Individualized Education Plans
A. Assessment: Transition-Focused
1. What areas need to be assessed?
a. Independent Living: Selecting a lifestyle and future living situations
and developing skills to live as independently as possible.
1. Money Management
2. Nutrition
3. Personal grooming
4. Health care/sexuality
5. Cooking/cleaning
b. Community Participation: Accessing community resources including
people, places, and activities in the community.
6. Mobility, travel skills, driver’s license
7. Community activities such as shopping and banking
8. Library, post office, medical facilities, banks
9. Accessing community resources such as the Department of
Rehabilitation (DR), Employment Development
Department (EDD), Regional Centers, Mental Health, and
Social Security.
c. Recreation/Leisure: Knowing about and experiencing social and free
time activities.
10. Identifying community sites to match interests (sports,
hobbies, movies)
11. Listening to music
12. Spending time with others
13. Sports leagues, youth clubs
d. Job Training/Employment: Determining career interests and
developing work skills.
14. Career interest matched to strengths, talents and interests
15. Level of supervision needed
16. Ability to ask for help
17. Task completion
18. Initiation
19. Interview skills
20. Work experience
e. Postsecondary Learning Options
21. Matching career goals to appropriate education setting
22. Preparation and application to university, community
college, technical school, adult education classes, ROP or
training centers.
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2. Transition Assessment Strategies
a. Use informal methods of assessment such as interviews and
observation in classroom, home, and community.
b. Make sure formal evaluations results (ie academic test, etc.) are
explained to the student and family in a way that they can use the
information to make choices and decisions.
c. Gather information from the student, family, school staff and
other agencies that are currently providing services to the student
(ie medical, Mental Health, Regional Center, Social Services,
California Children Services).
d. Use only the part of the assessment tools that are most relevant
and update information rather than starting over.
e. Collect and summarize the information before the IEP meeting
and share with the student, family and other staff members so the
time at the IEP meeting can be focused on developing or
updating the student’s transition goals and objectives.
3. Assessment Tools
a. Interview: Ask the student and his/her family or care providers
about their dreams, goals, strengths, needs, interests, and
preferences
b. Questionnaire- Checklists- Survey: These are typically check
lists or rating scales of transition skills by transition areas of
employment, education, daily living, community participation,
and recreation/leisure. Use versions for student, parent/care
provider, and teacher
c. Self awareness inventories and surveys: Explore strengths,
learning styles, personality, aptitude, interests, values, disability
awareness, and accommodations.
d. Career assessment:
1. What does the student enjoy doing at home or for a hobby?
2. Classroom lessons on career clusters.
3. Visiting work sites: job shadow, field trips, and
informational interviews.
4. What students are doing in general education classes
(career units, counseling)
e. Situational assessment: Observe and record skills and behavior
in real-life settings including the classroom, campus, community,
and work sites.
f. Portfolio
4. Assessment Summary
a. An assessment summary report should be completed and written
in a way that is meaningful to all team members, including the
student and parent/care provider.
b. Reviewing the assessment information with the student and
preparing him/her to have a role in presenting relevant
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information at the IEP is one of the most important outcomes of
the assessment process.
c. Many teachers help students organize their transition planning
information on a visual organizer for the IEP.
B. Transition Services Plans
IDEA ’04 requires that at age 16, and updated annually thereafter, the IEP
include:
“appropriate measurable post-secondary goals based upon age appropriate
transition assessments related to training, education, employment, and
where appropriate, independent living skills. The transition services
(including courses of study) needed to assist the child in reaching those
goals must be included.”
1.
Statement of Needed Transition Services:
This portion of the IEP planning process identifies the transition service
activities, personnel, or resources that can be utilized to help the student
achieve his/her desired post school dreams and goals. There are five main
categories of transition services that must be considered by the IEP team:
a. Instruction: The student is required in specific areas to
complete classes, to succeed in the general curriculum, and to
gain needed skills.
b. Community Experiences Outside the Classroom Setting:
Examples could include community-based work experience or
exploration, banking, shopping, travel training, counseling, and
recreational activities.
c. Related Services: The student may need services from other
providers in order to achieve his/her educational goals.
d. Linkages: Access to adult agencies and other providers needs
to be arranged before the student leaves the school system.
e. IF appropriate:
1.
2.
2.
Daily Living Skills: The student may require
practice performing activities that adults do every
day (e.g., preparing meals, shopping, budgeting,
maintaining a home, paying bills, grooming).
Functional Vocational Evaluation: An assessment
process that provides practical information about
job or career interests, aptitudes, and skills.
