🌟 Understanding Transition Services in Hampton City Schools

A Family Guide to Preparing Your Student for Life After High School

Planning for the future is one of the most important parts of the special education process. In Hampton City Schools (HCS), we want every student to leave high school with confidence, direction, and the skills they need to be successful in adulthood. Transition planning helps make that happen.

Transition services are simply the supports, learning experiences, and planning activities that help a student move from school into adult life—whether that includes college, career training, employment, independent living, military service, or community participation.

This guide will walk you through what transition planning looks like, why it matters, and how your family plays a vital role in the process.

💙 What Is Transition Planning?

Transition planning prepares your student for life after high school.
It is not a single meeting or form — it is a multi-year process woven into your student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Transition planning includes:

• Helping your student explore interests, strengths, and goals

• Teaching the skills needed for adulthood

• Providing opportunities for real-world experiences

• Connecting families with community resources and adult agencies

• Planning for college, training programs, or employment

• Understanding rights and responsibilities at age 18

Every student’s transition plan is individualized — built around who they are and what they want their future to look like based on interest, preferences, and needs.

🕒 When Does Transition Planning Begin?

In Virginia, transition planning officially begins at age 14 or Grade 8, whichever comes first.
But families can begin talking about future goals earlier, and many already do.

Once your student reaches this age, transition planning becomes a required part of every IEP:

• Post-secondary goals must be written based on a student's skills, preferences, interests, and needs

• Age-appropriate transition assessments must be completed

• School staff, families, and community partners begin working together to support the student’s long-term vision

At HCS, we treat transition planning as an ongoing process — not a one-time decision.

📘 What Are Transition Services?

Transition services are a coordinated set of activities that help your student build the skills and experiences needed for adult life.

These may include:

✔ Instruction-Classes and lessons that help your student prepare for college, career, and daily living skills.

✔ Community-Based Experiences-Real-world opportunities such as job shadowing, internships, volunteering, and college visits.

✔ Pre-ETS Services (Pre-Employment Transition Services)-Supports such as workplace readiness training, job exploration counseling, and work-based learning in partnership with DARS.

✔ Independent Living Skills-Training in areas such as communication, time management, self-advocacy, personal safety, and daily life routines.

✔ Connections to Adult Agencies-Planning and referrals to organizations that may support your student after graduation (DARS, CSB, Medicaid waiver programs, college disability services, etc.) Want to learn more? Check out the links below!

• Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)

• Hampton Newport News Community Services Board (CSB)

• Department for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI)

Everything is designed to support your student’s future goals, called Postsecondary Goals.

🎓 What Does a Transition Plan Include?

A transition plan becomes part of your student’s IEP and contains several required components:

🎯 1. Post-Secondary Goals

These describe what your student wants to do after high school in these areas:

• Education 

• Training

• Employment

• Independent Living (if needed)

Goals are based on assessments, conversations, and the student’s strengths, preferences, interest, and needs.

📋 2. Transition Assessments

These assessments help the team understand your student’s:

• Interests

• Abilities

• Learning styles

• Career preferences

• Independent living needs

Teams use the results to set meaningful goals.

🛠 3. Activities and Services

The IEP lists the steps your student will take each year to move toward their goals.
Examples:

• Completing workplace readiness activities

• Practicing communication skills

• Participating in work-based learning 

• Exploring college programs

• Attending Pre-ETS sessions

• Preparing for  military services

🧭 4. Course of Study

This outlines the classes your student will take in high school to support their goals (e.g., career pathway courses, electives, CTE programs, SOL or ASOL pathways). Classes are outlined in the Academic Career Plan and highlights specific courses that support a specific postsecondary goal in the transition IEP. The PLAAFP outlines student current progression in respoect to diploma status.

👥 Who Is Part of the Transition Team?

Your family is a critical member of the team. The transition planning team includes:

• Your student — always the center of the process

• You, the family/guardian

• Special education teacher/case manager

• General education teachers (as appropriate)

• School counselor

• Transition Specialist

• Career pathway teachers

• Pre-ETS providers or DARS counselors, when invited and appropriate

• Adult service agencies, when invited and appropriate

Together, the team helps your student take meaningful, achievable steps toward adulthood.

🔑 Age of Majority (Turning 18)

In Virginia, when a student turns 18, they become responsible for making their own educational decisions — including IEP decisions — unless legal arrangements have been made (such as power of attorney or guardianship).

Families must be informed of this change before the student turns 17.

Students may choose to share decision-making with a parent or guardian.

🧩 How Families Can Support Transition Planning

You know your student best. Your insight is essential.

Families can support the transition process by:

• Encouraging your student to explore interests and try new experiences

• Talking together about strengths, challenges, and dreams

• Supporting attendance at Pre-ETS sessions, career fairs, or transition events

• Supporting students involvement in CTE and elective classes

• Supporting students in clubs and activities that build self-determination and leadership skills

• Helping your student practice self-advocacy and communication at home and in the community

• Sharing information with the school about your student’s skills and needs

• Participating actively in IEP and transition meetings

You are a partner in helping shape the student’s path into adulthood.

🌱 What Transition Planning Looks Like Over Time

Middle School (Grades 8)

• Identifying early interests

• Beginning assessments

• Course planning tied to goals

• Broad Postsecondary Goals
  
  

High School (Grades 9–12)

• Work-based learning

• College and career exploration

• Pre-ETS services

• Career/Academy pathways

• Academy Signature events/Pathway experiences

• Exploration/Visits with colleges/training programs

• Opportunity to Apply for DARS (and DARS programs), Project SEARCH, or WBL Opportunities

Senior Year

• Increased independence

• Finalizing adult agency connections

• Support with employment, training programs, or college admissions

• Planning for post-graduation supports

🌟 Hampton City Schools' transition Supports Students with...

• A clear understanding of their strengths

• A vision for their future

• Skills needed to succeed in adult life

• Connections to services that will support them

• Confidence and self-determination to take the next step

• Internship, work-based, service learning experience, and/or capstone research project support

• Professional portfolio aligned with the 21st Century Employability Skills
  
  

Transition planning supports your student in becoming college, career, and life ready — and your family is supported every step of the way.