SPED 575: Career and Life Planning for Exceptional Learners
in the General Curriculum (Hybrid—Fall 2011)
Instructor: Dr. Ruth Lyn Meese
Phone: 434-395-2340 (O)
434-983-3865 (H)
Office: Hull Building, Room 235
Office Hours: T/R 11:00-1:00 &
By Appointment
E-mail: meeserl@longwood.edu
University Mailing Address: Longwood University, Department of EDUC/SPED
201 High Street, Farmville, VA 23909
Log in to Blackboard at: http//blackboard.longwood.edu.
Meeting Times and Locations: Since this is a hybrid class, we will plan to meet face-toface from 4:30-7:15 on the following dates: August 22, September 26, October 24, and
November 28. On these dates, we will meet in Hull room 247. The remainder of the
class sessions will be online.
Course Description from Graduate Catalog
An in-depth study of preparatory skills for vocational opportunities for exceptional
learners in the general curriculum. An overview of social, leisure and recreational
opportunities and assistive technology for exceptional learners in the general curriculum.
(3 credits)
Required Text
Sitlington, P.L., Neubert, D.A., & Clark, G.M. (2010). Transition education and services
for students with disabilities (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Merrill. The bookstore link:
http://longwood.bncollege.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/BNCBHomePage?storeId=300
59&catalogId=10001
Technology Resources Required
Your computer, whether at home or at another location, will need to meet the Minimum
Computer and Software Requirements for Longwood Online courses. These
requirements can be found at www.longwood.edu/online .
All work must be submitted as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint documents. All
submitted assignments are to be pledged.
Accessing the course through a high-speed Internet connection (DSL or cable) is
highly advised. If you don’t have high-speed access from your home computer, you may
wish to complete your work at another location with high-speed access such as a public
library or work. Quizzes on Blackboard should also be completed at locations with high
speed access.
Course Objectives
As a result of active participation in this course through assigned readings, class
discussions and Web-based activities, students will gain the following knowledge, skills
and dispositions:
Knowledge:
1. Identify and describe agencies providing vocational, social, and leisure services for
people with disabilities as well as new transitioning projects and initiatives within the
state. (TC # 4 & 7; CEC 1 & 10)
2. Describe laws affecting career and vocational education for individuals with
disabilities. (TC # 4 & 7; CEC 1)
3. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Life Centered Career Education. (TC # 4
& 7; CEC 4)
4. Describe career/vocational assessment procedures appropriate for people with
disabilities. (TC # 4 & 7; CEC 8)
5. Describe transitioning requirements and the three primary transition pathways for
people with disabilities as they exit high school. (TC # 4 & 7; CEC 10)
Skills:
6. Prepare a job analysis for an occupation using ONET and local business and industry.
(TC # 1, 2, 7, 8, & 9; CEC 1)
7. Identify ways to infuse transition planning and career education into subject area
SOLs and into community based settings. (TC # 1, 2, 7 & 9; CEC 4)
8. Identify resources on the Internet and in the community to provide services to students
with disabilities, their parents, and their teachers. (TC # 1, 2, 7, 8, & 9; CEC 1, 10)
9. Develop an IEP transition plan given a case study. (TC # 1, 2, 7 & 9; CEC 4)
Dispositions:
10. Develop a philosophy of transition planning and career education for students with
disabilities. (TC # 7, F1; CEC 1 & 9)
Tentative Class Schedule:
We will meet four times in face-to-face class sessions. Students will complete seven
class modules online with most modules comprising approximately two weeks time.
Dates/Weeks
Topic
Assignments (Posted On
Blackboard Under Each
Module Name/Number)
Introductions/Getting
Week 1—Getting
Attend F2F Class Session
Acquainted/Expectations
Acquainted Module
and Complete
August 22 Face to face
Working with the
Getting Acquainted
Class session in Hull 247
Technology
Module Online by
from 4:30-7:15.
Vocabulary/Concepts
8:30AM on August 29
Weeks 2 and 3—Module 1 Legislation, Transition
Readings---Textbook
August 29—September 9
Services, History and
Chapters 1, 2 & 11;
Research
Posted Articles and Power
Point Notes
Journal Posting
Discussion Board
Online Quiz
Weeks 4 and 5—Module 2 Transition Pathway 1:
Readings—Textbook
September 12—September
Post-Secondary Education
Chapters 3, 5, & 9; Posted
23
and Self-Determination
Articles and Power Point
Notes
Journal Posting
Promising Practices
Assignment Submitted
Posting on Discussion
Board
Weeks 6 and 7—Module 3 Transition Pathway 2:
Attend F2F Class Session
September 26—October 7
Employment Options and
Readings—Textbook
Face-to-face class meeting
Functional Vocational
Chapters 4, 7, & 8; Posted
September 26 in Hull 247
Assessment
Articles and Power Point
from 4:30-7:15
Notes
Journal Posting
Discussion Board
Online Quiz
Weeks 8 and 9—Module 4 Transition Pathway 2:
Web Quest Assignment
October 10—October 21
Exploring Employment
(Job Analysis Project)
Options
Life Centered Career
Week 10—Module 5
Readings—Textbook
October 24 —Face to Face
Education Model and
Chapter 6
class session in Hull 247
Curriculum
Attend F2F Class Session
from 4:30 to 7:15.
