A Four-Part Transition Assessment Model Jim Martin, Ph.D. University of Oklahoma Zarrow Center 840 Asp Ave., Room 111 Norman, OK Phone: Web:

Transition Big Idea #1 Parents and educators and students need to decide: Where will the student live? Where will the student work? Where will the student receive job training? Where will the student receive education after high school?

Design the high school years to ensure that students have the opportunity and gain the skills needed to achieve post-school education, employment, and living goals. Transition Big Idea #2

To enable students to attain postschool goals, involve students in identifying and making linkages to post-school supports and programs before exiting the school system. Transition Big Idea #3

Seven Transition Steps 1. Involve student in IEP Planning Process 2. Team completes a three (soon to be four)- part transition assessment process. 3. Team Writes Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance 4. Team develops course of study 5. Team develops postschool linkages 6. Students work on attaining IEP and personal goals 7. Families and students build a Student- Directed Summary of Performance

IDEA 2004 on Transition Assessment TAs are needed to develop – a coordinated set of activities –within a results oriented process –based on student needs –taking into account student strengths, preferences, and interests

Post-Secondary Goals IEP must include appropriate measurable postsecondary goals – based upon age-appropriate transition assessment –related to training, education, employment, and when appropriate, independent living

Coordinated Activities Coordinated activities includes – instruction –related services –community experiences –the development of employment and other postschool objectives –when appropriate functional vocational evaluation What does functional voc evaluation mean?

CEC’s Division on Career Development and Transition Transition assessment is the ongoing process of collecting data on individual’s needs, preferences, and interests as they relate to the demands of current and future working, educational, and living environments. Assessment data serves as the common thread in the transition process and forms the basis for defining IEP goals and services –Focus is upon future roles as worker and citizen –Student choice a major theme –TA is an on-going, future focused, person centered process –Students need to direct own transition planning process –Yields match between strengths, needs, preferences and demands and culture of current and future environments Sitlington, P. L., Neubert, D. A. & Leconte, P. J. (1997). Transition assessment: The position of DCDT. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 20,

Goals of Transition Assessment Help students make informed choices Help students take charge of the process –Most special educators are not using transition assessment methods that facilitate student involvement or student self-determination (Thoma, et al. 2002) Help students understand skills needed for postschool environments Test, D. S., Aspel, N. P., & Everson, J. M. (2006). Transition methods for youth with disabilities. New Jersey: Pearson Merrill, Prentice Hall.

Student Transition Questions What are my interests, aptitudes, and capabilities in school, work, and community living? Where do I want to live, work, or go to school after leaving high school? What courses do I want to take in high school to graduate and prepare for my future? What are my strengths and what do I need to improve? What do I need to learn to do what I want? What do I do after I leave school? Greene, G., & Kochhar-Bryant, C. A. (2003). Pathways to successful transition for youth with disabilities. New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Career Development Career Awareness –Believes self as worker –Elementary Career Exploration –Explore interests in relation to jobs –Middle and beginning of high school Career Preparation –Skill acquisition that matches interest and skills –High school and/or after high school Career Assimilation –Postschool movement into job

IDEA Requires the Summary of Performance When terminated from services School will provide child a summary of academic achievement and functional performance –which shall include recommendation on how to assist the child in meeting postsecondary goals

New Concept Rather than just give SOP when student’s leave: –Use SOP to frame transition plan and place for transition assessment information –Incorporates all transition assessment Academic, vocational, social, living –Teach students to develop and present own SOP Provides framework for exit meeting Information flows into planning document and process

SOP Teacher-Directed SOP –Designed for educators and agency –Prepared by educators for use by students Nationally created SOP Student-Directed SOP –Designed for students, family, and agency –Prepared by students for use by students and family –Will soon be at

Three (soon to be four)-Part Transition Assessment Model

Four Part Transition Process 1. Self-Determination Assessment 2. Adaptive Behavior Assessments 3. Vocational Interest and Skills 4. Transition Assessment Based on PostSchool Success Predictors

Self-Determination Assessment Part 1 of the 4-Part Transition Assessment Process

AIR Self-Determination Assessment Parent Version Teacher Version Student Version Available at – Cost: free

ARC Self-Determination Assessment University of Kansas, Beach Center Click on downloads, then select books, manuals, reports - full pubs Cost: free

ChoiceMaker SD Assessment Curriculum Referenced Assessment –Choosing Goals –Participating in IEP Meetings –Taking Action on Goals Sopris West (search by author: Martin) – Cost: $12.95 for 25 copies

Adaptive Behavior Skills Assessment Part 2 of the 4-Part Transition Assessment Process

