Transition Assessments

Public Schools of North CarolinaFranklin County Schools

Transition AssessmentsIn this session we will:

• Identify IDEA Transition Assessment requirements • Define Transition Assessments • Identify how Transition Assessment data is gathered, documented, and updated • Locate resources for selecting appropriate Transition Assessments

IDEA Requirements• Beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the child turns 16, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP Team, and updated annually thereafter, the IEP must include: Appropriate measurable postsecondary goals based upon ageappropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment and, where appropriate, independent living skills;

[34 CFR 300.320(b) and (c)] [20 U.S.C. 1414 (d)(1)(A)(i)(VIII)]

Transition Assessment Is…“an ongoing and coordinated process that begins in the middle school years and continues until students with disabilities graduate or exit the school system. Transition assessment assists students with disabilities and their families to identify and plan for postsecondary goals and adult roles.”

Sitlington, Neubert, and Clark 2010 definition

Transition Assessment Information• is critical to the Transition Planning process • assists in determining the student’s Postsecondary Goals

and their: – Strengths – Preferences – Interests – Needs • helps identify appropriate instruction, supports, and services

necessary to assist the student in school and post-school life • is divided in two categories: Informal and Formal • is required in North Carolina beginning at age 14, and

updated annually thereafter

Informal Transition Assessment• Informal Transition Assessments are often teacher made and typically lack a formal norming process and reliability information. They include interviews or questionnaires, interest and/or skill inventories, situational assessments, rating scales, direct observations, anecdotal records, curriculum based assessments, preference assessments, transition planning inventories, and other documentation.

Formal Transition Assessments• Formal Transition Assessments are standardized assessments that include their norming process, reliability and validity information, and recommended uses. They include adaptive behavior instruments, independent living assessments, general & specific aptitude tests, interest & career development measures, intelligence & achievement tests, on-the-job and training evaluations, self-determination measures, personality or preference tests.

Transition AssessmentsTransition Assessments are required in three areas: • Education/Training • Employment • Independent Living, where appropriate

Education / TrainingTransition Assessment data should provide information to help answer these questions: • What additional education/training is required for the student to reach the postsecondary goal? • Where is the education/training program offered? • What social interaction and independent living skills are needed in the education/training environment? • What supports will the student need in the education/training program?

EmploymentTransition Assessment data should provide information to help answer these questions: • What job does the student want? • What are the requirements of the identified job? • What are the social interaction requirements and setting associated

with the identified job? • What supports will be needed to meet the identified job

requirements?

Independent LivingTransition Assessment data should provide student specific information in the following areas, as appropriate:• Self-Determination • Residential Living • Financial Literacy • Recreation and Leisure • Relationships • Medical and Health Care • Transportation & Mobility • Community • Accessing appropriate adult services

Gathering Transition Assessment Data

• Initial Transition Assessment may focus on gathering general preferences, interests, strengths, and needs information • As specific Postsecondary Goals are identified, Transition Assessment may focus on gathering more targeted preferences, interests, strengths, and needs information • Best practice is to gather information in the required areas using a combination of informal and formal transition assessments with input from a variety of respondents

Types of Information GatheredTo ensure an effective transition assessment process, the following categories of data should be collected: • Future planning needs and goals • Self-determination and self-advocacy skills • Academic strengths and deficits (including learning styles and behaviors) • Life skills • Vocational interests, aptitudes, and abilities (Miller, Lombard, and Corbey 2007)

Other Categories of Assessment

These assessment areas may provide additional planning information: • Academic Assessment • Self-Determination Assessment • Employment Assessment • Health Care Assessment • Community Assessment

Do most of these correlate with the categories in the previous slide?

Who Can Provide Transition Assessment

Input?• Student • Family Members • School personnel: General, Special Education, and CTE Teachers, School Counselor and others, as appropriate • Related Service Providers • Support Agency Representatives • Employers • Others identified as having knowledge of the student Best practice is to gather data from a variety of instruments and respondents

Documenting Transition Assessment Data

Transition Assessments assist in determining the student’s Postsecondary Goals and their: • Strengths • Preferences • Interests • Needs

This information is then used to identify appropriate instruction, supports, and services necessary to assist the student in school and post-school life.

Documenting Transition Assessment Data

• A Transition Assessment Planning Tool is one way of compiling and identifying implications identified through the use of a variety of transition assessments • There is a sample of a Transition Assessment Planning Template in Tab 3 of the toolkit

How does your LEA or Charter document Transition Assessment data?

Updating Transition Assessment Data

• Requires a review of existing data and a determination of additional transition assessment information needed to make decisions identifying appropriate instruction, supports, and services necessary to assist the student in school and post-school life

How does your LEA or Charter update Transition Assessment data?

Transition Assessment Resources

Suggested Activity:

Take some time to review the resources that are located in Toolkit Tab 3

NC Transition Toolkit AccessLiveBinder Access Link: https://ncdpiecd.inquisiteasp.com/cgibin/qwebcorporate.dll?idx=X82FAJ

Password: 2016nctt

Transition Assessment DataWill help establish:

• The student’s vision for their future (postsecondary goals) • The requirements of the postsecondary location • The transition services needed for a successful post-school transition • The annual goals needed to help get to that postsecondary location • Progress monitoring of the student’s annual goals and long-term goals for adult life

NCDPI Secondary Transition Beverly Colwell

Consultant for Intellectual Disabilities and Secondary Education NC-Department of Public Instruction

Phone: 919-807-3307 E-mail: beverly.colwell@dpi.nc.gov

Marie Massengill Consultant for Policy, Monitoring and Audit Section

NC-Department of Public Instruction Phone: 910-323-9497

E-mail: marie.massengill@dpi.nc.gov