1. 11th Annual NDE Transition Conference
improving post-school outcomes: Paid Employment / Work Experience & implementation of predictors of post-school success
11th Annual NDE Transition Conference
Caroline MaGee
National Post-School Outcomes Center
October 13, 2014

2. Learning Outcomes Participants will:2
Learning Outcomes
Participants will:
Learn the process for assessing the current status of implementation of evidence-based practices in Paid Employment / Work Experience using the Predictor Implementation School/District Self-Assessment;
Increase knowledge of how to map community resources for student work experiences and learn about establishing partnerships for viable job experiences;
Expand understanding of the process for developing S.M.A.R.T. Goals for program improvement and action planning; and
Develop a S.M.A.R.T. Goal for your school/district based on the results of assessing Paid Employment / Work Experience in the Predictor Implementation School/District Self-Assessment

3. National Post-School Outcomes Center (NPSO)
Is a national technical assistance & dissemination center funded by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs. We help State Education Agencies develop practical, yet rigorous data collection systems to describe the further education and competitive employment experiences of youth with disabilities as they transition from high school to adult life.

4. Purpose of IDEA
To ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free and 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)

5. Informs us for how to improve special education services to contribute to achieving the IDEA purpose

6. 6
How do you know the special education services you provide contribute to achieving the IDEA purpose?

7. Indicator 14: Post-School Outcomes
Percent of youth who are no longer in secondary school,
had IEPs in effect at the time they left school, and were:
Enrolled in higher education within one year of leaving high school.
Enrolled in higher education or competitively employed within one year of leaving high school.
Enrolled in higher education or in some other postsecondary education or training program; or competitively employed or in some other employment within one year of leaving high school.

8. So...Why are PS Outcomes Data Important at the Local Level?
To inform program improvement planning by seeing where former students are doing well and where improvement could be made
Data may be analyzed by gender, race/ethnicity, disability category, or exit status
To track how your leavers are doing over time
To explore what in-school experiences influence students’ post-school outcomes

9. Begin with Data-Based Decision Making
School
State
District
Actionable Data
Types of Data
Input
Process
Outcomes
Satisfaction
Information
Types of Decisions to Drive Program Improvement
Address students’ needs (e.g., access to transition programs, and skill development) relative to youths’ post-school success
Prioritize student needs to improve post-school success
Set and assess progress toward goals in targeted action plan
Develop targeted action plan for implementation
Identify/reallocate resources in reaction to youths’ post-school success
Enhance processes to improve outcomes
Evaluate effectiveness of targeted action plan
Assess whether student needs are being met

11. Your Role in District Data-based Decision Making
Assist in:
Analyzing and interpreting the data
Prioritizing needs
Establishing S.M.A.R.T. goals
Selecting specific strategies
Making Decisions & Planning Actions
Monitoring and evaluating results

12. Good Planning

13. What can you do to increase the likelihood of youth being engaged (i.e., obtaining competitive employment or higher education) after high school?

14. EBPs & Predictors to Support Post-School Success
Positive Post-School Outcomes
In-School Predictors of Post-School Success
Evidence-Based Practices
School, District, & State Level
Student Level

15. Predictors of Post-School Success
A predictor is defined as an in-school experience, typically a program (e.g., a work- based learning experience) correlated with improved post-school outcomes.

16. Selecting Specific Strategies: Predictors of Post-School Success

17. Are you Implementing Predictors of Post-School Success?17
Are you Implementing Predictors of Post-School Success?
To what extent are you implementing predictors of post-school success for students in your school or classroom?
How can you determine the level of implementation?

18. Predictor Self-Assessment Paid Employment / Work Experience

19. Predictor Self-Assessment Paid Employment / Work Experience (cont.)

20. Predictor Self-Assessment Paid Employment / Work Experience (cont.)

21. Using the Self-Assessment: Assess your degree of implementation

22. Predictor Self-Assessment
To what extent are you implementing predictors of post-school success for your students in your school or classroom?
How can you help schools determine the level of implementation?

