Working Across States and Stakeholders to Build Interagency Bridges for Youth: The IDEA Partnership’s Interagency Community of Practice  Marty Kester, IDEA Partnership at NASDSE  Dick McCorkle, IDEA Partnership at NASDSE  Alabama State Team: Dalee Chambers, Department of Education Dalee Chambers, Department of Education Linda Hames, Department of Rehabilitation Linda Hames, Department of Rehabilitation Linda Graham, Children’s Rehabilitation Services Linda Graham, Children’s Rehabilitation Services Brian Burrows, Local Transition Partnership Brian Burrows, Local Transition Partnership  Arizona State Team: Susan Voirol, Vocational Rehabilitation Susan Voirol, Vocational Rehabilitation  New Hampshire State Team: Anne Huff, Parent Anne Huff, Parent Emily Huff, Youth Advocate Emily Huff, Youth Advocate  Pennsylvania State Team: Michael Stoehr, Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network Michael Stoehr, Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network

Transition Communities of Practice Rationale

Today’s Climate  Crisis of youth: Drop out rates Drop out rates Incarceration Incarceration Poor academic skills Poor academic skills Lack of education and employment. Lack of education and employment. There is a spirit of collaboration in the legislation that ensures equal access to employment and communities. There is a spirit of collaboration in the legislation that ensures equal access to employment and communities.  Interagency transition teams suggested as appropriate vehicle for planning and implementing transition services for students with disabilities. Johnson, L., Zorn, D., Yung Tam, B., LaMontagne, M., Johnson, S., 2003; DeFur, S., 1997; Repetto, J. & Weiss, K., 1997

Transition “Communities of Practice” “Transition teams can be a strong force within the community. Their primary purpose is to assess how a community’s transition services system works and to develop policies and procedures to make this system work better. They can identify the best way to meet the needs of youth with disabilities leaving the local schools within their community. They can promote actions through school boards and other governmental entities in areas such as policy and funding.” deFur, 2002, p. 17

The Spirit of Community: We Are In This Together! A way of working Involving those who do shared work Involving those who do shared work Involving those that share issues Involving those that share issues Always asking “who isn’t here?” Always asking “who isn’t here?” A way of learning To create new knowledge grounded in ‘doing the work’ To create new knowledge grounded in ‘doing the work’ With those who can advocate for and make change With those who can advocate for and make change

The Knowing and Doing Gap ‘Knowing’ isn’t ‘doing’! ‘Knowing’ isn’t ‘doing’! Practices often do not transfer across organizations. Practices often do not transfer across organizations. Practices often do not transfer across sites within the same organization. Practices often do not transfer across sites within the same organization.

Communities of Practice Sharing Sharing Supporting Supporting Learning Learning Often organized as same level, role, site and/or issue Often organized as same level, role, site and/or issue Creating new knowledge across organizational boundaries Creating new knowledge across organizational boundaries

Communities of Practice Learning how to move from ‘knowing’ to ‘doing’ Translating learning to policy Encouraging investments that will move the work Recognizing the value of all contributions to a more complete & effective approach Creating new relationships among policymakers, researchers, & implementers

Communities in States  Alabama  Arizona  California  New Hampshire  Pennsylvania  Virginia

Communities in States Alabama

Alabama  ADRS Jointly Funded Job Coaches  Local Transition Partnerships Grant  Auburn Transition Leadership Institute  Student Tracking Survey  Alabama Transition Conference

Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services Jointly Funded Job Coaches

Alabama Local Transition Partnerships Grant Project Objectives: To establish a Local Partnership Model. To establish a Local Partnership Model. To establish Capacity Building Strategies. To establish Capacity Building Strategies. To extend the Local Partnership Model to other Local Education Agencies. To extend the Local Partnership Model to other Local Education Agencies. To evaluate Systems Change at the Local Level. To evaluate Systems Change at the Local Level.

Alabama Auburn Transition Leadership Institute Institute Priorities: Preparing highly qualified teachers; Preparing highly qualified teachers; Evaluating and researching programs and services; Evaluating and researching programs and services; Continuing education for practitioners; and Continuing education for practitioners; and Initiating and developing innovative new programs. Initiating and developing innovative new programs.

Alabama Local Transition Partnerships Grant In-School Version: administered to students who are in the 11th grade. administered to students who are in the 11th grade. Post-School Version: administered to students 1 year after exiting high school. administered to students 1 year after exiting high school.

Alabama Annual Transition Conference Conference Objectives (a) Increase the participant's knowledge of transition problems, issues, resources, and programs, especially as they pertain to Alabama; and (b) Expand and strengthen the network for all persons interested in Alabama's youth and young adults with disabilities who are in transition from school to work and community.

