1. Working with Your RRC to Improve Secondary Transition Education Presented by: Lucy Ely Pagán, NERRC and Jeanna Mullins, MSRRC

2. US Department of Education OSERS/OSEP Children and Families Schools and Communities State Departments of Education General Ed. with Special Ed. National Technical Assistance Infrastructure RRCs/FRC Other TA & D Projects Other TA Providers, e.g., Regional Labs, Comprehensive Centers Policy Practice Impact Research & TA & D Implementation

3. The Regional Resource & Federal Centers Program includes six RRCs serving all states and territories, and the Federal Resource Center (FRC). The RRCs help states find ways to improve results for children and youth with disabilities and their families by improving systems of services and supports. REGIONAL RESOURCE AND FEDERAL CENTERS NETWORK

4. Technical Assistance Activities Individual States Regional National Regional Individual States

5. RRC Roles Catalyst Capacity Builder Communicator Convener Conveyor Collaborator Connector Consultant

6. Needs Assessment/ Work Plan TAA/TAP Implement TAA Evaluate TAA Monthly Progress Report to OSEP Annual Report TAA Cycle Build State Capacity Improve Students’ Outcomes

7. State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report Requirements OSEP’s State evaluation procedure to measure student outcomes under IDEA is the State Performance Plan (SPP). IDEA 2004 mandated submission of SPP by states to OSEP. SPP is a six year plan. Progress is reported annually via Annual Performance Report (APR) using valid and reliable data.

8. Reporting Requirements State shall use the targets in the SPP to analyze the performance of each LEA program in the State; State shall report annually to the public on the performance of each LEA program in the State on the targets in the SPP

9. SPP Indicators Indicator 1 – Graduation Percent of youth with individualized education programs (IEPs) graduating from high school with a regular diploma compared to percent of all youth in the State graduating with a regular diploma. Indicator 2 – Drop Out Percent of youth with IEPs dropping out of high school compared to the percent of all youth in the State dropping out of high school.

10. SPP Indicators Indicator 13 - Quality of Transition Services in the IEP Percent of youth aged 16 and above with an IEP that includes coordinated, measurable, annual goals and transition services that will reasonably enable the student to meet the postsecondary goals. Indicator 14 – Follow Up Percent of youth who had IEPs, are no longer in secondary school and who have been competitively employed, enrolled in some type of secondary school, or both within one year of leaving high school. Ed O’Leary

11. So, What Are RRCs Doing to Help States?

12. Information Dissemination Conducts information searches and shares scientifically based research or evidence based practices on transition (e.g. articles, guidance documents, etc.) –Gathers information from other states about how they are approaching specific issues (e.g. plans for state reg for transition age --14 or 16) –Searches information on transition post school follow- up studies

13. Multi-state Sharing Conducts regional, videoconferences or teleconferences –Hosts monthly regional call, in collaboration with the NDPC-SD, for state transition contacts. TA Centers announce upcoming events and states share experiences, challenges, and products, and discuss common issues. –Leads OSEP’s CoP on Exiting – Manages listserv for state transition consultants in region

14. Workgroup Facilitation Uses transition expertise to guide state task forces or regional workgroups –Designs group process and leads development of strategic plan, including committee action plans, for state interagency transition council –Facilitates interagency workgroup planning to develop MOUs, technical assistance guidance documents and state policies

15. Consultation and Training Consults with SEAs and LEAs and provides training –Advises SEA on transition issues (e.g. policies, guidance to LEAs on specific topics such as dropout prevention, graduation, transition in the IEP, and post- school outcomes data gathering) –Provides TOP training for state and locals –Provides training to state’s regional transition team facilitators

16. Collaboration across OSEP funded Centers Coordinates services for states by arranging involvement of other TA topical centers (via brokering or partnering) –APR development: Recommend SEA contact NPSO Center to seek guidance on using calculator for Indicators 14 and 8) –Serves as advisory board member and expert panel members –Partners in planning and providing TA to states

17. Group Dialogue What are the challenges you are facing now, that an RRC staff can assist you with? How can we support you/your state best? Do you have suggestions for technical assistance and collaboration among TA centers?

18. Resources Regional Resource Center Network www.rrfcnetwork.org National Dropout Prevention Center-SD www.ndpc-sd.org Check and Connect http://ici.umn.edu/checkandconnect/ National Post-School Outcomes Center www.psocenter.org

19. Resources continued National Secondary Transition TA Center www.nsttac.org Transition Outcomes Project (TOPS) http://www.rrfcnetwork.org/content/view/204/47/ What Works Clearinghouse www.whatworks.ed.gov

20. Presenters Jeanna Mullins, MSRRC jmullin@uky.edu Mid-South Regional Resource Center (MSRRC) Interdisciplinary Human Development Institute/UK 1 Quality Street – Suite 715 Lexington, KY 40507 Tel: 859-257-4921 Lucy Ely Pagán, NERRC Lucyely7@aol.com and Lpagan@wested.org Lucyely7@aol.comLpagan@wested.org Northeast Regional Resource Center Learning Innovations @ Wested 20 Winter Sport Lane Williston, VT 05495 Tel: 802-951-8216 May 2, 2007 NSTTAC Secondary Transition State Planning Institute