Transition Tool Kit Training Refresher Saint Paul Public Schools

Transition Planning:  Begin with the End in mind and look at the whole child!

Secondary Transition is NOT a service added on at the end of a student’s high school career. Secondary Transition planning is the focus of the IEP/IIIP being addressed during grade 9 and is inclusive of addressing both academic and functional skills. If an 8th grader is due for a re-evaluation, asses transition, but include needs in your regular IEP format. Otherwise, asses transition in grade 9, can be a stand alone eval if needed.

Transition Planning Process:  Age Appropriate Transition Assessments  Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)  Measurable Postsecondary Goal  Transition Services: Course of study  Annual Goals/Objectives  Age of Majority  Summary of Performance

Age Appropriate Assessments Yield:  Provides baseline data for where a child’s strength and skills are current.  Identifies where the student will require transition planning.  Identifies areas where additional information may need to be collected.

Assessments  Must use at least 2 assessment tools  One must be formal (Enderle, TPI, Transition Brigance…)  Any informal

Family/Parent Involvement in the Assessment Process:  Parents can become familiar with community agencies and their respective responsibilities and encourage school staff to work together.  Parents can participate in the development of the student’s transition plan that identifies employment, living, social, recreational, and transportation options at least three to five years prior to the child’s graduation.  Parents can engage with their child at home to promote work and social skills.

Summarizing, Reporting, and Documenting Assessment Data:  The results of secondary transition assessments should be used in making recommendations for instructional strategies, instructional accommodations, and environments to meet the student’s strengths and needs.  The results should also assist students in making connections between their individual academic program and their measurable postsecondary goals.

Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance: (PLAAFP)  Still addressing the 5 areas, but they are broken down into 3.  Requires a comprehensive assessment to make good PLAAFP statements and goals and objectives.  Foundation of the IEP is developed from the students present levels of academic achievement and functional performance.

PLAAFP Should Answer:  Where are the student’s strengths and interests?  What are the student’s unique needs that result from his or her disability?  What transition needs of the student must be addressed to prepare the student for living, learning, and working in the community as an adult?  The PLAAFP must describe how the student’s disability affects his/her involvement in the general ed curriculum.

PLAAFP:  The Present Levels should include a summary of data collected from progress reports from the last IEP as well as from other sources, such as teacher reports, classroom assessments, district-wide assessments, parent information community-based checklists, agency evaluations, etc.

PLAAFP:  Each area of educational need identified in the PLAAFP must be addressed in the required component of the IEP:  Annual goals,  Supplementary aids/services/supports  Special education programs and services, and secondary transition services.

Measurable Post Secondary Goals: Dream Goals

Postsecondary Goals:  Postsecondary goals are those goals that a student hopes to achieve after leaving secondary school.  Those postsecondary goals will drive the rest of the IEP since the purpose of the IEP is to prepare the student for further education, employment, and where appropriate, independent living.

IEP MUST HAVE Measurable Postsecondary Goals WHICH ADDRESSES:  A. Measurable Postsecondary Goals:  Post Secondary Education & Training:  Employment:  Independent Living (where appropriate, and may include recreation and leisure, community participation and home living):

Measurable Postsecondary Goal Areas: Education or Training:  Specific independent living skills training, vocational training program, adult day training program, apprenticeship, on-the- job training, job corps, 4 year college or university, technical college, community college, or military. Employment:  Paid (competitive, integrated, supported); unpaid employment (volunteer, in a training capacity); military; etc Independent Living, (Where appropriate):  Home living, community participation, recreation, transportation, etc. ****NOTE: Avoid using “I will” statements.

How do I write measurable post- secondary goals?  Begin with AFTER high school  Use results-oriented terms such as enrolled in, work, and live independently  Use descriptors such as full time and part time

A. Measurable Postsecondary Goals: (examples) Post Secondary Education and Training: - After graduation from high school, Megan will attend Dakota Technical College as a part time student. Employment: - After graduation from high school,Megan will continue working in jobs that involve animals. Independent Living: - After graduation from high school,Megan will join the YMCA to access recreational services. - After graduation from high school, Megan will live in a group home in the community with support. - After graduation from high school, Megan will access community services using Metro Mobility * Site Tool Kit

Transition Services  IDEA ‘04 requires, transition services (including courses of study) needed to assist the child in reaching their (postsecondary) goals.

