Assessment
Take some time now to answer the following questions. Please note that the IRIS Center does
not collect your Assessment responses. If this is a course assignment, you should turn them in
to your professor using whatever method he or she requires. If you have trouble answering any
of the questions, go back and review the Perspectives & Resources pages in this module.
1.
What is secondary transition? Secondary transition is the last transitional phase in
individuals with disabilities. They encounters numerous phases throughout a life time
which involve early intervention to preschool, preschool to elementray school,
elementary school to middle school, middle school to high school, and high school to
adult hood. It can be challenging for some students with disabilities entering into
different routines and environments. Teachers jobs are to help make these routines as
smooth and easy as possible and to assist families and students with selecting the
appropriate goals that fit their skill levels. This involves working a job they may be
good at and becoming involved in the community with activities they want to become a
part of after they finish high school. Why is it important for school personnel to help
students plan for post-school transitions? The importance of secondary transitioning
is to teach and educate students as they make their transition from high school to postschool programs on how to be more independent. They may look more into new jobs
while others look into college or a university. Students with disabilities are more likely
to attend a two year vocational college rather than a university or a 4 year college but
35% of students who actually receive help from a disability service from the college
graduate. In general, an individual with disabilities can be just as successful as an
individual with out disabilities. They need a clear academic and consistent learning
goals that will prepare children for academic success.
2. List and describe the five components of the Taxonomy for Transition
Programming. Transition planning is an ongoing multi component process for a school
to ensure they are implementing an effective way for students to learn with disabilities.
Taxonomy for transition programming was developed by Paula D. Kohler. It includes:
• Program structure: to the foundational elements necessary for school personnel to efficiently
and effectively implement transition services. This component structure consists of 6
features:
• Program philosophy
• Strategic planning
• Program policies
• Program evaluation
• Human resource development
• Resource allocation
• Student focused planning: Involves identifying a student’s goals and interests and putting
supports in place to help the student achieve his or her goals and experience post-school
success. It is important to make sure Plan, draft, meet, and Implement.
Example from IRIS:
(Make sure the assessment includes questions such as:
•
What are my talents and interests?
•
What are my abilities?
•
What do I want in life now and in the future?
•
What are the main barriers to getting what I want from school and my
community?
•
What are my options at school and in my community for preparing me to do what
I want now and in the future?)
•
A student will show self determination or a combination fo skills and knowledge to help
them make decisions and plan for their future.
• Student development:
• Response prompting: A method that makes use of visual, auditory, textual, or symbolic
prompts to remind a student how to complete a task
• Life skills
• Food preparation and cooking skills
• Leisure skills
• Home-maintenance skills
• Social skills
• Grocery shopping skills
• Laundry tasks
• Purchasing skills
• Mnemonics: which words or letters are used to help promote the memorization of
information or implementation steps
•
Survey the application
•
Emphasize the words that indicate the type of information requested
•
Locate cues that indicate where the information is to be entered
•
Enter the requested information
•
Check to see whether the information is accurate
•
Turn the application in to the appropriate individua
Nelson, Smith, & Dodd (1994) (from IRIS DIRECTLY)
•
• Community Based instruction: students learn skills in the environments where they will be
used
Life skills
•
Banking skills
Grocery shopping skills
•
•
Community integration skills
•
Safety skills
Communication skills
•
• Self Management Strategy:A method used by students to manage, monitor, record, or assess
their behavior or academic achievement.
•
Academic skills
•
Life skills
◦
Social skills
◦
Functional life skills (e.g., using washer and dryer, using phone, making grocery
list)
• Computer assisted Instruction: Computer software is used to provide instruction and
practice opportunities to improve a student’s specific knowledge, skills, or academic
performance.
•
Academic skills
•
Life skills
◦
Food preparation and cooking skills
◦
Grocery shopping skills
• Family engagement: refers to a family’s efforts at helping their child plan for the future
and in supporting him or her during the transition process. This involves scheduling
meetings when parents are available and to provide information about what a transition
plan is in their home language. It is important to educate parents how to help students
maintain a job and to help their quality of live. You should collaborate together and work
together rather than dictate and encourage parents to participate in transitions outside of
school.
• Interageny collaboration: This component involves the IEP team determining what
community businesses, organizations, and agencies might be instrumental in supporting a
student’s transition. They must :
•
Identifying a contact person within each agency
•
Serving as a liaison between each identified agency and the school
•
Inviting appropriate agency personnel to a student’s future IEP meeting as needed
•
Referring the student to the appropriate agencies, which will then determine the
student’s eligibility for services
•
Sharing student information through established methods of communication
•
3.
4.
Explain why self-determination is important for students with disabilities. selfdetermination—a combination of skills and knowledge that help a student make
decisions and plan for the future. Self determination includes decision making, self
regulation, goal setting, problem solving, and self advocacy. It is important for a student
with a disability to understand the outcome of their disability and how it can affect their
academic performance, community involvement, and daily lives. Self determination
with a student of disability should affect his or her ability to speak up for themselves
and become more independent in decision making and achieving their goals they want
to achieve.
