picture• Changes over time. • Starts out parent driven (elementary)• Student driven through high school (with parent

input)• Opportunity to have meaningful discussion with

parents and child each year in regards to their future.

FUTURE PLANNING STATEMENT

• If the first step is not meaningful, appropriate, and accurate, the plan will lack purpose and be ineffective.• Must include:• PINS – Preferences, Interests, Needs, Strengths• Parent & Student Input• IEP alignment

• See Future Planning Development Tool

AGE 14 TRANSITION STATEMENT• A Statement of Transition Service’s Needs of the Child that

Focuses on the Child’s Course Of Study.

Age 14 Stateme

nt

Service and

support needs High

school courses

accommodations

Functional skills

Adult employmen

t goals

Current skills

Post school preferences

and interestsInclude all of these things!

Developing the Age 14 Transition Statement

COURSE OF STUDY

• COS should “lean” in the right direction• Links goals to student’s

course of study.• Ohio Core• College Prep,

“Integrated”, or combination of courses?• Functional Curriculum?• Must be REASONABLE to

meet goals.

• Ensure they have what they need to meet postsecondary goals.• Starting with 9th

graders – MUST address Ohio Core and how they will participate!Course of Study Post School Outcome

Advanced / College Prep 4 year college

Regular Academics 2 year college or employment

Applied Academics Employment or Indep . Living

AGE APPROPRIATE TRANSITION ASSESSMENT

• Look at your current data through a different lens!• Interpret what info

you currently have as applied to adult contexts.• Ask, how does this

work toward future goals?

• Include Previously gathered info! (Date it)

• PINS• Age appropriate means

chronological, not developmental age.

• Include Implications for Post School Goals & Implications for Current Program

See handout

TYPES OF ASSESSMENTS

• Informal :• Interviews• Checklists• Questionnaires• Learning Style

Assessments• Observations

• Formal:• Inventories• Adaptive Behavior

Scales• Brigance• ELSA• Achievement Tests• Evaluations• Preference

InventoriesInsert headings in the “bank” of IEP Anywhere with types of assessments and the implications for post school goals and current programs.

Brain Break

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE C’S!

Connected Annual Goal

Corresponding Course of

Study

Coordinated Transition Services

Continuous Comprehensiv

e Transition Plan

• There should be a transtion goal on the IEP, or• Tie an existing IEP goal into one of the post secondary transition goals.• Write a statement in the

present levels linking to the transition goals.• Goals for study skills,

behavior tie in more easily

Annual goal acts as a connector to the transition plan.

LINK TO ANNUAL GOALS

• Post Secondary Education Goal• Post Secondary

Employment Goal• Independent Living Goal

(optional)

• Goals:• Based on AATA• Continue and refines

the AGE 14 statement.• May change each

year as the focus is refined.• Increase in detail.

“…the Act requires a child’s IEP to include measurable postsecondary goals in the areas of training, education, and employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills.  Therefore, the only area in which postsecondary goals are not required in the IEP is in the area of independent living skills….  It is up to the child’s IEP Team to determine whether IEP goals related to the development of independent living skills are appropriate and necessary for the child to receive FAPE.”  [Emphasis added] 71 Fed. Reg. 46668 (Aug. 14, 2006).  

3 GOALS

TRANSITION GOALS

•After high school•Written in the affirmative – “will”

•Specific type of adult outcome

•Reviewed annually, but may or may not change.•Multi year focus, achieved after high school.

•Measureable – can you determine if it occurs or not?

Post Secondary Education Goal

Sample Goals• “Upon completion of high school,

Sarah will…• … enroll in a 4 year degree

program at Walsh University in the field of engineering.”

• …enroll in a training / journeyman program for electricity.”

• …receive on the job training as a cashier.”

• …continue to work with an occupational therapist and job coach in supervised employment.”

Post Secondary Employment Goal

Sample Goals• “After graduation from

high school, where and how does the student plan to…

• “work part time while in college and then transition full time to employment in a field related to his course of study.”

• “work at a sheltered workshop 5 days a week.”

• This goal can be combined with Post Secondary Ed Goal, but some SERC’s do not recommend it.

Independent Living Goal

• Optional• More likely used with students with more severe

disabilities.• If you do not have one, must explain why!• Upon graduation from high school, Joe will…

… live in a semi independent setting, with the assistance of a caregiver.

