Transition services are the coordinated set of activities for a student with a disability that is designed to be within a results-oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the student with a disability to facilitate the student’s 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. Transition services are based on the individual student’s needs, taking into account the student’s strengths, preferences, and interests; and includes instruction, related services; community experiences; the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives; and the acquisition of daily living skills and provision of a functional vocational evaluation, if appropriate. Transition services may be special education, if provided as specially-designed instruction, or a related service, if required to assist the student with a disability to benefit from special education. See [SUPPLEMENTARY AIDS AND SERVICES, SPECIAL EDUCATION, RELATED SERVICES].
Transition planning is done by the ARD Committee and must include the input of the student. If the student does not attend the ARD Committee meeting, the Campus Special Education Personnel must take other steps to ensure the student’s preferences and interests are considered during the transition planning. See [ADMISSION, REVIEW, AND DISMISSAL COMMITTEE MEETING] and [ADMISSION, REVIEW, AND DISMISSAL COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP].
Not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the student turns 14, the ARD Committee must annually consider and, if appropriate, address the following in the student’s IEP during transition planning:
appropriate student involvement in the student’s transition to life outside of the public school system;
appropriate involvement in the student’s transition by the student’s parent and other persons invited to participate by the parent or the Campus Special Education Personnel
appropriate postsecondary education options, including preparation for postsecondary-level coursework;
appropriate functional vocational evaluation;
appropriate circumstances for facilitating a referral of a student or the student’s parent to a governmental agency for services or public benefits, including a referral to place a student on a waiting list for public benefits; and
the use and availability of appropriate supplementary aids, services, curricula, and other opportunities to assist the student in developing decision-making skills and supports and services to foster the student’s independence and self-determination, including a supported decision-making agreement.
Furthermore, the ARD Committee must address the following in the student’s IEP during transition planning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the student turns 14 and annually thereafter:
appropriate measurable postsecondary goals based upon age-appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment, and where appropriate, independent living skills; and
Transition services, including courses of study needed to assist the student in reaching those postsecondary goals.
By Age 16
During the first ARD Committee meeting in which the student is 16 years old, and annually thereafter or until the student turns 21, the ARD Committee will provide information, created by the Texas Education Agency, regarding the Driving with Disability Program. This information must be provided to each student with a health condition or disability that may impede the student from effectively communicating with a peace officer.
Not later than one year before the student’s 18th birthday, the Campus Special Education Personnel must comply and provide notification to the student and the student’s parent of the transfer of rights to the adult student. See [ADULT STUDENT AND TRANSFER OF RIGHTS].
For an adult student, the ARD Committee must consider and, if appropriate, address involvement in the student’s transition and future by the adult student’s parent and other persons, if the parent or other person is invited to participate by the adult student or the Campus Special Education Personnel or has the adult student’s consent to participate pursuant to a supported decision-making agreement or other legal document. See [ADULT STUDENT AND TRANSFER OF RIGHTS].
When determining the course of study, the ARD Committee must consider the student’s graduation plan and post-secondary goals. See [GRADUATION]. In addition, the District must ensure that students with disabilities have access to career and technical education (CTE) classes. When determining placement in a CTE class, the ARD Committee must consider the student's graduation plan, the content of the student’s IEP, including the consideration of transition services, and classroom supports. If a participating agency fails to provide the transition services described in the student’s IEP, the ARD Committee must identify alternative strategies to meet the transition objectives set out in the IEP.
The District must post the Texas Transition and Employment Guide (the “Guide”) on the District's website. The ARD Committee will provide written information and, if necessary, assistance to the student or parent regarding how to access the electronic version of the Guide at the first meeting of the student's ARD Committee at which transition is discussed and again at the first ARD Committee meeting at which transition is discussed that occurs after the date on which the Guide is updated. In addition, on request, the Campus Special Education Personnel will provide a printed copy of the Guide to the student or parent.