Jessica is a rising ninth-grade student who has a physical and intellectual disability and
uses a wheelchair. Imagine you are Jessica’s general education teacher and a member of
her IEP team. As part of her annual review meeting, Jessica and her team discuss her
post-secondary plans. Following is some of the information the team learns during the
meeting.
Strengths:
Capable student who works hard to get passing grades
•
Loves the computer and catches on quickly to games and computer programs
•
Short-term goals:
Ride the school bus to and from school (currently, parents transport her)
•
Spend more time with friends
•
Post-school goals:
Get a job in a hospital or somewhere she can help sick people (as long as she doesn’t
have to read much)
Live on her own or with a roommate
•
Areas of need:
•
Doesn’t like to read and often doesn’t remember things she does read
•
Additional information: Her parents state that she has never talked with them about her postschool goals, and they always assumed she would live with them.
For each of the components of the Taxonomy for Transition Programming, recommend one or
two actions you as the teacher can take to help Jessica reach her goals. Explain your responses.
Components of Taxonomy for Transition
Programming
Program Structure
Actions and
Explanations
Program structure refers to the
foundational elements necessary
for school personnel to efficiently
and effectively implement
transition services.
6 features involved
Program philosophy
Strategic planning
Program policies
Program evaluation
Human resource development
Resource allocation
It is important that schools and
communities or families
communicate with each other
based on how well a student is
doing and the opportunities that
they provide.
Opportunities open up for students
for example a teacher can offer
instructions on skills related to
grocery shopping (list, location,
purchasing)
Student-Focused Planning
Her parents state that she has
never talked with them about her
post-school goals, and they always
assumed she would live with them.
I would first start by doing a
Transition assessment to gather
information about Jessicas hopes
and dreams. what does she want to
be in her future. She works hard
and gets passing grades but
doesn’t like to read and often
doesn’t remember things she has
a capability of being a successful
student. Make sure the assessment
includes questions such as:
What are my talents and
•
interests?
•
What are my abilities?
•
What do I want in life
now and in the future?
•
What are the main barriers
to getting what I want
from school and my
community?
•
What are my options at
school and in my
community for preparing
me to do what I want now
and in the future?
Make sure it includes assessments
on a students age, academic
abilities, and ambitions such as
(college, employment), and
community opportunities. And
include where they may be living
working and studying.
Student Development
Student development focuses on
information collected through
transition assesments. This helps
identify skills, behaviors, and
knowledge the student may know.
The teacher can use evidence based
practices such as: Mnemonics,
response prompting, community
based instruction, self management
strategy, & computer assisted
instruction.
An example of a student transition
assessment that provides learning
strategies through memorization
skills is mnemonics. The word
select is sometimes used to help
students remember the steps of
completing a job application.
Survey the application
Emphasize the words that indicate
the type of information requested
Locate cues that indicate where the
information is to be entered
Enter the requested information
Check to see whether the
information is accurate
Turn the application in to the
appropriate individual
Another example is Computer
assisted instruction: these programs
offer drills and practice or tutorials
for a student to practice using a
computer software program
(Jessica Loves the computer and
catches on quickly to games and
computer programs
A student can practice
mathematics using the program)
Family Involvement
Jessicas parents state that she has
never talked with them about her
post-school goals, and they always
assumed she would live with them.
Therefore, planning for healthcare
needs or living arrangements, often
serve as the bridge between school
and community involvement for
their child. Educators have to make
sure that families are active and
involved with their Childs values
and future. Transition planning
includes other areas in academics
and a lot of the time parents like
Jessicas do not realize that. It
includes health care needs, living
arrangements, schools and
community, involvement for their
child and as a parent it involves
active participation.
Jessica Rides the school bus to
and from school (currently,
parents transport her)
Value your family input and help
And Spend more time with friends
It is important to:
*schedule meetings
*provide family with information
*educate parents about activités
such as job availabilities and
quality of life
*invite and include everyone to fill
the family in on the Childs
strengths, post secondary interest
*Collaborate as a team
*encourage participation to help a
child understand their disability
and how it works
*Promote independence
Offer support and services
Interagency Collaboration
This involves the IEP team
determining what community
buisnessess, organizations, and
agencies might be instrumental in
supporting a Childs needs.
Therefore, it would help Jessica
Get a job in a hospital or
somewhere she can help sick
people (as long as she doesn’t
have to read much) because she is
not good at it and often doesn’t
remember things when she has to
read.
And where they can help her find
somewhere to
Live on her own or with a
roommate
THE IEP TEAM IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR:
identifying a contact person with
each agency
Serving as a liaison between each
identified agency and the school
Inviting appropriate agency
personnel to a student’s future IEP
meeting as needed
Referring the student to the
appropriate agencies, which will
then determine the student’s
eligibility for services
Sharing student information
through established methods of
communication