Information may be gathered through situational
assessment, observation, or formal measures.
Consult the Transition Requirements Checklist.
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C. Annual Goals and Short Term Objectives
1.
Characteristics of well developed IEP goals:
a. Based on assessment of current skills.
b. Reflect priorities of family and other members of IEP team.
c. Goals linked to long term goals for student.
d. Goal reflects next logical step toward long term goal.
e. Goals reflect scope of all component skills to achieve long term
goals.
f. Goals reflect active student behavior.
g. Goals specify context in which skill is to occur.
h. Goals are objective and measurable.
2. IEPs should contain annual goals and short term objectives in each of the
following domains:
a. Social/Behavioral
b. Independent Living
c. Community Access
d. Functional Academics
e. Vocational
f. Leisure/Recreation
g. Communication
3. Example of annual goals and short-term objectives:
Annual Goal: By 1/07, (student’s name) will identify, state the value and combine coins (penny, nickel, dime,
and quarter) to equal a selected amount (demonstrated with 5 combinations) when given indirect verbal
assistance with 80% accuracy across 3 consecutive trials.
Short-term objectives:
By 4/07, (student’s name) will identify, state the value and combine coins (penny, nickel, dime, and quarter) to
equal a selected amount (demonstrated with 5 combinations) when given direct verbal and gesture assistance
with 60% accuracy across 3 consecutive trails.
By 6/07, (student’s name) will identify, state the value and combine coins (penny, nickel, dime, and quarter) to
equal a selected amount (demonstrated with 5 combinations) when given direct verbal assistance with 80%
accuracy across 3 consecutive trials.
By 11/07, (student’s name) will identify, state the value and combine coins (penny, nickel, dime, and quarter) to
equal a selected amount (demonstrated with 5 combinations) when given indirect verbal assistance with 60%
accuracy across 3 consecutive trails.
D. Related Services
1.
Related Services are intended to assist a student to benefit from his/her
educational program. They may include, but are not limited to:
a. Speech and Language Development
b. Occupational Therapy
c. Adapted Physical Education
d. Additional Assistance
e. Nursing and Health Services, including Licensed Vocational
Nurse
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f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.
o.
Assistive Technology
School-Based Counseling
Mental Health Services
Vocational Assessment
Orientation and Mobility Training
Travel Training
Behavior Management
Audiological Services
Interpreter for the Deaf
Related services may be provided to students on an individual
basis, or integrated into the program across all domains for all
students. The service delivery will depend upon the decisions
of the IEP team relative to the most appropriate way to address
each student’s needs.
E. Progress Reporting
1.
Students receiving special education are to receive a progress report
relative to their goals and objectives at least as often as their nonhandicapped peers receive progress reports. Bridge students should
receive a progress report at least quarterly, commensurate with their
secondary peers.
2.
Progress may be documented directly on the IEP goal sheets, and a copy
given to the parents/care providers, or on a progress report form requested
at the time the goals and objectives are printed from MIS.
F. Specialized Health Care Procedures
1.
Any individual with exceptional needs who requires specialized physical
health care services during the regular school day, should have, in their
special education file and cumulative record Health folder, ca complete
description of the specialized procedures required.
2.
Immediately contact the program’s Nurse to review the student’s needs.
The Nurse will conduct the necessary interview with parent/care
providers, and assist in the development of a health care treatment plan.
The Nurse will also be responsible for coordination training in the
delivery of these services.
G. Three Year Re-evaluation Worksheet
1.
Consult the Special Education Handbook with regard to completion of the
Three-Year Re-evaluation Worksheet and the appropriate form to use.
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2.
While the Three-Year Worksheet need not be completed in the context of
an IEP meeting, all members of the IEP team must be consulted as to
their recommendations for assessment.
3.
If the parent/care provider requests assessments for the three-year reevaluation, assessments must be completed even if the team recommends
no further assessment.
H. Exit Criteria/Exit IEP
1.
During the IEP meeting in which the Transition Services Plan is
developed or reviewed, the IEP team must document the expected date of
graduation or program completion.
2.
Students may exit the special education program under the following
conditions:
a. The student meets graduation standards set by the school district.
b. The student withdraws from school district enrollment.
c. The student reaches age 22. [ED. Code 56026(A)(C);56041]
1) A student who becomes 22 years of age during the months of
January to June, inclusive, while participating in a program may
continue through the extended year.
2) A student who becomes 22 years of age in July, August, or
September of that fiscal year may not begin a new fiscal year.
3.