The District must designate at least one employee to serve as the District’s designee on transition and employment services for special education students. This person is the District’s Transition and Employment Designee or TED. The TED is the District’s primary contact for transition and employment services for students with disabilities. This employee must also be able to provide information and resources about effective transition planning and employment services to school staff, parents, and agency providers, including the following:
Student involvement
Parent involvement
Adult Student Support
Postsecondary Education
Functional Vocational Evaluation
Employment
Age-Appropriate Instructional Environments
Independent Living
Referral to State Agency Services
Self-Determination
Supported Decision-Making Agreements
In addition, the TED must also help identify contacts at the following state agencies and ensure communication between local staff an regional or local staff at the following agencies:
Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)
Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)
Department of State Health Services (DSHS);
Department of State Health Services (DSHS);
The District will determine which employee will serve in the role of the TED. In determining who will serve as the TED for the District, the District Special Education Director will consider whether the employee is able to lead training and communicate effectively about transition planning and transition assessment, 18-21 services, work-based learning and career experiences, and self-determination. In addition, does the employee feel comfortable answering questions and facilitating discussions with staff, students and parents about agency support and collaboration, supported decision-making agreements, community connections and outreach, and postsecondary education and training. The employee who serves as the TED must have effective communication skills and must continually work to develop partnerships among school staff, students, parents, and local and regional representatives of state agencies. The employee designated at the TED for the District will be inputted into the Ask TED and into the Legal Framework website by the District Special Education Director or designee.
Transition planning provides the focus for the development of the IEP for students age 14 (or younger if deemed appropriate by the ARD Committee) and older. For students with autism, transition planning can be considered at any age. Transition planning is intended to be flexible, dynamic and appropriate. Transition services emphasize the acquisition of functional skills and hands-on knowledge, enabling students to enter the workforce or continue their education or training. Such services also allow students to live as autonomously as possible, given the extent of their disabilities. At a minimum, the ARD Committee must review the transition information in a student’s IEP at least once annually, or more as needed, and update the IEP as necessary. This may be done in the annual ARD meeting or through a revision ARD meeting as needed.
The student’s individual transition plan should be individually designed and based on the student’s interests, strengths, and preferences. Students should be encouraged and coached to advocate for themselves during the transition planning, at the ARD Committee meeting, and in future environments. The transition planning should always include the student and it is preferable that the student attend at least that portion of the ARD meeting that focuses on transition planning. If the student cannot attend, for behavioral and/or cognitive reasons the student’s general education teacher (if appropriate), CTE teacher (if appropriate) and special education teacher should collaborate on providing feedback regarding the student’s interests, strengths, and preferences. The ARD Committee shall document the reason that the student did not attend the ARD meeting, as well as the decisions made on the student’s behalf, in the IEP. In addition, if the student’s interests are difficult to ascertain, the ARD Committee should consider recommending a functional vocational evaluation should be conducted, if appropriate, to be considered by the ARD Committee during transition planning.
The ARD Committee will determine appropriate measurable postsecondary goals and transitions services to assist the student in meeting those postsecondary goals by reviewing the student’s special education eligibility folder, evaluation(s), transition assessments, classwork and assignments, assessments, progress documentation, observations, input from teachers, parent(s), and student, etc. These goals are updated, at a minimum, during the annual ARD meeting to ensure they continue to reflect the student’s postsecondary needs.
Transition planning is documented by the ARD Committee on the Transition Supplement/Section of the IEP and should include:
appropriate measurable postsecondary goals that are annually updated and based upon age appropriate transition assessment;
transition services, including courses of student, that will reasonably enable the student to meet those postsecondary goals;
annual IEP goals related to the student’s transition service needs;
evidence that the student was invited to the ARD meeting where transition services are discussed or documentation that the student’s input was obtained and considered if the student is unable to attend the ARD meeting; and
if appropriate, evidence that a representative of any participating agency was invited to the ARD Committee meeting with the prior consent of the parent or adult student.
Campus Special Education Administrator will designate one person on the campus responsible for contacting the outside agencies that are identified as part of the student’s transition plan to invite them to the ARD meeting with the consent of the parent and to gather information regarding the agency’s services for the ARD Committee to consider during transition planning. This individual is also responsible for identifying the Texas Workforce Commission Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor who works with the District and/or Campus. If the ARD Committee determines that connecting with a participating agency is inappropriate for the student, the decision will be documented in the student’s IEP either in the Transition section or in the deliberations, including the rationale for the decision and the data considered when making the decision.
