Student-Focused
Transition Assessment
Process
Jim Martin and Amber McConnell.
University of Oklahoma
Zarrow Center
Agenda




Purpose of Special Education
Building Transition Assessment Implementation
Timeline Across Grades and Student Abilities
Student Focused Assessment Concepts
Three-Part Transition Assessment Model


Self-Determination Skills
Vocational Interests and Skills




Can read
Can’t read
Independent Living Skills
Putting It All Together Into a Student Script

Students write draft PLEP, Strengths, and Needs
2
The Purpose of SPED
. . . a free appropriate public
education that emphasizes
special education and related
services designed to meet
students’ unique needs and to
prepare them for further
education, employment,
and independent living.
3
IDEA 2004 Post-Secondary Goals

IEPs must include
appropriate measurable
postsecondary goals
 based upon ageappropriate transition
assessments
 related to further
education, employment,
and when appropriate,
independent living
Transition Assessment
Implementation Timeline





Establish a comprehensive transition assessment
plan
Build by grade and skill level
Identifies what, who, when, and how often
Can establish school or district wide
implementation of a sequential transition
assessment process.
North Dakota’s Transition Assessment Matrix


http://www.dpi.state.nd.us/transitn/matrix/matrix.shtm
View Sample Transition Assessment Timeline
Student-Focused Planning
Principles
Two Basic Principles
 Students complete transition assessment
student versions along with family members
and educators completing their versions.


No assessment without direct student input
Transition assessments provide students
information to make decisions on
postsecondary and annual transition goals.

Implies that students be taught meaning of
transition assessment result
Questions Drive Student-Focused
Transition Assessment
Post-secondary Goal Questions



Where do I want to learn after completing high school?
Where do I want to work after completing high school?
Where do I want to live after completing high school?
Annual Transition Goal Questions



What do I need to learn now to be able to learn where I
want after completing high school?
What do I need to learn now to be able to work where I
want after completing high school?
What do I need to learn now to be able to live where I
want after completing high school?
Implications

Use transition assessments that include student
versions



Students need to be taught to understand results
of transition assessment
Students write summary of transition
assessment and present at IEP meeting


Student input as important as educator and family
member input
Includes statement for PLEP, strengths, and needs
Students describe match between present skills
and requirements for postsecondary goals and
what needs to be learned or changed to attain
postsecondary goals
Web Links


Handout lists all the web sites used today
Easy to read
Three-Part
Transition
Assessment
Model
Transition
Assessment Model Components
1.
2.
3.
Vocational Interest and Skills
Assessment
Self-Determination & SelfAdvocacy Assessment
Independent Living
Assessment
11
Vocational Interest &
Skills Assessment
and Exploration
Part 1 of the 3-Part Transition
Assessment Process
12
Belief




Work benefits individuals emotionally and
socially
Enables individuals to contribute to society
and to their own well being
Can be done without fear of losing social
security or other benefits
Adds meaning to life
Employment Options




Individual Competitive Employment
Individual Supported Employment
Group Supported Employment
At Home or Community-Based
Entrepreneurial Jobs
Vocational Interests for High
Achieving Students With Mild
Disabilities

Group Interest Inventories



ACT Explore
ACT Plan
U.S. Dept of Labor O*NET




www.onetcenter.org
Interest profiler, ability profiler
Look left under Products
Select career exploration tools
15
Self-Directed Search - Form E






Students with limited reading skills
Spanish version
manual, assessment booklets,&
occupations finder
Reports interests across occupations
Available: www.parinc.com
Cost: $150
18
Self Directed Search - Form R






Students with advanced reading skills
Spanish version
manual, assessment booklets,&
occupations finder
Reports interests across occupations,
educational opportunities, and leisure
Available: www.parinc.com
Cost: $150
19
On-Line Free Interest Inventories

On-Line Individual Interest Inventories

Career Clusters


http://www.careertech.org/resources/clusters/interestsurvey.html (download in pdf format)
State-based Career Web Sites

www.okcis.org (requires username and password)
http://www.learnmoreindiana.org
 http://www.cacareerzone.org/
I Oscar




www.ioscar.org
Dept of Labor


www.onetcenter.org
http://www.mynextmove.org/
20
Exploration of Interest Results

Occupational Outlook Handbook



My Next Move


www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm
www.bls.gov/k12/index.htm
http://www.mynextmove.org/
Job videos (English or Spanish)