A student who becomes 22 years of age during the months of October,
November, or December while participating in a program under this act
shall be terminated from the program on December 31 of the current
fiscal year.
4.
It is essential that an exit IEP be held prior to a student’s leaving the
Bridge Program, in which the Transition Services Plan is updated,
and all related adult service providers are present to insure the
student’s successful transition to adult programs. The IEP team
determines the progress that the student has made in achieving the goals
and objectives set forth in the previous IEP. The IEP notes indicate the
circumstances of the student’s exit and whether or not continuing special
education or related services are required.
Data Collection
A. Documentation: Documentation is essential in delivering the Bridge Program
Systems for documentation may be developed by staff for the following:
1.
Departing and arriving for field trips and community-based activities.
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2.
The administering of medications and other health procedures.
3.
Students’ seizure activity, if any.
4.
Emergency incidents, including antecedents if known, and consequences.
B. Data collection and management: If a student’s level of proficiency with a skill
is to be measured by the number of successful attempts for a given number of
trials, skills must be probed on a regular basis, and the resulting data charted and
analyzed. Staff must implement appropriate data collection and management
strategies.
C. Portfolios and Work Samples: If a student’s level of proficiency with a skill is
to be measured by work samples and progress over time, creating and maintaining
portfolios of selected work samples is a method of collecting physical evidence of
a student’s skills. Portfolios may contain written work, math samples (e.g.,
checkbook register), art work, and photographs of the student during an activity.
Samples are reviewed at progress reporting time, the student’s skills assessed, and
a brief narrative written reflecting the student’s gains.
Portfolios require folders, a box or filing cabinet for storage and retrieval, and the
dating and regular filing of student’s work. Students may participate in selecting
the samples that go into their portfolios.
In addition to progress reporting, portions of the portfolios may also be used to
assist students with job applications and interviews.
D. Progress Reporting:
1.
Students in the Bridge Program received progress reports relative to their
goals and objectives at least as often as their peers without disabilities.
2.
Progress towards achieving each goal and objective must be determined
and whether the student will achieve the goal or objective by the
projected date on the IEP. If progress is not being achieved, change
instruction, change the goals or objective, or change the criteria. Such
changes will require an IEP meeting.
3.
An Alternative Curriculum Student Progress Report Form is available.
E. Cumulative Record Files: It is the responsibility of the Case Manager to insure
that the students’ cumulative record files are in order, that the documentation in
the file is appropriate, and that special education records are accurately and
confidentially maintained. All special education documentation should be bound
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into a blue file folder within the cumulative record file, and marked Confidential.
Each cumulative record file should contain an access log, documenting the
individuals who have reviewed the file.
Service Delivery
A. Classroom
1.
Instruction is based on the content of the students’ IEP’s, as well as
content reflecting the educational domains common in adult transition
programs. These domains include:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
Social/Behavioral Skills
Independent Living Skills
Community Access and Participation
Functional Academics
Vocational Skills and Interests
Leisure Activities
Communication
2.
Consult the Scope and Sequence Charts: Extended Versions in The
Syracuse Community-Referenced Curriculum Guide, A. Ford, and pg.
323ff for assistance in assessing students’ current levels of performance
and developing IEP goals and objectives in the identified domains.
3.
Utilize task analysis of group activities to insure that individual levels of
proficiency are addressed for each participant.
4.
Consider safety in all situation, especially:
a. Movement within the classroom, considering the placement of
equipment with regard to traffic patterns and students’ mobility
levels.
b. Movement between classrooms and in other areas of the campus.
c. Participate in all toileting, lifting, and safety staff development
opportunities. Staff development is to be arranged by the Program
Administrator, Designated Administrator, and/or Program
Specialist with the District Risk Manager at the Dent Center.
d. Employ safe lifting and transferring practices at all times. Wear
appropriate lifting support belts, obtained from Risk Manager.
e. Provide direct supervision to students at all times. Review the
Missing Student Event procedures and preventive strategies in this
handbook.
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B. Community
1.
Community activities are to be an integral part of the students’ IEP goals
and objectives, and have direct relationship to their curricula.
2.
Locations for community activities are to be ADA accessible.
Determining accessibility is the responsibility of the adults accompanying
the students.
3.
Job development, placement, and coaching are provided to students
through collaborative between the Bridge and Workability staffs.
4.
Students’ travel skills will be assessed, appropriate goals and objectives
developed, and training provided such that each student can access the
community with the least restrictive mode of transportation.
5.
Field trips are to be planned in advance, following district policies and
procedures. Field trip forms are available.
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