Occupational and Vocational Assessment Options in Transition Planning Gary M. Clark, Ed.D. Department of Special Education University of Kansas Lawrence, KS

What do we need to know for vocational planning? Student’s personal interests and preferences Family preferences for student Self-determination knowledge and skills Employability skills Vocational skills

Assessing Personal Interests and Preferences Student interests and preferences Family preferences

Examples of Occupational Interest Scales Ashland Interest Assessment Career Assessment Inventory Career Directions Inventory Interest Determination Exploration and Assessment System (IDEAS) Occupational Interest Schedule (OASIS-3) Self Directed Search Your Employment Selection (YES)

Informal Assessment of Occupational Interests and Preferences Interviews Surveys Checklists

Structured Interviews A structured interview is an informal assessment technique, but it has structure to it. An interview protocol is used to stay focused on the area of information desired, but probes or questions asking for clarification or examples are permitted.

Examples of Structured Interview Questions What is your best subject in school? Why do you think that is your best subject? What is your best area of strength outside of school? Why are you good at that? What did you want to be when you were in elementary school? What do you want to be when you are an adult?

Strategies for a Structured Interview Make the purpose of the interview clear and assure the interviewee that opinion questions have no right or wrong answers, but factual questions do. Provide the person a copy of the questions before the interview, if possible, especially if some questions require recall of specific facts or events.

Strategies for a Structured Interview, cont’d. Come prepared with a set of questions on a form or some notes for targeting questions. Be flexible. Follow up on specific questions, getting clarification as needed; return to list of questions. Conduct interviews in person, if possible.

Strategies for a Structured Interview, cont’d. Write down enough information during the interview so you can remember the person’s responses. Complete notes later. Use tape recorder only with permission. Avoid leading the person to answer a certain way or inserting personal biases. Allow sufficient response time to permit person to respond fully.

Surveys Surveys are forms that have written questions, multiple-choice responses, checklists, or ratings designed to get information related to facts, opinions, preferences, interests, or values.

Surveys Advantages: 1. Provides respondent more time to think about answers 2. Provides a written record of the questions and answers 3. May be amended at any time by the respondent 4. Multiple content areas may be assessed

Surveys Disadvantages: 1. Requires reading and writing, a problem for non-readers and limited English- speaking persons 2. Depends upon respondents’ willingness to be honest in responses

Checklists Advantages: 1. Permit assessment of a variety of behaviors 2. Permit quick responses 3. Eliminate students’ need to write

Checklists Disadvantages: 1. Requires reading 2. Many responses are not easily answered with Yes/No or a simple check that the behavior/trait applies most of the time 3. No chance to immediately probe answers 4. Problems in reliability

Assessing Self-Determination Knowledge and Skills

Examples of Self-Determination Scales Arc Self-Determination Scale Responsibility and Independence Scale for Adolescents

Informal Assessment of Self- Determination Knowledge and Skills Observation notes Rating scales Checklists

Strategies for Developing Behavioral Occupational Observation Notes Behaviors observed must be actions, not inferred moods, intent, or emotional states. Behaviors noted should, when possible, refer to frequency, duration, or intensity. Behaviors should be precise descriptions of actions or behavior.

Strategies for Developing Behavioral Occupational Observation Notes When observations are planned, decide when and where the observation(s) will take place, how many observations will be done, and who will act as observer(s). Select a note recording system (e.g., audio or video recording, desk or hand-held computer notes, handwritten notes).

Rating Scales Advantages: 1. May provide assessment ratings for a variety of employability behaviors in a variety of settings 2. May provide a one-time rating or provide a serial rating to show possible change in employability behavior(s) 3. Employability or vocational behaviors may be selected as appropriate for any one individual or for a group of individuals

Rating Scales Advantages, cont’d.: 4. Removes student from a testing, interview, or paper/pencil format 5. Permits linking assessment to natural settings

Rating Scales Disadvantages: 1. Tendency to have validity problems 2. Reliability may be affected by leniency, “halo” effect, cultural bias, rater mood, or recent events. 3. Difficult to develop quality rating scales (item wording and scaling)

Assessing Employability and Vocational Competence

Examples of Standardized Vocational Aptitude Scales Ability Explorer APTICOM Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Career Ability Placement Survey Differential Aptitude Tests Occupational Aptitude Survey (OASIS-3)

Examples of Standardized Employability Scales Short Employment Tests Wonderlic Basic Skills Test Work Adjustment Scale

Examples of Mixed Non-standardized Occupational/Employability Assessments Practical Assessment Exploration System (PAES) Vocational Interest Temperament and Aptitude System (VITAS) Environmental Job Assessment Measure (E-JAM) LCCE Competency Assessment Performance Batteries Workplace Educational Skills Analysis

Examples of Non-standardized Employability Scales BRIGANCE® Employability Skills Inventory Transition-to-Work Inventory Vocational Adaptation Rating Scales

Informal Assessment of Vocational and Employability Skills Situational assessment Observation notes Rating scales Checklists

Employability and Vocational Situational Assessment Advantages: 1. Permits data collection on a variety of behaviors 2. Is highly authentic assessment 3. Permits assessment to occur in the context of learning, working, social or leisure environments

Employability and Vocational Situational Assessment Advantages, cont’d.: 4. Is more motivating for students than tests, surveys, interviews, etc. 5. May be ongoing for a period of time and increases reliability of assessment data

Employability and Vocational Situational Assessment Disadvantages: 1. Difficult to assess some behaviors because of a lack of control over the situational environment 2. Observers/raters/evaluators cannot be in the situation at all times 3. Observers/raters/evaluators in the situation might change the situation by being there

Employability and Vocational Situational Assessment Disadvantages, cont’d.: 4. Is time-consuming for student and assessment personnel 5. Requires coordination with a variety of persons/settings for it to work 6. Requires high degree of planning and monitoring

General Transition Assessment Instruments that Include Vocational/Occupational Assessment Enderle-Severson Transition Rating Scales LCCE Competency Assessment Knowledge Batteries Transition Skills Inventory (TSI) Transition Behavior Scale (2/e) (TBS) Transition Planning Inventory (TPI-UV)