Module 5 Journal Posting
AFTER class session
meets
Transition Pathway 3:
Weeks 11 and 12—
Readings—Textbook
Community
Living
and
Module 6
Chapters 10 & 12; Posted
October 31—November 11
Adult Services
Weeks 13 and 14—
Module 7
November 13—November
25
Week 15
November 28 —Face to
Face class session in Hull
247 from 4:30-7:15.
Putting it all together--State
Indicators and the IEP
Wrap-Up, Present IEP Case
Study Group Project
Articles, Websites and
Power Point Notes
Journal Entry
Community Services
Brochure Project
Online Quiz
Readings—Posted Articles
IEP Group Case Study
Project completed on
Wiki.
Attend F2F Class Session
Present IEP Case Study
Projects
Course Requirements
1. Attendance, Preparation and Participation. Attend four face-to-face class sessions.
Complete all readings from the assigned text, from posted articles and from posted power
point notes by due dates indicated in each module. Complete all class assignments,
projects and online quizzes by due dates indicated in each module. See the Attendance
Policy under Policies and Procedures section below.
Generally, each module will be made available no later than 8:30AM on the Friday
before the date the module is scheduled to begin. The modules will generally end
and all assignments within the module must be submitted no later than 8:30AM on
the Monday immediately following the closing date of the module.
2. Promising Practices Field Project
Select one from the following activities and submit a paper (5 pages) summarizing
what you have learned and your reflections regarding this learning.
Submit this summary paper through Assignments by the due date indicated and
respond on the Discussion Board to at least two summaries of projects posted by your
colleagues before the close of Module 2.
 Visit the Guidance Department in a high school and interview a staff
member regarding preparation for post-secondary education environments
 Interview the Transition Coordinator (or the professional responsible for
transition planning) in a local school division
 Observe an IEP meeting (with appropriate permissions) for a secondary
student that will include discussion of transition needs and services.
 Visit a local employment agency such as VEC, or DRS/PERT
 Read five additional articles from Teaching Exceptional Children or from
Exceptional Children regarding developing Self-Determination or SelfAdvocacy skills for students with disabilities intending to enter post-

secondary education environments. (The articles chosen may not include
the assigned article on self-determination from this module.)
Additional information and a grading rubric will be provided online
in Module 2. The project is worth 30 points plus discussion board
postings (2 @ 5 points each).
3. Complete a WebQuest and Job Analysis. Using a case study for a high school
student with a disability, complete a WebQuest and Job Analysis. Your goal is
identifying services and approaches to transition planning for this student. Choose
a job in the community appropriate for the specific student with disabilities in the case
study. Describe the student. Then, using the ONET, Occupational Outlook Handbook
and other resources suggested on line in Module 4, obtain standardized background
information regarding a potential job for this student.
Then, make arrangements to visit a job site and interview a prospective employer
regarding aptitudes, qualifications, training, requirements, etc. for the job. Use the
format given Module 4 to record your information for the WebQuest and Interview.
Finally, describe the approach to transition planning you would suggest and list the
appropriate transition services identified for your student. Include a justification for
each.
The project is to be submitted as an Assignment on Blackboard by the due date
indicated and is worth 40 points. The posted assignment should be typewritten and
free from errors of grammar and spelling. Specific and detailed information
regarding this project and the grading rubrics will be provided in Module 4. (See
attached format for Job Analysis at the end of this syllabus.)
Grading criteria:
ONET/Online Data (as complete as 5 points
possible)
Complete Interview Data
10 points
Comments and Reactions
10 points
Transition Approach and Services 10 points
Free from grammar and
spelling errors; on time
5 points
4. A community service brochure of those agencies, organizations, and other resources
in your home community that could be important collaborators for transition services
in your school. (Find at least 15 agencies/organizations with no more than five
located online.) Secure names, addresses, and telephone numbers of appropriate
contact persons and specifically describe the contributions they could make to assist
students in your school through a successful transition. Prepare a professional
appearing brochure of all the information located. Send your brochure to the
instructor as an attachment through Assignments by the due date indicated. The
instructor will post your brochure under Course Documents for your colleagues.