Adaptive Behavior Assessments Transition Planning Inventory (TPI) –ProEd, Austin Texas ( Casey Life Skills – Enderle-Severson Transition Rating Scales –

Transition Planning Inventory Home version Teacher version Student version CD version speaks to students or parents and automatically scores

Informal Assessments for Transition Planning Reproducible Employment Daily Living Health Self-Determination Leisure Activities Community Participation Communication Interpersonal Relationships

Casey Life Skills - Why Look Anywhere Else? Web based and FREE!!! Spanish or English, with numerous supplemental assessments Youth and caregiver formats Automatically scored and sent to you Can obtain class summaries Provides different levels of questions for students across functioning levels

Vocational Interest Assessment Part 3 of the 4-Part Transition Assessment Process

Vocational Interests for High Achieving Students With Mild Disabilities Group Interest Inventories –ACT Discover –ACT Explorer U.S. Dept of Labor O*NET – –Interest profiler, ability profiler

Individualized Interest Inventories Paper Individual Interest Inventories –Strong Interest Inventory –Self-Directed Search On-Line Individual Interest Inventories – – – – – (download in pdf format)

Exploration of Interest Results Occupational Outlook Handbook – – Job videos (English or Spanish) –Individuals & Job clusters – – Uses the above videos in an interactive format

YES! (Your Employment Selections) Reading free, video based job preference program Videos for 120 jobs –Accessed by characteristics or job choices –Matched to training and qualifications Can access from CD ($395) or web ($20 per person for 3 months)

What If Some Can’t Read?

Reading Free Interest Inventory Published by Pro Ed

COPS-PIC Non-Verbal Assessment of Occupational Interest EDITS / P.O. Box 7234 / San Diego, CA / / Fax copies for $50.90

WRIOT2: Wide Range Interest and Occupation Test 2 Available: Cost: appx $200 for entire package

Designed for Those Students Who Can’t Use the Other Vocational Interest Tools Functional Vocational Assessment

Vocational Interests via Career Exploration Choosing Employment Goals Sopris West Publishers ( Requires reading and writing skills

Key: Determine Match Between What I Like and What’s At This Site

Each time student chooses a characteristic one more cell on the graph is marked

Job Duties - How I Did Job duties identified and written onto form Student evaluates speed, independent performance, and accuracy Supervisor evaluates speed, independent performance, and accuracy Match made between student and supervisor

Uses self-evaluation methodology to teach job performance skills and to assess job duty skills

Job Clusters Career Awareness through use of different job clusters Explore chosen job titles in more depth

Dream Job Explore a few jobs using directed prompts provided by the lessons Conduct dream job interview –Scripted form to prepare for and guide the interview

Vocational ChoiceMaking Students With Mental Retardation and Other Severe Disabilities

Discrepancy Problems Discrepancy problems occur when –Chosen job, task, and characteristics do not match specific jobs Discrepancy problems diminish when job site characteristics match preferences Logical choice making occurs when chosen preferences match available jobs.

Basic Procedures Prior to visiting a job site, individual will select preferred tasks and characteristics Visit job site and spend time watching and/or doing tasks After visit, will compare initial preferences to those at the site Process repeated across numerous sites

Characteristics I Like

All Choices Get Graphed

Shadowing Form Means to structure the shadowing process. Enables person to leave a record of their opinions.

Char I Like vs Here Compares initial preferences to those experienced at a particular job site.

Characteristics Graph

Resource Self-Directed Employment –Paul Brookes Publishing –Baltimore –

Choose and Take Action ChoiceMaking Software Use of a software program and community experiences to teach basic self-determination

Publisher Choose and Take Action: Finding a Job for You Sopris West 4093 Specialty Place Longmont, CO

Transition Success Assessment Part 4 of the 4-Part Transition Assessment Process

Missing Link In Transition Assessment The field needs a transition assessment tool based on actual postschool success predictors No tool like that exists that we could find The field needs a tool to assess students’ current behavior and attitudes relative to identified transition success predictors –Self-Determination, Adaptive Behavior, and Vocational Interest assessments do not do this.

Postschool Success Predictors Reviewed the literature to identify personal and program traits that predicted postschool success. Used Purpose of Special Education to Define Success –... a free appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet students’ unique needs and to prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living.

Identified Predictor Clusters Disability awareness Choicemaking, goal setting, and goal attainment Social skills Positive personal characteristics Employment during high school years Transition education Family involvement Supportive system Academic success as a predictor for postschool success??? –Not currently in the Transition Success Assessment

Student-Directed Transition Planning Just released transition instructional program. Check at

Soon available at ou.edu/zarrow

Collaborative Effort