Transition Planning...The RIGHT Way!!

Sandy Macdonald

Transition Consultant

sandymac09@aol.com

Let’s Review a Few Things

About Transition Planning:

Transition Planning:

o Is results-oriented

o Focuses on the education and training needed to help students reach their long-term goals

o Facilitates the movement from school to post-school activities

o Based on the student’s needs; taking into account preferences, strengths, and interests

Why is Transition Important?

• To prepare students for change

• To ensure that appropriate steps are being taken

• To help students become more self-determined

• Understand their disability

• Make better, more appropriate choices for themselves

• Take ownership of their lives!

When Do You Discuss Transition?

• A Transition Plan as part of the IEP must

be developed by age 16 or in the 8th grade, whichever comes first.

• However, parents may request to

develop a Transition Plan at any age

Who Is Included In Transition Planning?

• Student

• Parents/ Guardians

• Teachers: General Ed and Special Ed

• Local School Administrators

• County Level Support: Coordinators, Instructional

Coaches, Related Services personnel

• Agencies that may provide services during and/or

after high school

What Does IDEA Say About this?

• Students must attend or the teacher must take steps to ensure student’s preferences and interests are considered when developing the transition plan

• Parents should receive notice the student is invited, that this is a transition plan meeting and be informed of any other agencies that are invited

• The student should be listed as a participant on the Notice of Meeting

Pair and Share

Why is it important to

create unique transition

plans for each student?

Why Address This? • Every student is important!!

o “Cookie Cutter “ transition plans do a disservice to the student

o If we don’t place importance in writing a customized plan, what good is

it??

• Post Secondary Goals are important!! o Need to know where the student is going if we are to successfully prepare

students to transition.

o Helps the team develop annual transition goals that reflect what the

student will need to achieve his/her goals.

• Transition goals and activities/services are

important!! o They drive the development of the IEP.

o Many times, are still nothing more than an “afterthought”.

Why is the Transition Plan such

an important document?

The Transition Plan Simply Answers these Questions....

1. Where is the student presently?

o Preferences section

2. Where is the student going?

o Postsecondary Goals

3. How do we get the student there?

o Annual Transition Goals

• Activities/Services

Transition Writing Tools

• Step By Step Manual

• Transition Plan Reference Sheet

• Sample Transition Plans

Another Activity!

• Get with a partner and answer:

How can we make sure that each

transition plan is perfect for each

student?

How Do I Make the Transition Plan

Meaningful for Each Student?

• Do assessments (questionnaires) WELL in advance.

• Have the student with you when you draft the

transition plan.

• Prep the student on what he/she will do and say

during the meeting.

• Review the TP every time you review the rest of the

IEP.

Why is the student’s involvement so

important in all of this?

Self Determination Tips • Talk with your caseload students about:

o Their disability

o Their accommodations; talking to their teachers about them

o What THEY want/need

o To what degree they will be involved in their IEP meeting

• Let parents know what conversations you have or

intend to have with the students regarding these

items.

• Encourage the parents to allow their child to make

as many choices as they can and be as

independent as possible.

Examples of Student Led IEP Power Point

Presentations

• Nick – middle school

• Susie – high school

Sources for Transition

• National Center on Secondary Education and

Transition

o www.ncset.org

o www.youthhood.org

• Set up an account

• Learning about: going to high school, making

and keeping friends, employment,

volunteerism, your rights, insurance, health &

safety, and living independently

More Sources

• National Gateway to Self-Determination

o www.aucd.org/NGSD

• 3-7 min. videos

• Resource guide

• Zarrow Center

o http://www.ou.edu/content/education/centers-

and-partnerships/zarrow.html

• University of Oklahoma – great materials!

More!

• I’m Determined

o www.imdetermined.org

• Videos

• Teaching materials

• Ppt. templates

• Addresses elementary, middle and high

• AHEAD – Association on Higher Education And Disability

o www.ahead.org

• Students and parents (FAQ’s, Transition Resources

A-Z)

And, another one!

• Transition Coalition

o www.transitioncoalition.org (Kansas University)

• Georgia’s GraduateFIRST

• Transition Tips

• Publications

• Transition Certification

o KU program

o Itran – online masters certification program

• Financial assistance now available for GA!!

o Continuing ed series

o Free on-line training modules (you get a certificate and 5

training hours for each module)

Helpful Websites

• Vocational Rehabilitation o Georgia Rehabilitation Services Home Page - GDOL

• Project SEARCH o www.projectsearch.us

• Council for Exceptional Children o www.cec.sped.org

• Publication: Student-Led IEP’s

o www.gacec.org

• Division for Career Development and Transition o www.dcdt.org

• Lots of transition stuff!!

Books/Curricula • Next STEP (Student Transition and

Educational Planning) o 16 lessons

o Teacher materials: lesson plans, assessment tools, reproducibles

o Student workbooks

o Video tape – vignettes

• Steps to Self-Determination o 16 lessons

o Teacher materials: lesson plans, assessment tools, reproducibles

o Cd

o Vignettes on DVD

Transition Assessments • Transition Questionnaires

o Student and parent versions o Middle, 9th and 10th graders, 11th graders, 12th graders

• GA College 411

• Career Cruising o Career Matchmaker (interest inventory ) o Learning Styles inventory o Ability Profiler

• O*NET Interest profiler (what DOL uses) o www.mynextmove.org

• Brigance Transition Skills Inventory • AIR Self Determination Assessment

o The Zarrow Center

• The Arc Self-Determination Scale o www.beachcenter.org, publications

• ESTR assessments – for mild, moderate and severe/profound. Teacher and parent versions. Spanish available.

That’s All!!