The District will maintain documentation requirements of compliance associated with Texas Student Data System (TSDS), Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS), and State Performance Plan (SPP). District staff will provide annual training, with follow up, to ensure the documentation required is in place and compliant.
Specifically for Secondary Transition, District Special Education Administration will comply with the documentation requirements for State Performance Plan Indicator 13 (SPPI 13). SPPI 13 measures the percent of youth with IEPs aged 16 and above with an IEP in compliance with 7 items:
appropriate measurable postsecondary goals
annually updated postsecondary goals
postsecondary goals based on age-appropriate transition assessment(s)
transition services, including courses of study, that reasonably enable the student to meet post-secondary goals
IEP goal(s) related to student’s transition services needs
If appropriate, evidence student invited to ARD; and
If appropriate, evidence agency representative invited to ARD.
At least once annually, Campus and District Special Education Administration and Campus and District Special Education Personnel who work with students in grades 6 through 12 must participate in training about state transition requirements that must be in place for students by age or younger if determined appropriate by the ARD Committee. Additionally, Campus and District Special Education Administration and Campus and District Special Education Personnel who work with students in grades 9 through 12 must participate in training about the federal transition requirements (courses of study, age-appropriate transition assessments, and postsecondary goals) that must be in place by age 14 if determined appropriate by the ARD Committee. This may be the same training for those who work with students in grades 9 and up.
In addition, the District will provide training to families about transition services for children of all ages, including children younger than age 14, to include information about graduation endorsements, appropriate class and course offerings, career-related training, self-determination resources, opportunities for community participation, and agency resources. The parent will also be provided the name and contact information of the District’s TED and the TED’s role in facilitating transition services connections between school staff, student, parents, and agency representatives.
District Special Education Personnel will track and monitor the above compliance items for all special education student’s aged 16 and above .
Prior to an ARD meeting to discuss transition planning, District or Campus Transition Personnel and/or Campus Special Education Personnel will assess the student using a variety of transition assessments involving the continual collection of information about a student’s strengths, needs, preferences, and interests. The ARD Committee then uses the results to identify appropriate measurable goals and transition services to include in the student’s IEP. District or Campus Transition Personnel and/or Campus Special Education Personnel shall determine which assessments are appropriate on a case-by-case basis and ensure that all transition assessments are focused on measurable post-secondary goals. Using a variety of formal and informal assessments that test a student’s skills and uses in education/training, employment, independent living/personal allows District or Campus Transition Personnel and/or Campus Special Education Personnel to obtain information on a student’s current performance and identify those skills needed for the future. The most commonly administered assessments address student interests (i.e., topics or subjects relating to vocations), aptitudes (i.e., job-related knowledge and abilities), or preferences (i.e., working individually or in groups, working inside or outside, physical activity or sedentary work, etc.).
Transition assessments will be age-appropriate, nondiscriminatory, and sensitive to a student’s cultural background. Additionally, transition assessments will consider the student’s disability-related needs, including the student's abilities, communication barriers, and need for various accommodations. Professionals who conduct transition assessments will be knowledgeable and experienced in administering and interpreting a wide range of assessment tools. At least once annually, District or Campus Transition Personnel and/or Campus Special Education Personnel will receive training on the process of conducting transition assignments, as well as the various transition assessments available.
Campus or District Transition Personnel and/or Campus Special Education Personnel will communicate the results of the transition assessments to parents at least annually during ARD meetings and make reasonable efforts to obtain parent input and encourage engagement in transition planning. In addition to annual ARD meetings, Campus or District Personnel and/or Campus Special Education Personnel will attempt to contact the parent prior to conducting transition assessments to obtain relevant information regarding appropriate assessments for the student. Should the parent’s native language be a language other than English, the District will provide an interpreter to ensure the parent is able to effectively communicate in the process.
A functional vocational evaluation (FVE), which is an ongoing process that identifies a student’s interests, work-related aptitudes and skills, and need for training, may also be conducted. A FVE may be considered when a student has difficulty communicating their career interests, when a student has completed training at multiple job sites, but there is not a clear direction for next steps; and/or when a transition assessment has not provided enough information to develop a comprehensive transition plan. An FVE should include information from multiple sources, including student and parent input, and include recommendations related to career interests, aptitudes, and skills.
