11.  Transition

Transition Services  

Please refer to the separate Transition Services site)  

Transition Services are provided to Special Education students between the ages of 16 and the school year in which they turn 21. These services are designed to prepare students for further education, employment and independent living. Transition goals are set according to the following criterion:

• • Measurable Post-Secondary goals

  • Post-Secondary goals must be based on age-appropriate transition assessments;

  • The purpose of transition assessments is to:

    • • Help students make a connection between their individual and academic program and their post-school ambitions.

      • Develop realistic and meaningful IEP goals

      • Make instructional programming decisions

        • • Provide information for the Present Levels related to the student’s Preferences, Interest, Needs, and strengths (PINS)

          • Learn about student career ambitions

          • Inform the Summary of Performance

  • Formal and Informal Transition assessments may be obtained using the following suggested tools:

  • Formal Transition Assessment

    • • Adaptive Behavior/Daily Living Skills

      • General and Specific Aptitude Tests

      • Interest Inventories

      • Intelligence Tests

      • Achievement Tests

  • Temperament Inventories/Instruments

    • • Career Maturity or Employability Tests

      • Self-Determination Assessment

      • Transition Planning Inventories

  • Informal Transition Assessment Methods

    • • Interviews and questionnaires

      • Direct observation

      • Curriculum-based assessments (CBA)

      • Environmental analysis

  • Measurable Post-Secondary goals cover, as appropriate, education or training, employment, and, as needed, independent living.

  • The following criteria are used to determine whether post-secondary goals are appropriate and/or have been met:

    • • Education/training, employment, independent living AFTER leaving school

      • Based on Preferences, Interests, Needs and Strengths (PINS)

      • Measurable behavior/action goal accomplishment

      • Timeline for completion

      • Continuous progress

      • A clear completion of the goal

      • Can be combined into one all-inclusive goal or two or three separate goals

Postsecondary Education/Training Goals – General Examples

• • • • 4-year college or university

      • Community college or Vocational technical school

      • Occupational Skills Training Program

      • Adult Basic Education program

      • A high school completion document (GED)

      • Continuing Education (Community College)

      • Short-term education or employment training program (WIA, Job Corps, OJT)

      • Employment-based training program aimed at job maintenance or advancement

      • Employability training at a Community Rehabilitation Program

      • Web-based education program

      • Self-directed learning activities based on individual preferences, interests, and needs

      • Postsecondary Employment Goals – General Examples

      • Full-time or part-time supported employment

      • Employment through a mobile work crew or enclave

      • Employment through a community rehabilitation program (sheltered)

      • Volunteerism or community service work or other productive vocational activities

Independent Living Postsecondary Goals – General Examples

• • • • Living at home with parents or relatives

      • Living independently in a house or apartment

      • Group Home

      • Supervised Apartment Living

      • Alternative Family Living

      • Domiciliary Care Home

      • College Dorm

      • Financial Management

Annual IEP Goals:

• Are annual IEP goals designed to reasonably enable the child to meet post-secondary goals?

  • • For each post secondary goal there must be at least one annual goal, based on present levels, included in the IEP that will help the student make progress towards the post-secondary goal.

Transition Goals on the IEP

• Initiating Transition Services: Beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the student is 16 and updated annually thereafter, the IEP must include the transition services (including courses of study) needed to assist the student in reaching the post-secondary goals. In situations in which the student is turning 16 during the duration of the IEP and updated annually thereafter, the IEP team may want to address these issues at the time of the annual review rather than meeting again before the student turns 16.

• Course of study: The student's course of study, which must be updated annually, should relate directly to the student's post-secondary goals (e.g., "family and consumer science classes to acquire adult living skills, instruction in daily living skills, functional math, and community-based work experience in food service"; "math coursework through algebra II, all industrial arts classes that focus on engineering in construction fields, and community work experience"; "college preparation courses"). The course of study statement should address the classes, experiences, and activities that will be meaningful to the student's future, motivate the student to complete his or her education, and support post-school outcomes. A particular course of study may target academic classes, such as advanced placement courses, for the student. It also may focus on non-academic courses and activities such as vocational education courses or work experience. 

• Transition services include courses of study that focus on improving the academic and functional achievement of the student to facilitate their movement from school to post-school

  • • •  Must be updated annually

      •   Help student meet his post-secondary goal

      •   Reflect multi-year coursework (series of courses)

      •   Address classes, experiences, and activities

      •   Motivate the student to complete his education

      •   Support post-school outcomes.

• Transition Services/IEP goals: The student's needed transition services are part of a long-range plan that coordinates the last years of high school and the years immediately following high school. The services are focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the student with a disability to facilitate movement from school to post-school activities, including postsecondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living or community participation.

• The IEP team must indicate the services that are addressed in the IEP (e.g., instruction, community experiences, employment and other post-school adult living objectives, daily living skills, and/or functional vocational evaluation, if appropriate).

• For each postsecondary goal there must be an annual goal, based on present levels, included in the IEP that will help the student make progress towards the postsecondary goal.

• Transition services in the IEP focus on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child to facilitate their movement from school to post-school.

• Transition IEP goals must be:

  • • •   A type of instruction,

      •   A related service,

      •   A community experience,

      •   Development of employment

      •   Post-school adult living training

      •   Instruction for acquisition of daily living skills

      •   Provision of a functional vocational evaluation

      •   Be written in such a way that it associates with meeting the post- secondary goals.

• General Examples of Transition Services

  • • •  Instructional support of guided notes for lesson

      •   Audio-taped texts for English 12

      •   Instruction related to social skills in a work setting

      •   Assistive technology services to increase use of voice output device

      •   Physical therapy to improve independent ambulation

      •   Job shadowing in a food services environment

• Other Agencies: For transition services that are likely to be provided or paid for by other agencies, representatives of the agencies must be invited to the IEP meeting?

• For the 2009-2011 biennium, the Banks School District will be contracting with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services under the Youth Transition Program Grant.

• Case managers are responsible to ensure representatives of the following agencies are invited to participate in the IEP development, as appropriate:

  • • vocational education,

    • integrated employment (including supported employment),

    • Continuing and adult education,

    • Adult services, independent living or community participation.