Additional information on this project can be found in Module 6.
The community services brochures are worth 25 points and will be graded
according to the following criteria:
On Time/Error Free
At Least 15 Resources Thoroughly and Specifically Described
Posted as an Assignment by date due
5
15
5
5. IEP Case Study Group Project—Students will be assigned to a group and given a
specific case study. Using information provided in Module 7, group members will
complete an IEP and Transition component for the student in the case study. All work
will be completed by group members using the Wiki. See Module 7 for specific
information, rubrics, and due dates for this project. The project is worth 40 points and
will be presented in the last face-to-face class session in lieu of a final exam.
6. Discussion Board and Journal Postings—Specific Discussion Board and Journal
prompts will be given in each Module, along with specific due dates for completion.
The minimum number of expected Discussion Board postings will also be given.
Discussion Board and Journal Postings will be graded according to the quality of the
entry. You should use professional language, correct grammar, and correct spelling.
In addition, Discussion Board and Journal Postings will be graded according to how
well you support your entry and the thoughtfulness/reflectivity of your postings and
responses.
Because the purpose of the Discussion Board is to provide an opportunity for you to
apply the concepts presented in an interactive discussion, ideally, each participant
posts an initial response to the topic(s) early in the assigned time frame to permit
others ample time to read, reflect, and respond to the postings made by colleagues.
This means we would need to do the readings on Day 1 and initial postings on Day 2
of the module as often as possible. Replies to the postings of others should be made
on Days 3 and 4, keeping in mind that you will need to check back about once per
day to stay up-to-date on the topic threads.
7. Quizzes
Three quizzes will be administered through Blackboard. Posting dates for these can
be found in the specific modules (these dates are tentative and may be altered at the
instructor's discretion). As a rule, quizzes are posted by 10 am (Eastern Standard
Time) on the specified date and will usually require about 30- 40 minutes to
complete. The quizzes are available for a 24-hour period. Students must
complete each quiz within 24 hours of the time it is posted. Quizzes will be
re-offered ONLY for extreme circumstances. If a technical problem (the server is
down, computer failure, etc.) prevents you from completing the quiz by the designated
time, e-mail me or call me at home or at the office IMMEDIATELY and leave a
message on my voice mail stating the time and the nature of the technical problem if I
do not pick up the telephone. In addition, please contact the Help Desk (877-267-7883
toll free) immediately for assistance with technical problems.
Grading Summary (Note: On a 6-point scale—95-100% = A, 89-94% = B)
Assignment
Date Due
Points
Getting Acquainted Module
10
Module 1:
Journal Posting
Discussion Board Postings
Online Quiz 1
10
10
25
Module 2:
Discussion Board Postings
Promising Practices Project
Plus 2 Discussion Board Postings @ 5 each
10
30
10
Module 3:
Journal Posting
Discussion Board Postings
Online Quiz 1
10
10
20
Module 4:
WebQuest/Job Analysis Project
40
Module 5:
Journal Posting
10
Module 6:
Journal Posting
Community Services Brochure Project
Online Quiz
10
25
20
Module 7:
IEP Case Study Project on Wiki
Total Points
_40
290
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:
Technical Assistance:
Students must maintain current system software and virus definition updates. User
Support Services can provide additional information regarding software, virus definition
updates and online policies. You can obtain this information by calling (877-267-7883)
or by going to the website www.longwood.edu/online. You can also e-mail User Support
Services at helpdesk@longwood.edu . Please contact User Support Services for technical
difficulties and the instructor for instructional questions or issues. If your technology is
not working properly, please contact the instructor for alternative methods for submitting
assignments and also contact the help desk to resolve the technical problem. Ignorance of
policies set forth and posted for all Longwood University online courses is not an excuse
for failure to conform to these policies.
The instructor will respond to all e-mails within 48 hours Monday through Friday.
Feedback will be provided on all assignments within one week after submission. Other
helpful links for assistance in this class include : the Longwood University Library at
http://www.longwood.edu/library/ (See APA Style Guidelines and full-text articles) and
the College of Graduate and Professional Studies at
http://www.longwood.edu/graduatestudies/index.html.
Submitting Assignments
All assignments should be submitted via Blackboard. If you encounter technical
difficulties, contact the instructor immediately to arrange for alternate submission.
To submit an assignment via the Discussion Board or Journal:
a. click on the view link given to enter the appropriate forum
b. if you are posting an original message, click on Add a New Thread OR
c. if you are responding to a classmate’s posting, open their message and
then click on Reply
j. either type, as appropriate, or copy and paste your document into the
message space.
When submitting assignments through the assignment feature, be sure to include your full
name and the name of the assignment (Example: Ruth Meese: WebQuest and Job
Analysis Assignment).