… live independently in a dorm while attending college.… utilize public transportation to get to and from his job at a

sheltered workshop. … maintain a checking and savings account, using functional

math skills.

I N D I C AT O R 1 3 C H E C K L I S T

I N D I C AT O R 1 3 C H E C K L I S T

Compliant or Complacent??• (Educ.) After graduation Paulo will participate in training to

improve his work skills in his job agt the grocery store. • (Ind. Living) Rosalie should continue to use her facial

expressions as a reliable mode to communicate her preferences as well as practice increasing her communication skills via eye gaze at concrete objects.

• (Employment)After graduation, Jeremy will be employed part time in the community with supports.

• (Employment) The summer after leaving high school, Jodi will obtain a part time position in a community retail.

• (Educ.) After graduation, Paul will get a job at a grocery store, where he enjoyed job shadowing experiences during school.

Compliant or Complacent??

• (Educ.) Upon graduation from high school, Jamie will successfully complete welding courses at Central Piedmont Community College to attain the Entry Level Welding Certificate.• (Ind. Living) Rolanda wants to participate in a

community recreation program after graduation.• (Educ.) The fall after high school, Jodi will enroll in

courses (non degree) at Gaston Community College.• (Employment) After high school, Evan will explore

job opportunities that match his skills.

Compliant or Complacent??• (Ind. Living) Immediately following graduation, Kevin will

participate in 1-2 age appropriate community and individual community based activities per week related to horticulture, socialization with young adults, animals, and music.

• (Ind. Living) Kent uses a communication device to make his needs and wants known.

• (Employment.) After graduation, Theo would like to get a job at a local home improvement store, part time, working in the paint department.

• (Employment) Within 3 months of graduation, Kevin will obtain a supported employment position that allows him to work to his maximum stamina and incorporates the use of assistive technology.

Lunch BreakWoohoooo!

OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT

• “Bridge the Gap” from educational assistance at school to the “real world.”

• MUST be included – in invitation, services, etc.

• Can include:• BVR• Educational Service Centers

(MCESC, TCESC)• MCBDD (MRDD)• Social Security• SST

TRANSITION SERVICES

• Based on individual child’s needs, taking into account PINS

• Can include, but not limited to…• instruction• Related services• Community experience• Functional Vocational Evaluation• Employment Development• Acquisition of daily living skills

• At least one per goal.• A great place to incorporate outside agencies.• The same service can be associated with more than one

goal!Look at Transition Services Packet and add services related to CHS.

COURT CASES

• Yankton School District v. Schramm, 93 F.3d 1369,1374 (8th Cir. 1996), 24 IDELR 704.• Transition plans could provide services such as drivers

ed, independent living skills (cooking and cleaning), and self advocacy.

• Student v. San Francisco Unified Sch. Dist., Case No. SN 476-98, 29 IDELR 153 (1998).• Transition plan should be based on students individual

needs. In this case, student tested far below grade level in all subjects, but transition plan discussed researching colleges.

BIBLIOGRAPHY• ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education, R. n. (2000). New Ideas for Planning Transitions to the

Adult World. Research Connections in Special Education. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

• ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education, R. n. (2000). New Ideas for Planning Transitions to the Adult World. Research Connections in Special Education. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

• Ingels, S. J., Dalton, B., Holder, T. r., Lauff, E., Burns, L. J., & National Center for Education Statistics, (. (2011). The High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09): A First Look at Fall 2009 Ninth-Graders. NCES 2011- 327. National Center for Education Statistics, Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

• Levine, P., & Wagner, M. The transition to adulthood for the special education population. Network on Transitions to Adulthood Policy Brief, July 2004 (24). Retrieved from http://www.transad.pop.upenn.edu/downloads/levine-special%20ed%20formatted.pdf

• Ohio State Dept. of Education, C. n. (1999). Ideas for Transition: Planning for Transition Services during the IEP Process, Ages 14 through 21. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

• Pierangelo, R., & Giuliani, G. A. (2007). Understanding, Developing, and Writing Effective IEPs: A Step-by-Step Guide for Educators. Corwin Press. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

• Stanberry, Kristen. (January 2010). Transition planning for students with IEP’s. Retrieved from http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/health/873-transition-planning-for-students-with-ieps.gs

• US Department of Education. (Revised 2011). Q and A: Questions and Answers on Secondary Transition. Retrieved from http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2Croot%2Cdynamic%2CQaCorner%2C10%2C.