Transition from Cradle to College and Career Mary N. Watson, Director Exceptional Children Division NC Department of Public Instruction

National Expectations “At this defining moment in our history, preparing our children to compete in the global economy is one of the most urgent challenges we face. We need to stop paying lip service to public education, and start holding communities, administrators, teachers, parents and students accountable. We will prepare the next generation for success in college and the workforce, ensuring that American children lead the world once again in creativity and achievement.” President Barack Obama

To ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living IDEA Regulations §300.1(a) IDEA Purpose

“Transition is not just a program or a project or a set of activities that has a beginning and an end. Rather, it is a vision and a goal for unfolding the fullest potential of each individual and it represents a systematic framework for planning to fulfill that potential.” (Kochhar-Bryant and Bassett, 2002)

Transition Requires Thoughtful Planning at All Levels!

WHY STATES MUST BE PROACTIVE Each School Dropout Costs the Public $209,000 Over a Lifetime $139,100 in reduced tax payments $40,500 in increased public health costs $26,600 from increased criminal activity $3,000 in increased welfare costs Source: NGA website – Dropout Prevention & Recovery b501010a0/?vgnextoid=d5d01140e1e2c110VgnVCM a01010aRCRD– b501010a0/?vgnextoid=d5d01140e1e2c110VgnVCM a01010aRCRD

What Role Must States Assume In the Transition Process? Model Collaboration Promote High Expectations Use Data Effectively Develop Policies That Support Transition Efforts Hold School Systems Accountable

“Our ability to achieve greatness is limited only by our willingness to strive for it over the long haul.” Source: John Graham IV: Center for Association Leadership

Do we know how to talk about transition in a way that gets our work acknowledged and our expertise valued in P-16/P-20 and Cradle to College and Career? This panel brings together those that have a voice in those discussion…those that represent major groups that will be our partners in the new work…and those that are doing the work of integrating all these ideas at the local level.

Elizabeth Partoyan Council of Chief State School Officers CCSSO

Council of Chief State School Officers Strategic Initiatives to Deliver on the Promise to Transform American Public Education: Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Learners

Transforming Education

Common Core State Standards Joint initiative with the National Governors Association Fewer, clearer, higher  college and career readiness English Language Arts and Mathematics Evidence-based and internationally-benchmarked Address both content and skills Grade-by-grade and grade spans Final standards will be released June 2 More than 40 states intend to adopt

Next Generation Learners Shift focus to learners/learning from schools/schooling Critical attributes of a student-centered system: – Planning for personalized learning – Comprehensive systems of student supports – World-class knowledge and skills – Performance-based learning and assessment – Anytime, everywhere opportunities – Authentic student voice Innovation Lab Network will launch in Fall 2010 with 6 labs (KY, ME, NY, OH, WV, WI) Affiliate states

Jay Engeln National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)

Each and Every Student: Can a New Look at Breaking Ranks Help us Succeed?

P-16 and Breaking Ranks At the Intersection of Reform In the Pipeline - Topic Brief

Shared Agendas Cradle to College and Career Ensuring a range of options and programs for all students.

NASSP and the IDEA Partnership Together on Cradle to College and Career ( P-16) Make the connections explicit for those in a variety of roles Bring the perspective of stakeholders into the national discussions Build relationships with researchers to ensure that ‘real world’ issues are a more routine part of the research agenda Disseminate and promote the use of funded research and practice information. Broker connections to free and low-cost training that is trustworthy Involve stakeholders in developing the tools that will help them to lead in their school community Showcase examples of good practice

Christy Chambers Council of Administrators of Special Education CASE

Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) 2010 CASE Winter Institute – CASE collaborated with IDEA Partnership. – State and local teams were supported. – Teams focused on P-16 and Transition. – Follow-up promotes action at the state and local levels.

IDEA Partnership and Transition NSTTAC User’s Guide work Evolution to Transition Collection and including all stakeholders who care about Transition Shift from Transition under IDEA 2004 to broad definition of Transition of all children and youth.

Christine Brown Supervisor of Special Education Lakeview School District, Michigan

Lakeview School District Initial interest in a comprehensive look at RTI Attended the CASE Conference as a sponsored team with the promise to engage on P-16 Onsite, the team struggled with the ideas and the connections At home, the team made the critical connections and became energized

Some Follow-up and Some Insights Began to build capacity with staff on P-16 concept and the relationship to RtI Began to conduct audits of ancillary staff roles Provided opportunity for staff across buildings to communicate Studied our current transition practices from grade level to grade level and building to building Began to look at tools that could warehouse valuable information about students in effort to increase efficiency and communication Began to create programs to enhance student relationships to school

Lets Get Some Interaction… Take 2 minutes at your tables Write your questions for the panel At the same time, our panel will write questions for you. We will take one question from the floor..one from the panel…until our time runs out

Charge to the Teams Bring P-16/ Cradle to College and Career into your team discussions over the next days. ***To talk more about connections between P-16 and transition… this panel will continue in the first breakout.