Attendance Policy
Participation and promptness are keys to success in this course! You must keep up with
assignments (do not get behind!) and participate actively in discussions to earn full credit.
Students are expected to attend all face-to-face class sessions; however, traditional
notions of attendance have little relevance in the online environment. If you encounter a
situation that keeps you from meeting course deadlines, you should contact the instructor
as soon as possible. Any request for an excused absence from a face-to-face class session
must be accompanied by documentation. If the situation is due to participation in a
University sponsored activity, a clear emergency or serious illness, it will normally be
considered an “excused absence,” and the student should coordinate with the instructor as
soon as possible to make up any missed assignments.
Anyone who misses the deadline for a posted assignment without communicating with
the instructor in advance, or without providing documentation of a bona fide reason for
missing the deadline, will not be allowed to complete the assignment for a grade. Failing
to turn in 10% of graded assignments (Discussion Boards, Journals, and Module Projects)
will result in the course grade being reduced by one full letter grade. Failing to turn in
25% of Module Projects, Discussion Boards or Journal Postings will result in a failing
grade for the course.
Honor Code
Students are expected to abide by the Longwood University Honor Policy. All
assignments and tests must be pledged.
Disability Policy
Students requiring modifications may submit a plan from the Longwood University
Disability Support Center. The instructor will provide necessary accommodations to
assist students with documented disabilities. http://www.longwood.edu/disability/
Evaluation of the Instructor
At the conclusion of the course, each student will have the opportunity to evaluate the
course instructor.
Use of Terminology
Use of person-first language (e.g., “a student with a learning disability” rather than “an
LD student”) is strongly encouraged and considered an important aspect of professional
behavior. All written work will be reviewed with attention to this point.
Graduate Admissions Policy
No more than nine Longwood non-degree graduate hours may be counted towards a
degree, certificate, or licensure program. Students are expected to apply to a Longwood
graduate program prior to enrolling in classes. At the latest, all application material
should be received by the Office of Graduate and Extended Studies before the completion
of six hours.
Suggested Readings
Brinckerhoff, L.C., McGuire, J.M., & Shaw, S.F. (2002). Postsecondary education and
transition for students with learning disabilities (2nd ed.). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
Flexer, R.W., Baer, R.M., Luft, P., & Simmons, T.J. (2008). Transition planning for
secondary students with disabilities (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Pearson/Merrill/Prentice-Hall.
Greene, G., & Kochhar-Bryant, C.A. (2009). Pathways to successful transition for youth
with disabilities (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill/Prentice-Hall.
Harrington, T.F. (2004). Handbook of career planning for students with special needs
(3rd ed.). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
Hurtubis Sahlen, C.A., & Lehmann, J.P. (2006). Requesting accommodations in higher
education. Teaching Exceptional Children, 33(2), 28-34.
Madaus, J.W. (2005). Navigating the college transition maze: A guide for students with
learning disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 37 (3), 32-37.
Pierangelo, R., & Giuliani, G.A. (2004). Transition services in special education: A
practical approach. Boston, MA: Pearson.
Rusch, R.R. (2008). Beyond high school: Preparing adolescents for tomorrow’s
challenges. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill/Prentice-Hall.
Wehman, P. (2006). Life beyond the classroom: Transition strategies for young
people with disabilities (4th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Wood, W.M., Karvonen, M., Test, D.W., Browder, D., & Algozzine, B. (2004).
Promoting student self-determination skills in IEP planning. Teaching
Exceptional Children, 36 (3), 8-16.
Issues of Teaching Exceptional Children containing a number of articles related to
transitioning include:
July/August 2009 (Vol. 41, Issue #6)
November/December 2010 (Vol. 43, Issue #2)
Job Analysis
Your Name:
Date:
Name of Occupation Chosen:
Description of Student for Whom Job is Appropriate:
ONET Information
ONET#:
Job Description:
Specific Vocational Preparation:
Physical Demands:
Environmental Demands:
Math Development:
Language Development:
Additional Information: (Consult the Occupational Outlook Handbook/VA VIEW,
etc.)
Interview Information
Job Title:
Firm Name:
Firm Address:
Contact Person and his/her position:
Firm Telephone #:
Overall Job Description:
Does this job require interacting primarily with data, people, or things?
Special Requirements and Qualifications for the job:
Equipment, tools, machines operated:
Description of specific tasks: (Be thorough and specific)
Salary:
Benefits:
Hours:
Promotion opportunity and procedures:
Employment outlook:
Comments and Reactions:
How well does employer information match ONET data obtained? Give specific
examples. Give overall perceptions of the interview and employment at this site for your
selected student.