Post Secondary
Transition Planning
Simply put, transition planning is helping students (14+ years old) with disabilities and their families think about their life after high school. The process helps students identify long-range goals, designing the high school experience to ensure that students gain the skills and connections they need to achieve these goals after high school.
Postsecondary Transition Plan (PTP)
The PTP is a part of the IEP which focuses on transition. A PTP is written with the IEP team, which includes the student, when a student is 13 turning 14 during the timeframe of their IEP. There are 8 components to the PTP. They include:
Student Invite
Age Appropriate Transition Assessment
Measurable Postsecondary Goals
Annual Goals
Transition Services/Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS)
Outside Agencies
Course of Study
Age of Majority
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RUSD 18-21 Year Old Transition Program
District Program Contact: Justine Bieganksi, Transition & School-to-Work Coordinator - (262)631-7038
Program Overview
The 18-21 Transition Program provides support to allow students to transition successfully from their role of high school students to their new role as adults in the community. The program provides support in any or all transition domains as indicated necessary by the IEP team to improve outcomes for the student. This program relies heavily on collaboration among schools, family, community businesses, and appropriate adult services agencies.
Program Goals
Discover interests through work experiences
Increase awareness of work behaviors
Improve work-related skills
Use assistive technology to function in the community
Improve speech and language skills
Practice self-advocacy
Increase independence
Work collaboratively with adult service agencies
Program Details
The Transition Program utilizes a rotation model where each year focuses on a different set of work skills. This will provide students with a variety of work experiences and loosely continue the high school academy model.
Each class will have a teacher, educational assistants and about 10-15 students. This allows for a ratio of 3-5 students per adult. These small groups travel to their work sites via school bus, school van, or city bus. Students spend the majority of their day working, and they also practice independent living skills such as grocery shopping and cooking, community appropriateness and safety, social skills, and recreation. Each month you will receive a calendar of the activities your child will participate in and where they will be each day.
18-21 Transition Program.mp4FAQ’S
SCHOOL of ATTENDANCE: Racine Alternative Learning
PRIMARY SETTING: The students spend their entire day in community-based settings.
TRANSPORTATION: A bus will pick-up at home and drop off at a daily community work site.
HOURS: 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM
SCHEDULE: Follow RUSD high school schedule for vacations, early releases, snow days, etc.
LUNCH: Students bring a daily lunch unless other arrangements are made. Students are encouraged to plan, shop for, and pack their own lunches.
GRADUATION, PROM & OTHER SENIOR EVENTS: Students are encouraged to participate in the graduation ceremony at their high school and attend all other senior events.
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA: Students will receive their diplomas when they exit the Transition Program. DO NOT accept a diploma at the graduation ceremony.
GUARDIANSHIP: When a student turns 18 all educational rights transfer to the student. Unless parents have been awarded guardianship through the courts, RUSD will schedule all IEP meetings with the 18 year old adult student and look to him/her for decisions and approval of services. Parents/guardians will continue to be invited to meetings and be active members of the IEP process.
Family and Community Supports
Parents in Partnership (PIP) is a statewide program in which a group of parents and other caregivers meet together during the year to share their family stories, challenges, joys and triumphs of raising their children. At PIP participants will learn about the community and statewide resources for children with disabilities; explore issues around health, education, transition, policy making, legislation, inclusion, self-determination, family well-being, and IDEA Special Education Law.
Youth in Partnership with Parents fro Empowerment (YiPPE)
YiPPE is a group of youth and their parents who meet together multiple times during the year. They will hear from speakers and take part in hands-on activities in parallel programs centered around transition. While some topics may overlap, parents will be able to enjoy their own sessions while their youth are learning similar information in a youth-friendly format.
Developmental Disability Programs and Information from Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS)
Wisconsin has many programs designed to improve the lives of children and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. This page is designed to help those with developmental and intellectual disabilities and their caregivers find programs that meet their needs.
Transition to Adulthood Resources & Information for Racine County
Everything you need to know to create a smooth transition to adulthood.
Transition Resources
An online application to assist in creating a PTP. This can be used as a guide for families, students, and educators during the transition planning process.
Transition Programing Beyond Age 18 published by the WI Dept of Education and TIG
Transition Improvement Grant (TIG)
The Transition Improvement Grant (TIG) provides statewide technical assistance and effective, targeted, no or low cost professional development to Wisconsin LEAs and teachers in the area of postsecondary transition planning.
Competitive Integrated Employment
In 2017, Wisconsin Act 178 required the Department of Workforce Development's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), the Department of Health Services (DHS), and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to collaborate, with the input of stakeholders, in the development of a joint plan to increase CIE in Wisconsin. The CIE Joint Plan establishes DVR, DHS, and DPI performance improvement targets, describing the specific coordination methods that will ensure programs, policies, and procedures statewide support CIE outcomes for youth and adults with disabilities in Wisconsin. The first annual Joint CIE Report can also be found on this page.
Project SEARCH helps prepare young people with significant disabilities for success in competitive integrated employment. Information on Project SEARCH can also be found from the national Project SEARCH web page or the overview sheet.
Efforts are unfolding across the country to increase and expand upon postsecondary education options for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In Wisconsin, the demand for college is growing and pockets of people across the state are discussing how to develop programs in their own communities. This website serves as a tool to inform, connect, and support people involved in these efforts. More information is available at the national Think College web page.
Transition to Adulthood Resources & Information for Racine County
Everything you need to know to create a smooth transition to adulthood.
WI DPI Special Education Transition Planning Web Page
Information on federal data collection requirements for post-secondary transition as well as additional guidance and resources from WI DPI.
Project SEARCH
