Transition Services
Ed O’Leary, Ed. D.
Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center
Specialist in transition requirements, and services.
Utah State University
Logan, UT
Also available: Handout, information given today is on the
following website:
http://www.usu.edu/mprrc/curproj/se/strans/sectrans.cfm
This web site gives downloadable IEP’s help for educators and comments.
Also overview, comments and recommended action for transition services are available.
Ed is a specialist in the area of transition. Trains school districts and states
in the area of transition.
Paper work reduction: think about IEP as a 3-year document. Keep the current
level of performance, and build upon it. Review, revise, but don’t rewrite.
With the transition plan, the plan should build and keep moving forward. If
you build a good plan to start, you don’t need to rewrite it.
Transition Plan should also include plan to keep student into school. Schools
often treat kids as a football. They are passed off in their senior year and
everyone lets the person go.
The appropriate analogy is a “relay race,” the baton must be held
together as the child moves from one place to the next.
Problems impeding youth transition to postsecondary education and employment:
- Lack of self-advocacy training – youth’s view
- Insufficient information about the Transition process – Parent’s
view
- Insufficient vocational education and work-related experiences – Researcher’s
view
- Lack of transportation after high school to work or postsecondary school –
Federal, state and local official’s. view
- Absence of linkages between school systems and adult service providers –
Teacher’s view
o # 1 problem is NOT inviting outside agencies for those kids that will need
services.
o Of 11,000 cases reviewed only 17% invited outside agencies when needed.
Purpose – The purpose of special education is now all about results. Results
–oriented approach and preparing students for further education.
Philosophical Foundation – found right in the law. A Disability is a natural
part of the human experience and in no way diminishes the right of individuals
to participate in or contribute to society.
This includes:
- Living independently
- Enjoying self-determination
- Making choices
- Pursuing meaningful careers
- Enjoying full inclusion and integration in the economic, political, social,
cultural and economic mainstream of American society.
It is critical that all students identified with ANY disability should attend
everyone of their PET meetings. It is unconscionable to have a PET without the
child.
We all will experience disabilities. It is a human experience and in no way
diminishes the right of individuals to participate or contribute to society.
Transition : Formal process of cooperative planning
Collaboration is an unnatural act performed by two non-consenting adults!
IEP Process for the Transition Services
IEP process of the past
Present Level of Performance --- Annual Goals …Short term objectives
IEP process of the future:
Postsecondary Goals (vision) –Present Level of Educational Performance
– Statement of Transition service needs (education plan) – Statement
of needed transition services (long range plan for adult life) – Annual
goals – Short term objectives/ benchmarks.
Understanding the Language –
The transition plan needs to be in place at the time of the 16th birthday. That
means that if they turn 16 during the year, the plan must happen at another
PET or at the age 15 PET. Transition plans lower the drop out rate! This speaker
said that this was a mistake (probably put in place for paper work reduction).
It is recommended to put transition plans in place in middle school.
Delaware last year reported for the first time that the Special education student
drop out rate was below the regular population.
A statement for transition is a broad accounting of what will happen, when it
will occur, who is involved and who is responsible. A statement is not a sentence
or suggestions from a pull down menu.
Transition Services Defined: there are no required short-term objectives, but
rather a coordinated set of activities and responsible people to make this work.
Transition Services: a coordinated set of activities designed within an outcome
– oriented process that promotes movement from school to post-school activities
including:
- Post-secondary education
- Vocational training
- Integrated employment (including supported employment)
- Continuing and adult education
- Adult services
- Independent living or community participation
Transition Issues – 2005
IEP Team participants – invitation of the student to their IEP meeting.
(see handout, 17 slides on this)
Key points – To get any post-secondary services you must have current
evaluation information. If it is older than 3 years, it won’t be accepted.
An IEP alone will not suffice and services may be declined.
Impact: This contained current information about the current
requirements of transition.