23. Level of Implementation
For each program characteristic, a stakeholder team must consider the evidence, and decide whether it is:
Not currently being implemented
Intermittent implementation (25%-50%)
Emerging implementation (50%-75%)
Currently being implemented (75%-100%)

24. Rating Degree of Implementation
Essential Program Characteristics
Degree of Implementation
Provide opportunities to participate in job shadowing, work-study, apprenticeships, or internships.
**Consider work-study, apprenticeships, and internship environments that are culturally sensitive to students from different cultural backgrounds. 2
Provide instruction in obtaining (e.g., resume development) and maintaining a job. 3
Involve appropriate adult services (e.g., Vocational Rehabilitation or job coach when needed) in the provision of community-based work experiences.

25. Who is responsible for action?
Predictor program characteristics require action at different levels (e.g., state, district, school)
For example, when examining the program characteristics of Paid Employment/Work Experience, the following characteristics clearly require action at a state/district level:
Develop a process for community-based employment options in integrated settings with a majority of co-workers without disabilities.
Develop a process to enable students to earn high school credit for paid employment work experience.

26. Who is responsible for action?
And, when examining the program characteristics of Paid Employment / Work Experiences, the following characteristics clearly require action at a school level:
Provide instruction in soft skills (e.g., problem solving, communicating with authority figures, responding to feedback, promptness) and occupational specific skills (e.g., clerical, machine operation).
Provide instruction in obtaining (e.g., resume development) and maintaining a job.
Provide transportation training, including the use of public transportation and job-site and community safety
Use age-appropriate assessments to ensure jobs are based on students’ strengths, preferences, interest, and needs

27. Rating Degree of Implementation
As you think about the degree of implementation for each of the characteristics for Paid Employment / Work Experience, rate what Paid Employment / Work Experience look like in your district/school.
Use the Predictor Self-Assessment...

28. 4/20/2017
Remember….There is a Relationship between Predictors & Evidence-Based Practices
Predictors
Practices
Macro Level
Systems
Programs
General practices/ skills
Micro Level
Specific interventions, strategies, curriculum

29. Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is . . .
A teaching method (i.e., strategy, curriculum) used to teach a specific skill that has been shown to be effective based on high- quality research
Evidence-Based Practices support implementation of Predictors

30. Let’s look at an example of the alignment
Paid Employment / Work Experience: A Predictor & EBP
Let’s look at an example of the alignment

31. Paid Employment / Work Experience
Predictor:
Paid Employment / Work Experience
Operational Definition:
Work experience is any activity that places the student in an authentic workplace, and could include: work sampling, job shadowing, internships, apprenticeships, and paid employment. Paid employment can include existing standard jobs in a company or organization or customized work assignments negotiated with the employer, but these activities always feature competitive pay (e.g., minimum wage) paid directly to the student by the employer.
Rowe, D. A., Alverson, C. Y., Unruh, D., Fowler, C., Kellems, R., & Test, D. W. (in press). A Delphi study to operationalize evidence-based predictors in secondary transition. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals.

32. Aligning Evidence-Based Practices & Predictors
Using Community-Based Instruction to teach:
Employment skills and safety skills (transportation)
Using Response Prompting to teach:
Employment skills
Using Mnemonic Strategies to teach:
job application completion

33. ACTIVITY: Rating Paid Employment / Work Experience
As you think about the degree of implementation for each of the characteristics for Paid Employment / Work Experience, rate what Paid Employment / Work Experience look like in your district/school.

34. Action Planning for Improving Outcomes
Data
Information
Actionable Data
Decisions

35. What is an action plan?
An action plan consists of action steps or changes to be made in your classroom, school, or community to improve outcomes of youth with disabilities.
It describes the way you and/or your group will use its strategies to meet the goals identified to improve post-school outcomes of youth with disabilities.
How will you answer the questions you have identified related to improving the outcomes of youth with disabilities you serve?
How do I improve employment outcomes?
What practices am I currently implementing and how can they be improved?
What EBPs need to be implemented to improve the chance of youth obtaining positive outcomes?

