Michael Ward, Ph. D
Bridget Green
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39- credit online Master’s program
Courses focus on
Development of assessment
 Professional/scholarly writing
 Interagency Collaboration
 Instructional methods in special education
 Legal Issues and Policy for Individuals with
Disabilities
 Internship 300 hours in the field of transition
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20 students enrolled in the program
11 states
4 graduates as of Spring 13
6 graduates as of August 13
2 dropped out of the program
All are employed in one of the following roles
related to transition:
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Transition coordinator, special education teacher, general
education teacher, Disability Supports Coordinator,
school liaison for military families, administrative
assistant, school administrators
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300 hours
6 credits
Students collaborate with current transition
personnel to create a program/activity
Cannot be within his/her job responsibilities
Internships focus on students with disabilities
within the classroom, adults with disabilities,
interagency collaboration, and/or professional
development
Since our students are current working in
transition, internships are designed enhance the
practitioners performance and access to resources.
Two students are currently focusing on K-12 transitioning youth:
 One student is currently working with The Detroit Academy
of Arts & Sciences to write curricula and lesson plans
focusing on vocational needs, informal and formal
assessments, and self-determination skills with a vocational
focus
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One student received a grant to design a transition program
for students with disabilities in the military.
The programs focus on social skills, acquiring, securing, and
maintaining special education services during relocation, and
create “Connections Club” to welcome new students and parents
into the transition planning process.
 The program is currently being evaluated to see how students’
behaviors have changed since the beginning of the program.
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One student is created a Summer Youth Employment Program to
create e-portfolios for his students.
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He is closely working with RSA to have cases opened upon graduation. The eportfolio will contain all updated information needed by RSA and history of
the students interests, preferences, and skills pertaining to future employment
interests.
A student in Philadelphia is asked to be a chair of a Transition
Work Group which will focus on monthly support meetings for
parents of transitioning youth with disabilities.
She is finishing her film project on “What do you want to be when you grow
up?”, which is a film that focuses on employment goals of youth with and
without disabilities.
 Finally, she is working with special education personnel in charter schools to
teach them about transition requirements, expectations if IEP, transition goals,
and creating a collaborative on charter schools and transition.
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One student worked with her regional transition
team to create video modeling for students with
disabilities assisting in learning and retaining
social and job skills.
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She also worked with Wright State University to assist in
college readiness for students with disabilities in their
first year of college
One student has created a resource website for
three local transition councils in Pennsylvania
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Created a database that allows councils to communicate
ideas, share information with parents, and a transitionfocused resource for youth in the transition process