Transition Planning for Certificate Track students

Transition planning for all students receiving Special Education Services begins at age 14 or the 8th grade. A Transition IEP is developed that guides services through the remainder of the students’ secondary education career. The Transition IEP should be written and implemented to meet the post secondary goals of the student. Transition planning has 3 primary components added to the regular IEP:

• Transition Assessment(s)

• Transition Goals

• Transition Services/Activities

For Certificate Track students, a post secondary Transition Goal must be developed for each area of need identified in the transition assessments in the following three areas:

1. Education and Training

2. Employment

3. Independent Living

• Not all Certificate Track students will have an Independent Living goal. All students enrolled in the Life Skills program will have an Independent Living goal. Here are a few examples of Independent Living goals for our higher functioning students that can be included in a student's IIEP:

  • • access community resources, including banking, grocery shopping, rec leisure activities, and transportation...with supports needed/independently

    • access community medical and mental health services

    • participate in rec leisure activities

    • use transportation to get to and from work

    • utilize assistive communication device to communicate with people in the community

• If a student is very low functioning, you may want to include a goal for “partial participation” in self-care/rec leisure opportunities with assistance from an adult. Here are some examples:

  • • After high school, I will live at home with my parents and participate to the maximum extent possible in my daily routines (e.g., dressing, feeding, bathing, choice making, etc.) and environment through technology.

    • After high school, I will participate in integrated community recreational activities related to music and art at the various community settings (e.g., museums, community college, parks and recreation).

    • After high school, I will effectively utilize an augmentative communication device throughout my daily routines to express my wants and needs in all settings.

    • After high school, I will live at home with my parents and participate to the maximum extent possible in my daily routines (e.g., dressing, feeding, bathing, choice making, etc.) through partial participation.

All students must have measurable annual transition IEP goals that are related to the student's postsecondary goals which are aligned to a transition area (Education/Training, Employment, Independent Living). The annual goals must be related to the student's identified needs. The annual goals must be:

• data driven (related to present levels)

• skill based

  • • Do not use a general goal such as “The student will make progress on grade level curriculum”. Be specific about the skills the student needs to acquire to meet their transition goals.

• measurable with criteria

• measured by a logical progress monitoring strategy

• supportive of the postsecondary goal

• a statement of what the student will do to make one year’s progress in one year’s time.

If necessary, there must be an annual goal to support an Independent Living postsecondary goal, if one is included.

A Transition Service and/or Activity must be included for each transition area that has a goal identified.

For Education and Training, possible services and activities are:

• Intermediate Center

  • • Invite parents to attend the 8th grade scheduling for high school

    • Review criteria for earning certificate of completion

    • Arrange high school tour for 8th grader

    • Attend Resource and Transition Fair

• High School and Young Adult Services

  • • Participate in Practical Academics/Functional Academics/Unique Learning System

    • Apply functional academics to a variety of settings within the school (for applicable Life Skills students)

    • Attend Resource and Transition Fair

    • Explore the Young Adult Services Program

For Employment, possible services and activities are:

• Intermediate Center

  • • Participate in job shadowing/work experience (for Life Skills and 8th grade certificate track students)

    • Attend Resource and Transition Fair

    • Apply for Medicaid Waiver

    • Receive Orientation/Mobility Training for employment participation (for BLV students)

• High School and Young Adult Services

  • • Participate in job shadowing class (if appropriate)

    • Participate in vocational training (if appropriate)

    • Attend Resource and Transition Fair

    • Enroll in a Career Pathway elective (if appropriate)

    • Participate in on-the-job training (if appropriate)

    • Discuss alternative job training opportunities (i.e. Project Search)

    • Make an appointment with Vocational Rehabilitation Services

    • Explore the Young Adult Services Program

For Independent Living, possible services and activities are:

• Intermediate Center

  • • Participate in home living activities

    • Participate in community training

    • Apply for Medicaid Waiver

    • Participate in Rec/Leisure activities (Life Skills Students)

    • Social Skills Training

    • Self Advocacy Training

    • Orientation/Mobility Training for community participation (for BLV students)

• High School and Young Adult Services

  • • Participate in community training

    • Demonstrate the ability to prepare three simple meals and snacks

    • Enroll in and participate in a Career Pathway elective (if appropriate)

    • Explore guardianship requirements

    • Research independent living options

    • Social Skills Training

    • Self Advocacy Training

    • Orientation/Mobility Training for community participation (for BLV students)