Students with severe and multiple developmental disabilities demonstrate diverse skills, strengths, limits, and support needs, and generally have associated health conditions of various severity. These students usually present with multiple system impairments that impact the student, family, and community participation. The transition services and supports needed for these students are usually pervasive and extensive in order to achieve community living, employment, and self -sufficiency. As such, transition planning for students with complex or more significant needs should start early, as soon as the student is identified as eligible for special education services.
For students below age 14 with significant needs, the ARD Committee may discuss age appropriate transition planning at the student’s initial ARD Committee meeting and at every subsequent annual ARD Committee meeting to ensure that the needs of the student are met, specifically in situations where the student will benefit from services with lengthy wait lists. By age 14, the ARD Committee must address transition as described above.
Self -determination is a combination of skills, knowledge, and beliefs that enables a student to engage in goal -directed, self -regulated, and autonomous behavior. Self -determination allows a student with disabilities to understand the student’s strengths and limitations together with a belief in oneself as capable and effective. As part of the self -determination curriculum, students will be able to identify areas of strength, difficulties, interests, and values. Additionally, students will understand their disabilities and be able to explain them to others.
Self -determination instruction is typically provided through embedded TEKS and supplemental lessons as needed. Students will be taught the skills associated with self - determination including choice making, decision making, problem solving, goal setting, planning, goal attainment, self -management, self -advocacy, self -awareness, and self - knowledge. They will then be provided opportunities to use and practice those skills, and be provided supports and accommodations, as necessary, in order to lead self -determined lives.
Students transitioning from high school to adulthood may require services and supports from outside agencies to live independently. At least annually in ARD meetings, Campus and District Transition Personnel shall provide information to students with disabilities and their parents regarding the services and supports available within the community to assist in the transition process.
Many services are available through waiver programs, meaning certain Medicaid requirements do not apply. Some of the services available through these waivers include personal care services, nursing care, home modifications, car modifications, respite care, and various therapies. Texas has seven waivers, and each one has its own interest list. Waivers are managed by the Health and Human Services Commission (“HHSC”) and the Department of State Health Services (“DSHS”). Parents should be encouraged to add students to as many waiver interest lists as soon as possible and preferably as soon as the child is diagnosed with a disability or special health care need. Students will be added to these programs once there is availability. District and Campus Personnel will inform parents of the HHSC waiver list and the process for enrollment in annual ARD meetings as early as Early Childhood Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education.
Prior to a student turning 14, Campus and District Transition Personnel will encourage parents to identify any needs for long -term services and supports and the type of long -term services and supports needed. Additionally, Campus and District Transition Personnel will encourage parents to explore the community and long -term services and supports that are available and provide contact information for community and long -term services and support agencies. Campus and District Transition Personnel shall be available to assist parents in applying for long-term services and supports as appropriate.
When or before a student turns 14, and every year after that the student is enrolled in the District, if necessary, Campus and District Transition Personnel will encourage parents to identify natural supports for students and routinely contact HHSC for updates in positions on waiver lists. If the parent and/or adult student has not already done so when or before the student turns 18, Campus and District Transition Personnel will provide parents and/or adult students information on applying for long-term services and supports, if appropriate.
ARD/IEP
Transition Supplement/Section of ARD/IEP
Documentation of Student Participation in Transition Planning
Course of Study
Transition/Vocational Assessments
Contacts with Outside Agencies
Consent to Invite Outside Agency Representative to ARD
Prior Written Notice
Document Acknowledging Receipt of Texas Transition and Employment Guide
Transition Services Training
Transition and Employment Services Designee
Self-Determination Curriculum/Instruction
Documentation for the state in TSDS, PEIMS, and SPP
Secondary Transition Guidance (TEA)
Texas Transition and Employment Guide
Texas Transitions Network (TEA)
OSERS Questions and Answers on Secondary Transition (2011)
SPEDTEX - Secondary Transition in Texas
Driving with a Disability - State of Texas
34 CFR 300.43(a)-(b), 300.320(b), 300.321(b)(2), 300.324; Texas Education Code 28.025, 29.011, 29.0111, 29.0112(e); Texas Estates Code Ch. 1357; 19 TAC 75.1023, 89.1055(j)-(l)