36. Why take the time to develop an action plan?
There are many reasons to develop an action plan!
To ensure you do not overlook any details
To understand what is and what is not possible in your classroom, school, or community
For efficiency, to save time, energy, and resources in the long run
For accountability - to increase the chances people will do what needs to be done to improve the services for youth with disabilities in your classroom, school, and community

37. How to write an action plan
Determine key people who will be involved in planning and can influence change in your classroom, school, or community.
Develop an action plan composed of action steps that address all proposed changes.
Steps for remedying the problem should have a direct link to the data analysis.
Any action listed must be specific, observable, and measurable.
Sufficient detail is needed so it is possible to determine when the action has been implemented.
Review your completed action plan.
Follow through on your actions.
Evaluate your efforts.

38. Action Plan Template 1- Goal 2 –Next Step 3 –Person Responsible
Area for Improvement
Next Steps
1- Goal
2 –Next Step
3 –Person Responsible
4- Due Date

39. Action Plan Template 1- Goal Area for Improvement Next Steps
3 –Person Responsible
4- Due Date
To increase the number of students with disabilities accessing paid employment and work experience in authentic workplaces, featuring competitive pay, from 3 to 15 in the academic school year.
Provide opportunities for students to participate in job shadowing, work-study, apprenticeships, or internships.
Provide instruction in soft skills (e.g., problem solving, communicating with authority figures, responding to feedback, promptness) and occupational specific skills (e.g., clerical, machine operation).
Provide instruction in obtaining (e.g., resume development) and maintaining a job.
SPED teachers
General Education Teachers
School Counselors
Job coaches VR
Administrators
June, 2015

40. S M A R T
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Results-Focused
Time bound
The activity must clearly state what is to be achieved, by whom, where, and when it is to be achieved. It may also state why it is important that the activity is achieved.
The activity must clearly state how to evaluate whether the activity has been achieved. Think of the questions, how much? How many? How often? How effective?
The goal is to measure change over time.
The activity must be achievable within the political climate, effort, resources, and commitment of the SEA (e.g., providing additional professional development with current allotment of professional development days).
The activity must focus on outcomes (e.g., in-school or post-school outcomes of youth with disabilities) not process
The activity must clearly identify the timeline in which the activity is to be completed. This can include benchmarks and target date of completion (e.g., month/year).

41. Sample S.M.A.R.T. Goal
Results focused!
To increase the number of students with disabilities from 3 to 15 accessing paid employment and work experience in authentic workplaces, featuring competitive pay, in the academic school year.
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Time-bound

42. Time to Plan Gather with others in your district and/or school.
As a group:
Rate the implementation status for each of the characteristics listed under Paid Employment / Work Experience.
Identify which characteristics are not currently being implemented.
Determine if you have the resources to implement the characteristics and the time it will take to get it up and running.
Of these characteristics, choose one to take action on.

43. Develop a Plan 1- Goal 2 –Next Step 3 –Person Responsible 4- Due Date
Area for Improvement
Next Steps
1- Goal
2 –Next Step
3 –Person Responsible
4- Due Date

44. Formula for Successful Goals
Purposeful planning
Effective Intervention
Effective Implementation
Positive outcomes for students

45. Time for Sharing What is your goal?
Name one step your group identified to achieve that goal.

46. Time for Action What questions do you still have?
Where do we go from here?
When will we answer the unanswered questions?
Are other additional data needed to answer the unanswered questions?
When will we meet again?
What resources do we need to gather before we meet again?
What are the specific action steps we will take between now and our next meeting?
Who is missing?

47. Resources National Post-School Outcomes Center
Predictor self-assessment:
National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center
Evidence-based practices and predictors:

48. Caroline MaGee
National Post-School Outcomes Center
University of Oregon