Individuals & Job clusters

http://acinet.org/acinet/videos.asp?id=
27,&nodeid=27

www.careervoyages.com

Uses the above videos in an interactive format
21
Career Awareness & Exploration

Watching

Video


http://acinet.org/acinet/videos.asp?id=27,&nodeid=27
Provides numerous videos for students to watch







English or Spanish
Job cluster and skill categories
Horse Training
Coast Guard Assistant
Construction Workers
Live in the Community
Doing


Short exploration periods
Long-term try-outs
22
Functional Vocational
Assessment
Designed for Students
Involved in Work Study
Programs
23
What does the law say?
. . . and when appropriate . . . functional
vocational evaluation.
When to consider what’s appropriate?
When the previous informal assessments
do not provide needed information.
What do we use?
Tools that student’s can explore and make a job match.
24
Assumptions


Individuals with disabilities have personal preferences,
likes, and dislikes
ChoiceMaking is “an individual’s selection of a preferred
alternative from among several familiar options” (Shevin &
Klein, 1984)




No consequences exists for selecting one choice over
the other except that which comes from the choice itself
(Brigham, 1979).
Must have a means to communicate preferences
ChoiceMaking skills typically must be taught
ChoiceMaking opportunities must be provided
Functional Assessment
Process


Over time
Repeated Measures
Situational
Assessment
26
Basic Procedures




Prior to visiting a job site, individual will select
preferred tasks and characteristics
Visit job site and spend time watching and/or
doing tasks
After visit, will compare initial preferences to
those at the site
Process repeated across numerous sites
27
Coverage



Intensive lessons in teaching Choosing
Goals process (lessons 1 - 5)
Community-based assessment and
problem solving (lessons 6 - 15)
Classroom-based career exploration
(lessons 16 - 19)
28
Choosing Goals

Quick means for students to develop goals
Job Characteristics I Like


Teach Job Characteristics
Introduces Match Concept between



What I like
What’s at this job
Computes % of Matches
Key:
Determine
Match
Between
What I
Like and
What’s At
This Site
Each time student chooses a
characteristic one more cell on the
graph is marked
32
Vocational Interests via
Career Exploration - For
Those Who Can Read
Choosing Employment Goals
Sopris West Publishers
(www.sopriswest.com)
Requires reading and writing skills
33
Research



Choosing Goals Lessons 1 - 5 produced
significant differences in measures of selfdetermination across two assessment
instruments
Students expressed preferences in their IEP
meetings.
Students were in high school and had mild to
moderate mental retardation
(Cross, Cooke, Wood, & Test, 1999)
Job Duties I Like

Identifies job duties



Based upon current job or work experience
Assess preferences for job duties
Calculate % of Job Duties I Like
Job Duties - How I Did




Job duties identified and written onto form
Student evaluates speed, independent performance, and
accuracy
Supervisor evaluates speed, independent performance,
and accuracy
Match made between student and supervisor
37
Uses self-evaluation methodology to
teach job performance skills and to
assess job duty skills
38
Work, Social, & Personal Skills




Student rates performance
Supervisor or teacher rate performance
Calculates what supervisor thinks
Calculates match between worker and supervisor
Self-Determination Contracts to solve
on-the job problems
Employability/Life Skills
Assessment
Domains
 For students aged 14 –
21
 8 major domains & 24
items






Self-help skills
Work habits
Work Quality
Relations with Supervisor
Relations with Peers
Work Attitudes
Details
 Score items 1 to 3 scale
and totals by sub-domain
 Score across ages
 Prepares cumulative
graph of progress across
years
 Free: Download at:
http://scdcdt.webs.com/E
mployability%20Assessm
ent.pdf
Functional Vocational Assessment
Choice-Making
Vocational Interest
Assessment for Non-Readers
43
Basic Procedures




Prior to visiting a job site, individual will select
preferred tasks and characteristics
Visit job site and spend time watching and/or
doing tasks
After visit, will compare initial preferences to
those at the site
Process repeated across numerous sites
http://brookespublishing.com/pictureba
nk/
What Do I Want To Do?
What Jobs Have I
Done?
Characteristics I
Like vs Here
Compares initial
preferences to
those experienced
at a particular job
site.
47
Characteristics Graph
Personal
Improvement
Contract
49
Field Testing

