The road to Secondary Transition
Purpose: Assisting students in identifying their long range goals.
Age Appropriate Transition Assessments
Transition services means a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that:
1) ... facilitate the child's movement from school to post-school activities...
2) is based on the individual child's needs...
34 CFR 300.43(a)
Legal Foundation: When?
During grade 9, the plan must address the student's needs for transition from secondary
services to postsecondary education and training, employment, community participation,
recreation and leisure and home living.
MN Statute 125A.08(b)(1)
Legal Foundation: Who?
...additional IEP team members may be necessary and may include vocational education
staff members and other community agency representatives as appropriate.
* Need a release of information to invite these folks.
Legal Foundation: What?
Requirements: Transition Services
- Beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the child turns 16 (or younger
if determined by the team) and updated annually thereafter. ** During Grade 9, an IEP
must be developed to address transition.
- All transition services need to assist the child in reaching those post secondary goals,
AND
- beginning not later than one year before the child reaches 18, the IEP must include a
statement that the child has been informed of the child's rights that will transfer to the
child at age 18.
Legal Foundation: Evaluation
Secondary Transition evaluations must be documented as part of the evaluation report. **
NOTHING STANDS alone anymore!
Conducting Age-Appropriate Assessments
-Measurable Postsecondary goals must be based on:
At least two age appropriate assessment tools.
Assessments can be formal and informal.
Age Appropriate Assessments:
- provide baseline data;
- assist the student in identifying strengths, interests and preferences;
- identify appropriate accommodations;
- supports appropriate instruction and activities to achieve measurable postsecondary
goals.
Informal assessments consist of gathering existing information on a student, reviewing
and compiling that data so as to make decisions about future goals.
May include:
- interviews or questionnaires; - direct observations;
- environmental or situational analysis;
- curriculum based assessments; - rating scales;
- transition planning inventories.
Formal assessments are standardized and/or criterion-referenced instruments.
Can include:
- adaptive behavior and independent living assessments;
- aptitude test; - interest assessments;
- personality and preference tests; - career development measures;
- on the job training evaluations; - measures of self-determination.
Potential Ag-Appropriate Assessments:
Please review River Bend's website for more information
http://rbed.sharpschool.net/cms/One.aspx?portalId=5246427&pageId=9300914
Developing a students PLAAFP
What are the student's strengths, interest and preferences?
What are the student's unique needs that result from their disability?
How do the unique needs affect the student's participation and progress in the general
education curriculum?
What are the parent's concerns for the education of their child?
What transition needs of the student must be addressed to prepare for their measurable
postsecondary goal?
IEP Goals:
TWO types
- Annual
- Post Secondary
IEP Annual Goals
- Measurable postsecondary goals drive the annual instructional goal.
- Annual Goals are the yearly "steps" designed to enable the student to achieve their
measurable postsecondary goals.
- Annual Goals must reasonably enable the student to be ready to meet their measurable
postsecondary goal by completion of secondary education.
- Annual Goals must be updated annually.
MDE IEP "Nice Practice" Tip:
- The IEP team should start with the measurable post-school goals in mind, and identifies
what the student will need to do the year prior to graduation, two years prior to
graduation, and so on back to where the student currently is.
ALL students must have postsecondary goals in the area of Employment and
Postsecondary Education and Training.
Independent Living does not need to be addressed, if the student does not have
any unique needs in that area.
Writing Measurable Postsecondary Goals
When: After high school... OR Upon graduation from high school...
Who: Student
What: use results-oriented terms such as "will be enrolled in", "will participate in", "will
work", and "will live independently"
How: Use descriptors such as "full time" and "part time"
Base goals on what the student wants to do after high school
7th and 8th grade students:
- if transition is included within the ER, you need to address Secondary Transition
components within the IEP.
Course of Study
- Course of Study are "multi-year" description of coursework. Project out two years.
- Course of Study are a PROJECTION of future coursework that is updated annually.
- Course of Study should CORRELATE to and SUPPORT the student's measurable post
secondary goal!
Course of Study for a student with significant disabilities may be described in course
content area, mobility, self-advocacy, personal relationships, but NOT merely stated as
"Functional living skills"
Course of Study is NOT JUST THE LIST of classes NEEDED TO GRADUATE.
They MUST CORRELATE to the student's postsecondary goals!
Transition Services
Transition Services are a coordinated set of activities determined by the IEP team to:
- Produce a results-oriented IEP process;
- Focus on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child;
- Facilitate movement from school to post-school activities;
- Based on child's needs, taking into account the child's strengths, preferences and
interests; and
- includes instruction, related services, community experiences, development of
employment and other post-school objectives and when appropriate functional vocational
evaluation.
Adding parents to the Transition Service Grid?!
* we can not force parents to do those actives.
MDE Points of Clarification in regards to Transition Services:
- Transition services must address the annual goals designated to assist the student in
reaching his/her postsecondary goal.
- What experiences must the student participate in this academic year to reach their
identified postsecondary goal?
- What services and specific instruction are essential this year for the student to develop
skills and knowledge to attain their postsecondary goal?