Communities in States Arizona

Arizona Interagency Agreement: Division of Development (DDD), Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), Exceptional Student Services (ESS) and Department of Education Interagency Agreement: Division of Development (DDD), Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), Exceptional Student Services (ESS) and Department of Education Cooperation and Collaboration Cooperation and Collaboration Joint Programming Joint Programming

Arizona Transition/School to Work Agreement between VR and School Districts: Transition/School to Work Agreement between VR and School Districts: VR counselor working in the High School VR counselor working in the High School Building rapport and networking Building rapport and networking

Arizona Successful Programs with a Joint Effort: Successful Programs with a Joint Effort: Work Bridge: A high school class where students gain knowledge, skills, training and employment Work Bridge: A high school class where students gain knowledge, skills, training and employment Youth Employment Training Program (YETP): A summer program for students to gain work skills and work experience Youth Employment Training Program (YETP): A summer program for students to gain work skills and work experience Youth Transition Program (YTP): A class in high schools where youth learn life skills, work skills and all needed transition services Youth Transition Program (YTP): A class in high schools where youth learn life skills, work skills and all needed transition services

Arizona Parent Information Network (PIN) Parent Information Network (PIN) Contractors with Arizona Department of Education (ADE) Contractors with Arizona Department of Education (ADE) Seven parents in AZ run this network; All have special needs children Seven parents in AZ run this network; All have special needs children PIN works with educators, agencies and parents to provide information to help folks advocate for themselves, remaining neutral at all times PIN works with educators, agencies and parents to provide information to help folks advocate for themselves, remaining neutral at all times Website: Website:

Arizona Giving Voice to the Future 2005 Transition Conference in Arizona September 20-22,

Communities in States California

California California Transition Summit June 23, 2005

Communities in States New Hampshire

New Hampshire Guiding Principles  Support and maintain the secondary education and transition initiatives that are occurring throughout the state  Identify effective and evidence-based practices occurring on local, state and national level  Leverage our secondary education and transition initiatives resources  Build local community capacity  Establish cross partnership connections  Interagency partnerships: DOE including Special Ed and VR, and DHHS (Bureau of Children’s Mental Health)

New Hampshire What are the benefits from participating in the Community of Practice (CoP)?  We learn about the national initiative and perspectives from Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE)  Provide unique opportunities for a small state like New Hampshire i.e., National Disability Mentoring Day  We learn expand our “learning loop” to include state to state initiatives and state to other agency initiatives  The monthly CoP conference calls gives us the chance to share our progress with other states, as well as learn from one another so that we might replicate practices and activities that are successful in other states.

New Hampshire What has been happening as a result of our participation in the Community of Practice (CoP)  Mentoring Grant  Technical Assistance Grant  Identified the need to Reach out to Juvenile Justice and Division of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF)  New Hampshire and Pennsylvania Collaboration  The Parent Information Center has designated a representative to NH’s team  Thirty-three transition initiatives are currently underway in NH. Our CoP is promoting the value of collaboration and sharing information by submitting articles for publication in newsletters  Training opportunities are posted on websites

New Hampshire What are the barriers  There is no coordination of transition initiatives in the state. Each agency or bureau has its own plan. No one agency has been given the charge to develop a statewide plan  There is no vehicle to help us tap into the expertise area of each agency. We are working on getting partners “at the table” to ensure we are including all agencies involved with transition services  There is no central clearinghouse for secondary education and transition initiatives around the state. We tend to know the initiatives within our own area of expertise  Each agency does not speak the same language

Communities in States Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Impact on Students and Families History tells us that:  All too often, youth and parents must start over after the youth leave schools. Weak link between youth services and the adult service system. Weak link between youth services and the adult service system. Fragmented service delivery system. Fragmented service delivery system. An overlap in service definitions. An overlap in service definitions. Multiple funding bases. Multiple funding bases. Varying models of service delivery. Varying models of service delivery.

Pennsylvania Impact on Students and Families  Interagency coordinating teams have emerged in literature and practice as nucleus of change in communities attempting to work collaborative to serve children with special needs and their families.  As members of the transition community, it is essential to recognize the urgency to work as a team with mutual interest in and a shared vision of all students to live and work in their community as productive citizens. Lehman, C., Hewitt, Clark, Bullis, M., Rinkin, J., Castellanos, L., 2002; Wischnowski, M. & McCollum, J., 1995; Repetto, J. & Weiss, K., 1997

Pennsylvania Compliance to Commitment  Over time, we transformed into a project-oriented team, by planning cross-system training and youth and young adult-focused activities.  We developed trusting relationships and used the team as a forum to problem-solve around systems issues.  We evolved into a transition community of practice to promote our shared vision for the successful outcomes of youth and young adults with disabilities.  As a state team, we develop cross-system strategies to support the strengthen and expand local transition coordinating councils and teams’ impact on youth and young adult outcomes.

Pennsylvania Guiding Principles: How we Progressed to Make the Changes...  Mutual Respect Building networks and relationships across "systems" and audiences Building networks and relationships across "systems" and audiences Valuing one another's perspectives Valuing one another's perspectives Creating transition strategies and activities based upon the bigger picture Creating transition strategies and activities based upon the bigger picture Building the foundation...collaborate, cooperate, and communicate. Building the foundation...collaborate, cooperate, and communicate.  A SHARED VISION

Pennsylvania Old Way of Doing Business: Separate Pages in Separate Books  Professional Development  Policy & Regulation Development  Strategic Planning  Service Delivery Systems Assessment Assessment Service Planning Service Planning Service Delivery Service Delivery  Program Initiatives & Allocation of Resources  Data Collection

Pennsylvania The Shift: From Isolated, Single Agency Activities to Cross- Systems Efforts

Pennsylvania Professional Development: Integrated Model  Capacity Building Events  Training  Transfer of Learning in Language of Agency  Contextual Framework  Eliminate Duplicative Cost of Development and Provision of Training

Pennsylvania Transition Communities of Practice: Communication Network and Support Structure

Pennsylvania Working Smart: Program Initiatives & Allocation of Resources  Parent Education Network (PEN) - PEN's transition activities - PEN's transition activities - Parent involvement in the transition process - Parent involvement in the transition process Bureau of Special Education Mini-Grants - Linked to Team requirements through the Conference

Pennsylvania Working Smart: Program Initiatives & Allocation of Resources  Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Transition Projects Financial Memorandum of Understanding Funding Mechanism Financial Memorandum of Understanding Funding Mechanism 24 Types of Cross-system Partnerships in 40 Local Program Initiatives24 Types of Cross-system Partnerships in 40 Local Program Initiatives 2 Statewide Projects2 Statewide Projects Capacity Building Capacity Building Needs Assessment Needs Assessment

Pennsylvania Working Smart: Program Initiatives & Allocation of Resources  Office of Mental Retardation Transition Employment Pilot Coalitions Transition Employment Pilot Coalitions  Office of Mental Health Transition Pilot Projects Transition Pilot Projects  Office of Children, Youth & Families Independent Living Grants: Growing Number of Youth to Serve -- Importance of Developing Collaborative Partnerships Independent Living Grants: Growing Number of Youth to Serve -- Importance of Developing Collaborative Partnerships  Dept. of Health Transition Checklist Transition Checklist

Pennsylvania Transition Healthcare Checklist  Health Care and Personal Skills  Arranging to move from Pediatrics to Adult Doctors  Insurance Coverage  Eligible Programs

Pennsylvania Keeping up with Growth  September Started with 7 people including parents and 4 agencies  July Grew to 27 people with 7 families and 11 agencies-Panel of 9 people representing parents and all major systems  October teams of 9 people were convened for 9 presentations across PA  February Interest has grown in PA systems and nationally

Pennsylvania Expanding our Capacity through the IDEA Partnership State to Federal…Federal to State State to State  Professional Development  Opportunity to Impact Federal Policy  Expanding Youth and Family Leadership  Issue Focused Practice Groups

Pennsylvania Action Strategies for the Future  Expand State to Local and Local to State Communication Network and Support Structure  Agency Driven Cross-Systems Initiatives  4th Annual PA Transition Conference: Strengthening Transition: Achieving Results

Pennsylvania Action Strategies for the Future  Creating Linkages and Focus Among PA’s various Family Support Groups  Further develop Youth Leadership and Self Advocacy  5 Year Strategic Planning for State and Local Teams

Communities in States Virginia

Virginia Virginia State Transition Meeting March 14-16, 2005 Williamsburg, VA

Communities in States  Welcome !  Delaware  And  District of Columbia

The National Community of Practice  States  OSERS OSEP OSEP RSA RSA NIDRR NIDRR  National Organizations AAPD AAPD Fiesta Educativa Fiesta Educativa Others… Others…  National TA Centers  Others

Community Activities  Focus: Interagency and Youth Role Face-face meetings Face-face meetings Representative Participation in State meetings Representative Participation in State meetings Monthly Calls Monthly Calls Learning Calls Learning Calls Practice Groups Practice Groups Interagency ParticipationInteragency Participation Youth RoleYouth Role Juvenile Justice, Mental Health and Child WelfareJuvenile Justice, Mental Health and Child Welfare TransportationTransportation  Activities National Disability Mentoring DayNational Disability Mentoring Day Washington InternshipsWashington Internships Collaborate with NCSET on the National SummitCollaborate with NCSET on the National Summit Collaborate with federal projects and other cross-state communitiesCollaborate with federal projects and other cross-state communities Emerging…..Emerging…..

“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.” Henry Ford Henry Ford

The IDEA Partnership’s Interagency Community of Practice Questions & Answers

 More information on the Interagency Transition Community and other Cross-state/Cross Role Communities will be available soon at: Watch for our web launch …or call us toll free at : IDEAINFo