751 Individuals with disabilities across 11 years







234 with mental retardation
145 with chronic mental illness
113 with severe learning disability
102 with physical disabilities
96 with other disability including autism
61 with traumatic brain injury
Replicated across numerous sites
More Data

Those who completed the assessment
process had a significantly greater likelihood
of a successful job placement than those who
did not complete the assessment process


Chi square p < .05
Of those successful, 92% came with two
placements. Significantly came with first
placement
Follow-up Data

5-year cumulative summary

88% still working




55% at same job
33% at different jobs
Major reason for job change was to move to
a better job
Over 93% of placements matched first or
second job choice
Resource

Self-Directed Employment




Paul Brookes Publishing
Baltimore
www.brookespublishing.com
Just went out of print
53
Personal Preference Indicators








Use Supplemental Preference Form
Interview format
Family members, friends, professionals who
know student well
Likes, dislikes, social indicators, choices
Health, body clock, future
http://education.ou.edu/zarrow/
Cost: free
Use the results in PLEP
Choose and Take Action
Vocational Assessment Software
Use of a software
program and community
experiences to identify
entry-level job interests
55
Target Population
Secondary students and adults with moderate
to significant cognitive needs who:
Have difficulty getting information from print
Can attend to a computer screen
Can follow simple 1 or 2 step directions
Have limited to no previous work experience
56
CTA Constructs
• Vocational Choice Making
Characteristics
Setting
Activities (jobs)
• Planning
• Community Experience
Watch
Do
• Self-Evaluation
• Choose Again with Adjustment
57
CTA Choice Factors
14 entry-level vocational settings found in most
communities
15 job activities repeated across two settings
Care for animals in a vet’s office
Care for animals in a retail store
12 characteristics repeated across two or three
activities
Working in a factory where it is inside and
noisy
58
CTA Features
A navigator to give instructions and guide
user through the program
Restricted mouse movements
Highlight critical features as navigator says
them
Record made of all choices
Input options may include user installed
touch screen
59

Format designed so teachers can add
comments on student performance
 Teacher can set number of video clips
student can see in one trial
 Pair of video clips presented together
 Minimum teacher control over available video
choices
Settings
Activities
Characteristics
Car repair shop
Bag items/bring carts
Big open space
Child care center
Care for animals
Small space
Construction site
Care for people
Clean
Factory
Care for plants
Messy
Greenhouse
Clean-up
Few people
Grocery store
Clear tables
Many people
Hospital
Filing
Inside
Hotel
Handle materials
Outside
Janitorial service
Heavy cleaning
Noisy
Landscape Company
Laundry
Quiet
Office
Move things
Wear own clothes
Restaurant
Do paperwork
Wear a uniform
Store
Stock shelves
Vet Office
Wash dishes
Yard work
61
62
63
64
65
Example Present Level

Current Assessment Data


The Choose and Take Action
assessment was completed on
11-8-09. Sam’s top three job
characteristics were working
outside, being with few people,
and quiet settings. Top four
activities were yard work,
taking care of plants, and
cleaning up. Top two settings
included landscape company
and green house.
Objective Statement

Sam’s top ranked choices were
being outside, doing yard work,
and working for a landscape
company.

Strengths


Anticipated Effects


Firm pattern of choices
demonstrated over time.
Experience in choicemaking will enable Sam
to begin in-depth job
exploration activities.
Needs


In-depth job exploration
Continued opportunity to
express choices during
the job exploration
process.
Employment Goals

Annual Employment Goal


Sam will undertake extended work-study experiences
at community-based job locations to identify at least
one job that obtains a 90% characteristic and and
90% job activity match.
Short-Term Objectives


Sam will correctly identify 100% of the illustrations
used in the characteristic and job activity match
process across three consecutive trials.
Sam will correctly identify 80% of the activities and
characteristics at a job site across three consecutive
trials.
Annual Employment
Coordinated Activities

Coordinated Activities

Complete work-study
experience at
cooperating
community-job sites.

Become involved in
Voc Rehab’s work
experience program.

Responsible Parties

Sam, transition
coordinator, and voc
rehab counselor
Publisher
Choose and Take Action: Finding a Job for You
Sopris West
4093 Specialty Place
Longmont, CO 80504
800.547.6747
www.sopriswest.com
69
One-Shot Vocational Interest
Assessment for Non-Readers
70
Personal Preference Indicators








Use Supplemental Preference Form
Interview format
Family members, friends, professionals who
know student well
Likes, dislikes, social indicators, choices
Health, body clock, future
http://education.ou.edu/zarrow/
Cost: free
Use the results in PLEP
Reading Free Interest
Inventory
Published by Pro Ed
www.proedinc.com
Price: $110
72
73
74
75
COPS-PIC




Non-Verbal Assessment of Occupational
Interest
EDITS / P.O. Box 7234 / San Diego, CA
92167
800-416-1666 / 619-222-1666 / Fax 619-2261666
25 copies for $50.90
76
Self-Determination
& Self-Advocacy
Assessments
Part 2 of the 3-Part Transition
Assessment Model
77
Self-Determination Constructs
• Self-awareness
• Self-advocacy
• Self-efficacy
• Decision-making
• Use of self-management
strategies to attain plan
• Self-evaluation
• Adjustment
78
Why SD Assessment?

Improved postsecondary outcomes




Goal setting during early adolescence
Awareness of disability
Goal attainment
Improved academic performance

Limited studies so far
79
Guide to Assessing College
Readiness




Landmark College “Parent” Assessment
Read each item with student and discuss
Provides Assessment for Self-Advocacy to
include in annual transition goals
Five Domains





Academic Skills
Self-Understanding
Self-Advocacy
Executive Functioning
Motivation and Confidence
AIR Self-Determination
Assessment




Parent Version
Teacher Version
Student Version
Available at


http://education.ou.edu/zarrow
Cost: free
81
82
Example Present Level of Achievement
Using the AIR Self Determination
Assessment Strengths




Current Assessment Data
Bill obtained a 48% on the
AIR Educator SelfDetermination Assessment
given on 11-8-09.
Objective Statement

Bill has about half of the
overall SD skills and
opportunities needed to
master these skills. He
needs increased school and
home opportunities to
develop and master
additional SD skills for
success in welding school.



Anticipated Effects


Knows own ability and
limitation and can
express these
Set goals
Change plan to
accomplish goals
When provided the
opportunity to set and
express goals at his next
IEP meeting, Bill can
engage in this activity.
Needs

Opportunities at school
and home to learn and
practice additional SD
skills
Annual Transition Goal:
Education/Training

Goal


Bill will increase his overall self-determination
score from 48% to 75% as measured on the AIR
self-determination assessment.
Objective/Benchmark


To demonstrate leadership at IEP meetings, Bill
will successfully implement 8 out of 10 IEP
involvement steps at his next IEP meeting.
Bill will develop and implement a weekly goal
attainment plan to attain two or more IEP goals by
successfully completing 90% or more of the Take
Action Goal Attainment process.
Annual Education/Training
Coordinated Activities

Coordinated Activities


Bill will discuss his
weekly goal attainment
plan with his family.
Bill will build his IEP
script with his family to
share at the IEP
meeting.

Responsible Parties

Bill and parents

Bill and parents
Self-Advocacy Checklists

Self-Advocacy is a crucial self-determination
concept



Students speak and act on their own behalf
Several Self-Advocacy Checklist exist
Self-Determination and Self-Advocacy Skills
Questionnaire



Student form
Parent form
Teacher forms (A & B)
ARC Self-Determination
Assessment




Student version
Must use the manual to score
Cost: free
Available at http://education.ou.edu/zarrow
88
Field and Hoffman SD
Assessments

SD Student Scale

SD Parent Scale
SD Teacher Scale
SD Observation Checklist
User’s Guide





Cost: free
Available at http://education.ou.edu/zarrow
ChoiceMaker SD Assessment

Curriculum Referenced Assessment




Sopris West (search by author: Martin)


Choosing Goals
Participating in IEP Meetings
Taking Action on Goals
www.sopriswest.com
Cost: $12.95 for 25 copies
92
ChoiceMaker Assessment
Example

Student Leading Meeting (1, 2, 3, 4 scale)








Begin meeting by stating purpose
Introduce participants
Review past goals
Ask for feedback
Ask question if don’t understand
Deal with differences in opinion
State need support
Close meeting by summarizing
Independent Living
Assessments
Part 3 of the 3-Part Transition
Assessment Model
94
Our Belief