Course of Study:  The courses of study that are taken, are those courses that are to be taken and may include regular, career and technical, advance placement, and modified or specially designed instruction, as well as other educational experiences such as work-based learning.

Course of Study:  The courses of study should show a direct relationship between the student’s educational experience in high school and the student’s measurable postsecondary goals and gradation requirements  See page 34 of Tool Kit for an example of how this should be written

Courses of Study  As an IEP team, determine what instruction and educational experiences will assist the student to prepare for the transition from secondary education to post-school life.  Focus on:  Linkage with the present levels of academic achievement and functional performance.  How educational program (courses) can be planned and relate directly to the student’s measurable postsecondary goals.

Activities: “Coordinated”  Designed within a results oriented process  Focus on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child  Facilitate movement from school to post-school activities  Includes instruction, related services, community experiences, development of employment and other post-school objectives and when appropriate functional vocational evaluation

Look at IEP  List activities for transition services in the second column that are needed to assist the student in accomplishing his or her post-secondary goals  An activity can be done in collaboration with other participating agencies, including the student and family, and may not require specialized instruction

Look at IEP (continued)  In the last column, list the participating agency(ies) who will provide transition services as described  As required, if a participating agency, other than a school, fails to provide the transition services described in the IEP, the school must reconvene the IEP team to identify alternative strategies to meet those goals  Please refer to page 37 in Tool Kit

Instruction  These activities can be formal or informal imparting of knowledge or skill, such as: Visit College campuses and meet with student support services Learn about and practice social skills Apply for and take ACT (with accommodations if appropriate) Learn about employability skills and schedule a work experience

Instruction: (continued)  Instruction continued Specific courses (e.g. advanced placement) Career and Technical Education Specific General and/or Special Education courses Other Instruction to learn a particular skill (problem solving, public transportation, budgeting, use of technical device

Community Experiences  After school jobs  Use of public library  Community recreation activities  Practice regarding bus schedule  Preparing for driver’s permit and road test  Money management

Development of Employment/Other Post-School Adult Living Objectives  Participation in work experience program  Assistance with completing employment applications, resumes, etc.  Practice interviewing skills  Travel training

Functional Vocational Assessment:  IEP must indicate if the student will need a functional vocational assessment as a transition service or activity.  Check with your work coordinator for the process. Use if appropriate, NOT REQUIRED. **Very important for the DCD population

Measurable Annual Goals, With Benchmarks or Short-Term Objectives:  Measurable annual academic and functional goals drive the services in the IEP.  For transition age students, the measurable postsecondary goals will drive the annual goals and objectives.  The measurable academic and functional goals should meet all of the student’s needs that result from his or her disability.

“SMART” Goal Setting:  Specific  Measurable  Attainable  Results driven (i.e. student achievement  Timebound

Objectives need to include:  An observable student behavior,  The condition under which the behavior is to occur,  A measurable indicator to determine progress,  Evaluation procedures-the methods and procedures used to measure student’s progress toward meeting annual goal and each short-term objective,  Schedule-how often a review of the student’s progress will occur.  *Please refer to page 38 and 39 in the Tool Kit

Example of a Goal:  Mike will increase his use of social skills and self-determination behaviors from a level of not asking for assistance to a level of using specific techniques for appropriate verbalizing feedback to adults and peers by June 2010.

Example of an Objective:  Given instruction in a 5-step self determination strategy and scenarios for using the steps, Mike will verbalize the steps to be used for each scenario with his instructor with 100% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities as measured by weekly class observation by the first periodic review.

Summary of Performance:  When eligibility terminates due to diploma or age the school must provide a summary of the child’s academic achievement and functional performance.  It must include recommendations on how to assist the child in meeting the child’s postsecondary goals.

Outside Agencies:  Outside agencies or vendors may provide some of the transition services.  School is still responsible for ensuring services are provided as required by the IEP.  If agency or vendor fails to provide the services described in the IEP, the school must reconvene the IEP Team to identify alternative strategies to meet the transition objectives set out in the IEP.  Please refer to the list of agencies attached in Tool Kit

Tool Kit Materials:  Took Kit has many helpful transitional ideas, websites and resources for you to use to help writing your transitional goals and objectives.

Questions???  Contact information: