1. AEM in Transition-Focused Education Planning
Cynthia Curry
Director
National AEM Center

2. Changes Ahead
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3. For whom are you here today?
Someone you know is going to take a big leap.
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4. What is your role in transition-focused planning?
Educator, service provider, family, etc. of learners at which level:
Pre-K
Elementary school
Middle school
High school
Postsecondary
In the chat:
Your role(s)
Which level(s)
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5. Working Backward in the Transition Process
1st year in HE
Summary of Performance (SOP)
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
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6. Topics
Differences between special education in K-12 and disability services in postsecondary settings.
Examples of how learners use AEM and accessible technologies to meet higher ed requirements.
Strategies for preparing students to be independent users of AEM and accessible technologies before completing high school.
Notes:
SWD = Students with Disabilities
HE = Higher Education
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7. Current Landscape for SWDs and HE
Where HE happens
Concerning and promising statistics
The power of transition planning
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8. Higher Ed (HE) Destinations
2-year community college
4-year college or university
Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs (career tech/technical college systems)
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9. Concerning Statistics: Secondary Education Outcomes
HS graduation rate for all students: 83%
HS graduation rate for SWDs: 65%
U.S. DOE, 2016
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10. Concerning Statistics: Postsecondary Outcomes
SWDs enroll in college at half the rate of their peers without disabilities and graduate at a lower rate
-Cited in Lyman et al., 2016
Of persons with disabilities aged 25+
24.9% have an associate’s degree vs. 45% of persons without disabilities
16.7% have a bachelor’s degree vs. 34.9% of persons without disabilities
Ryan & Bauman, 2016
14% have bachelor’s degree or higher vs. 33% of people without disabilities
Erickson et al., 2016
Lyman, M., Beecher, M.E., Griner, D., Brooks, M., Call, J., & Jackson, A. (2016). What keeps students with disabilities from using accommodations in postsecondary education? A qualitative review. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 29(2),
NCES
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11. Promising Statistics
Rate of SWDs in postsecondary education has almost doubled since 1995
6% in
11.1% in
(44% enroll in 2-yr or community colleges, 32% in CTE schools, 19% in 4-yr institutions)
-Cited in Newman et al., 2016
Newman et al. 2011
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12. The Promise of Transition Planning
Research has shown that SWDs who receive transition planning services in HS and attend HE are more likely to:
Self-disclose their disability earlier
Have higher GPAs
Earn credits by their sophomore year
Receive disability-specific supports
Access supports available to all students
-Cited in Newman et al., 2016
NLightner, K.L., Kripps-Vaughan, D., Schulte, T., & Trice, A.D. (2012). Reasons university students with a learning disability wait to seek disability services. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 25,
Newman, L., & Madaus, J. (2015). An analysis of factors related to receipt of accommodations and services by postsecondary students with disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 36,
Newman, L.A., Madaus, J.W., & Javitz, H.S. (2016). Effect of transition planning on postsecondary support receipt by students with disabilities. Exceptional Children, 82(4),
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13. From Your Point of View Students are being: effectively prepared
somewhat prepared
not prepared at all
for postsecondary learning.
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14. Factors Contributing to the Challenges of the First Year
K-12 – Postsecondary Legislation Differences
Shift in Responsibility
Navigating Accommodations
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15. Legislation Differences
K-12 Laws
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of (Section 504)
Postsecondary Laws
Americans with Disabilities Act as amended in 2008 (ADA)
Section 504
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16. K-12: IDEA
The nation’s K-12 special education law for children from infancy to HS graduation or age 21.
Requires schools to:
Serve the educational needs of eligible SWDs.
Find and evaluate students suspected of having disabilities-at no cost to families.
Guarantee a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment (LRE). 
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17. Postsecondary: ADA
Requires HE institutions to provide SWDs with accommodations that are necessary to afford the SWD an equal opportunity to participate in the institution’s programs.
Title II – State and local governments
Public universities and community colleges
Title III – Public accommodations
Private colleges and universities
Title II prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public entities, regardless of receipt of Federal funds
If private that is not a religious entity, it’s covered by ADA Title III (DOJ enforces Title III)
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18. IDEA-ADA Distinction IDEA Student progress and success ADA
Equal access
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19. Shift in Responsibility: From the Team to the Student
K-12
Adult team is responsible for developing a program that ensures student progress
Postsecondary
Student is responsible for requesting and using accommodations for equal access
Not entitled to the same services and supports received in HS. They are no longer entitled to FAPE under IDEA or 504 if they graduate with a regular diploma
Parental rights may transfer to the student when he or she reaches the “age of majority under State law.” The age of majority is the age that a State sets for a minor to become an adult and assume legal responsibility for him/herself and all decisions that accompany that (financial, med, educational). In most States, this is age 18.
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20. Student Responsibilities
Voluntarily self-disclose a disability to Disability Support Services (DSS)
Request accommodations
Participate in an interactive process to determine reasonable accommodations in the postsecondary setting
Provide documentation
Meet with DSS personnel to discuss the request for accommodations and associated documentation
Only 35% of SWDs who received sp ed services in HS and later attended postsecondary school disclosed their disability (Newman and Madaus 2014)
National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 found that only 40% of postsecondary SWDs who had used sp ed services in HS had informed their colleges of their disability
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21. Barriers to Seeking and Using Accommodations
Lack of self-advocacy skills
Belief that services aren’t needed
Desire for self-sufficiency
Desire to avoid negative social reactions
Insufficient knowledge about services
Fear of future ramifications
Quality and usefulness of DSS and provided accommodations
Negative experiences with faculty
-Lyman et al., 2016
National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 found that only 40% of postsecondary SWDs who had used sp ed services in HS had informed their colleges of their disability and that only 35% of all SWDs received accommodations
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22. The Role of Accessible Materials and Technologies in Transition Planning
Definition of Accessibility
Materials and Technologies
Assistive Technology
Interoperability
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23. Functional Definition of “Accessible”
equally effective, equally integrated, with substantially equivalent ease of use
acquire the same information
engage in the same interactions
enjoy the same services
A person with a disability can
as a person without a disability

24. Accessible Materials & Technologies
Information or content
Designed or enhanced in a way that makes them usable by the widest possible range of learner variability regardless of format
Print, digital, graphical, audio, video
Accessible Technologies
Hardware of software that delivers material
Usable by people with a wide range of abilities and disabilities
Directly usable without assistive technology (AT) or usable with it
accessibletech.org
When considering accessibility, we must look at the interoperability of accessible materials and technologies. Accessible materials are the content or information to be learned, and accessible technologies are the hardware and software that delivers that content or information. To be accessible, materials need to be designed or enhanced in a way that makes them usable by the widest range of learner variability regardless of their format. To be accessible, technologies need to be designed in such a way that make them usable by both people with and without disabilities, because it is directly usable without assistive technology or made usability with it. –acchttp://accessibletech.org/access_articles/index.php

25. Material-Technology in Accessible Harmony
Students read accessible ebooks on accessible tablets with built-in options for access:
Screen reader
Text to speech
Display customization
Bluetooth-enabled
Closed captions
Video description

26. Interoperability: Material - Technology - AT
Georgia Tech Access4Kids
Pressure sensor- can be activated by a light force or a heavy force
Researchers at Georgia Tech are trying to open the world of tablets to children whose limited mobility makes it difficult for them to perform the common pinch and swipe gestures required to control tablets. Ayanna Howard, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and graduate student Hae Won Park have created Access4Kids, a wireless input device that uses a sensor system to translate physical movements into fine-motor gestures to control a tablet.

27. AEM-Related Postsecondary Accommodations
Alternative formats of printed textbooks and inaccessible digital materials
Use of AT
Extended time on exams
Note taking services
Audio recording of lectures
AT: text to speech, speech to text, reading pens, screen readers, use of computer for exams
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28. AEM Tools That Increase Student Independence in HE
Accessible digital versions of textbooks and course materials at commercial sources (Amazon, Audible, VitalSource, the college bookstore)
Membership services: Bookshare and Learning Ally
Text to speech
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) apps
Audio recording apps
Smart pens
Note taking apps
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29. AEM in Transition Planning
Definition
A Successful Model
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30. Timeline of Transition Requirements in IDEA
1975- Education for All Handicapped Children Act
1990- Requires transition planning for SWDs beginning at age 16
1997- Requires transition planning begin at age 14 with a statement regarding course of study and at ≤ 16 a statement regarding needed services, including outside agencies
2004- Requires Summary of Performance (SOP)
The Summary of Performance (SOP) is required under the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of The language as stated in IDEA 2004 regarding the SOP is as follows: For a child whose eligibility under special education terminates due to graduation with a regular diploma, or due to exceeding the age of eligibility, the local education agency “shall provide the child with a summary of the child’s academic achievement and functional performance, which shall include recommendations on how to assist the child in meeting the child’s postsecondary goals” §Sec (e)(3).
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31. IDEA Definition of Transition Planning
A coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability
Results-oriented
Based on individual needs, taking into account strengths, preferences, and interests
Includes instruction, related services, community experiences, employment, etc.
[34 CFR ]
Transition planning is a mandatory aspect of special education service delivery, according to federal special education law (IDEA 20 U.S.C. 1400). Federal law requires that school special education teams engage in transition planning for each student’s transition to adulthood — that is, from high school to college or employment. Federal law states that a team is required to initiate planning for transition to adulthood when developing the IEP that will be valid on a student’s 16th birthday. Some states require districts to participate in transition planning when they develop IEPs that will be in effect when students turn 14. Districts should update students’ transition plans on a yearly basis.
A coordinated set of activities that (A) is designed to be within a results-oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate the child’s movement from school to post-school activities, including postsecondary education, vocational education, integrated employment, continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation; (B) is based on the individual child’s needs, taking into account the child’s strengths, preferences, and interests; and (C) includes instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives, and, when appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation.
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32. Definition of “Transition-Focused Education”
Transition planning is
A fundamental basis of education that guides the development of all educational programs-including strategies that keep them in school
Not an “add-on” activity for SWDs
Based on abilities, options, and self-determination
-Cited in Kohler & Field, 2003
“A shift from disability-focused, deficit-driven programs to an education and service-delivery approach based on abilities, options, and self- determination.”
Transition-focused education is directed toward adult outcomes and consists of academic, career, and extracurricular instruction and activities, delivered through a variety of instructional and transition approaches and services, depending on the local context and students’ learning and support needs. The concept of transition- focused education represents a shift from disability-focused, deficit-driven programs to an education and service-delivery approach based on abilities, options, and self-determination
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33. Implementing Transition-Focused Education
Kohler, P. D., Gothberg, J. E., Fowler, C., and Coyle, J. (2016). Taxonomy for transition programming 2.0: A model for planning, organizing, and evaluating transition education, services, and programs. Western Michigan University. Available at
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34. Five Categories of the Taxonomy
As indicated in the references at the end of this document, the Taxonomy 2.0 brings in the latest literature regarding predictors of post‐ school success, strategies to increase graduation and reduce dropout, school climate, and vocational rehabilitation services focused on fostering successful transition of youth with disabilities in college and careers.
The model continues with five primary practice categories:
Student‐ Focused Planning,
Student Development,
Interagency Collaboration,
Family Engagement, and
Program Structure.
It includes additional practices in the areas of student supports and the instructional context within Student Development, as well as school climate in Program Structure. Within Family Engagement, a focus on cultural relevancy, empowerment, and family preparation are emphasized.
Across categories, collaboration with service agencies, especially vocational rehabilitation, emphasize the importance of such connections prior to and during school and post‐school transitions.
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35. Summary of Performance (SOP) and the Individual Education Program (IEP)
In IDEA
Model Template
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36. SOP in IDEA IDEA 2004 Sec. 300.305(e)(3)
For a child whose eligibility under special education terminates due to graduation with a regular diploma, or due to exceeding the age of eligibility, the local education agency “shall provide the child with a summary of the child’s academic achievement and functional performance, which shall include recommendations on how to assist the child in meeting the child’s postsecondary goals.”
Must be completed during the final year of HS.
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37. Nationally Endorsed SOP Template
Produced in 2005 by the National Transition Documentation Summit, a group of secondary and postsecondary representatives, rehabilitation specialists, consumer advocates, and parents.
The model template has been developed in collaboration with the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT), Division on Learning Disabilities (DLD), and Council on Educational Diagnostic Services (CEDS), Learning Disability Association (LDA), the Higher Education Consortium for Special Education (HECSE), and the Council for Learning Disabilities (CLD).
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38. Sections of the SOP Model Template
Background
Postsecondary Goals
Summary of Performance
Recommendations
Student Input
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39. Sections of the SOP Model Template for AEM
Background
Postsecondary Goals
Summary of Performance
Recommendations
Student Input
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40. Summary of Performance: Academic Area
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41. Summary of Performance: Academic Area: AEM
Use of text to speech tools for reading and writing support
Use of speech recognition
Books provided in specialized formats
Accessible formats of classroom materials
Audio recording of class lectures
Use of digital study skills tools
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42. Recommendations
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43. Recommendations: AEM
Be as specific as possible about AEM and accessible technology-related accommodations
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44. Student Input
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45. OH Packet: SOP Form, Guidance, Sample Cover Letter, Resources
The packet consists of a SoP form, guidance document, sample cover letter and resources page.
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46. AEM in the IEP
AEM in the IEP: Where Do Accessible Materials and Technologies Fit?
AEM Center webinar by Joy Zabala and Diana Carl recorded May 1, 2018
Link in the digital handout
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47. Final Recommendations
Set High Expectations. And Provide AEM for Reaching Them.
Give Students a Record of AEM Use
Explain Documentation to Students
Provide (lots of) Opportunities to Use AEM
Give Students an Active Role in AEM-Related Decisions
Teach Self-Determination Skills
Foster Family Engagement
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48. Set High Expectations. And Provide AEM to Reach Them.
Ensure IEP goals are aligned with challenging academic content standards for the grade in which a student is enrolled.
Research findings:
SWDs who took rigorous HS academic courses were more likely to enroll in college, earned more college credits, had higher college GPAs, and were more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree
SWDs who took more gen ed classes were more likely to be actively involved in their transition planning
-Cited in Newman et al., 2016
Provide students with the AEM and accessible technologies they need to reach those high expectations.
Cited in Newman et al., 2016
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49. Give Students a Record of AEM Use
IEP
Make clear the connection between the need for accessible materials and technologies and annual goals.
SOP
Make the need for accessible materials and technologies explicit in the Summary of Performance, Recommendations, and Student Input.
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50. Explain Documentation to Students
Prepare students to discuss their evaluation results or physical records with DSS personnel:
Neuropsych or psychoeducational evaluation reports
Medical records (MD, PT, OT, OD, etc.)
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51. Provide (lots of) Opportunities to Use AEM
Across
Purposes
Content areas
Environments
Technologies
Materials
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52. Give Students an Active Role in AEM-Related Decisions
Conduct trials of formats and features
Have input on related goals and services
Be empowered to self-evaluate and communicate effectiveness over time
Actively contribute to AEM in transition plans and their SOP
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53. Teach Self-Determination
Independent access and use of accessible materials and technologies
Ability to articulate need
Cited in Kohler & Field, 2003
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54. Foster Family Engagement
Involve, empower, and prepare families (from Taxonomy for Transition Programming 2.0)
Communicate effectively and share information
Develop collaborative partnerships
Connect families with one another (by request)
Show genuine care for and recognition of children
Kohler & Field 2003
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55. Conclusion
Transition to adult roles is a complex process all youths must negotiate and that a myriad of factors work together to influence students’ lives after school completion.
-Kohler & Field, 2003
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56. Contact Information
Cynthia

57. Please take a moment to complete our webinar evaluation.
Thank you!
Please take a moment to complete our webinar evaluation.
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58. The contents of this webinar were developed under a cooperative agreement with the US Department of Education, #H327Z However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government, Project Officer, Tara Courchaine, Ed.D.
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