The law states that an independent living goal
be addressed “when appropriate.”
We believe that to determine if an
independent living goal needs to be written,
an adaptive behavior assessment needs to
be given. This provides evidence of needing
an independent living goal or not. How else
would a team determine if an independent
living goal is needed?
95
Independent Living Assessments

Personal Preference Indicators


Life Skills Inventory


ProEd, Austin Texas (www.proedinc.com)
Enderle-Severson Transition Rating Form


ProEd, Austin Texas (www.proedinc.com)
Informal Assessments for Transition Planning


Informal and free
http://www.dshs.wa.gov/pdf/ms/forms/10_267.pdf
Transition Planning Inventory (TPI)


Informal and free (zarrowcenter.ou.edu)
www.estr.net
Casey Life Skills

www.caseylifeskills.org
96
Personal Preference Indicators






Interview format - Free
Family members, friends, professionals who
know student well
Designed for students with significant support
needs
Likes, dislikes, social indicators, choices
Health, body clock, future
http://www.ou.edu/content/education/centersand-partnerships/zarrow/preferenceindicators/air-self-determinationassessment.html
Life Skills Inventory


15 domains (money, hygiene, safety, etc)
Four levels: basic, intermediate, advanced,
exceptional




Must know 3 of 5 to advance from basic to
intermediate
Must know the person or have family member
complete
Cost: free
Available
athttp://www.dshs.wa.gov/pdf/ms/forms/10_2
67.pdf
Transition Planning Inventory





Home version
Teacher version
Student version
CD version speaks to students or parents and
automatically scores
Available From



(www.proedinc.com)
Pro-Ed
Cost: $175. Computer Version: $159.
Combo: $250
99
Informal Assessments for
Transition









Reproducible
Employment
Daily Living
Health
Self-Determination
Leisure Activities
Community
Participation
Communication
Interpersonal
Relationships
 Available
From
–(www.proedinc.com)
–Pro-Ed
 Cost: $39.00
100
Enderle-Severson Transition Rating
Form
 ESTR-J




ESTR-III




Students with mild disabilities
Parent (available in Spanish) and Teacher version
Five Transition areas
Students with “more” disabilities
Parent and Teacher version
Five Transition areas
ESTR-S




Students with severe/multiple impairments
Parent and Teacher versions
Employment, Rec/leisure, home living, community
participation, and adult life
Estr.net (each costs about $2.00)
101
ESTR Automatic Scoring
Casey Life Skills






Web based and FREE!!!
Spanish, French or English, with numerous
supplemental assessments
Youth and caregiver formats
Automatically scored and sent to you
Can obtain class summaries
Provides different levels of questions for
students across functioning levels



Level 1 basic skills
Level 4 complex skills
www.caseylifeskills.org
103
104
105
Example Present Level

Current Assessment Data


According to her Dad on the
Casey Life Skills assessment
(level 3) taken on 11-8-09,
Sarah mastered 33%
communication, 38% daily
living, 100% self-care, 67%
social, 50% work and study,
with a total mastery of 54%.

Strengths



Anticipated Effects

Objective Statement

Sarah has scattered
independent living skills that
suggests mastery of self-care
needs, and adequate
performance in social
situations. She needs to learn
communication, daily living, and
work/study skills to increase the
likelihood of successfully living
in her own apartment.

Self care
Social skills
When having the opportunity
to be by herself at home and
in the community Sarah has
self-care and social skills to
adequately present herself
and interact with others.
Needs

Opportunities at school and
in the community to learn
and practice communication,
daily living, and work and
study skills.
Annual Transition Goal:
Independent Living

Sarah will increase her daily living scores
from 38% to 95% and her communication
scores from 33% to 95% as measured by the
Casey Life skills level 3 assessment.
Casey Life Skills
Educational
Supplement
Assessment
Collaborative Effort
109
110
For More Information Contact:
Jim Martin and Amber McConnell
University of Oklahoma
Zarrow Center for Learning Enrichment
338 Cate Center Drive, Room 190
Norman, OK 73019
Phone: 405-325-8951
Jim’s E-mail: jemartin@ou.edu
Amber’s E-mail: ambermcc@ou.edu
Web: http://education.ou.edu/zarrow/
111