2008 Annual Conference on Best Practices for Nonpublic Special Education Programs

1. 2008 Annual Conference on Best Practices for Nonpublic Special Education Programs Transition-Rich IEP’s: Creating Synergy and Improving Outcomes! Presentedby: Staying in school Susan Walter Statewide Transition Consultant Illinois State Board of Education 618-651-9028 swalter@isbe.net or smwalter@charter.net Quality IEP’s Positive post-school outcomes Graduating

2. Illinois State Performance Plan, Part BYears 2005 - 2010 • State’s plan to meet performance standards on 20 indicators (Part B) - 4 are specific to secondary transition • % of youth who graduate • % of youth who drop out • 13. % of youth with transition components in the IEP • 14. % of youth who achieve post-school outcomes

3. Critical Interrelationships Staying in school Quality IEP’s Positive post-school outcomes Graduating

4. Transition Planning • Dynamic process • Transition planning is fundamental – not an “add on” to the IEP • Partnerships • Implementing a transition perspective is our goal • Maximizing employment, integration, and community participation for youth with disabilities

5. Definition of Transition Services • Transition services means a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that: 1. is designed within a results-oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate movement from school to post school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational education, integrated employment, continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living or community participation… 2. is based on the individual child’s needs, taking into account the child’s strengths, preferences and interests; and 34CFR §300.43(a)

6. 14 1/2 Transition Planning in Illinois • Beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the child turns 14 ½, and updated annually thereafter, the IEP shall include: • Appropriate, measurable post-secondary goals based upon age-appropriate assessments related to education, training, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills • Transition services that are needed to assist the child in reaching those goals, including courses of study and any other needed services to be provided by entities other than the school district 23 IAC 226.230(c)

7. Steps for Writing Transition-Focused IEP's

8. Step 1 • What does the student want to do beyond school? • Where and how does the student want to live? • How does the student want to take part in the community? Identify the student’s post-school goals or visions.

9. Age-Appropriate Transition Assessment Where does this fit? Sue Walter, 2008

10. Age-Appropriate Transition Assessments • For each post-secondary goal, there should be evidence that age-appropriate transition assessments – formal and/or informal – provided information on the student’s needs, taking into account strengths, preferences, and interests regarding the post-secondary goal Sue Walter, 2008

11. What does it mean? Age appropriate transition assessment is defined as an“…ongoing process of collecting data on the individual’s needs, preferences, and interests as they relate to the demands of current and future working, educational, living, and personal and social environments. Assessment data serve as the common thread in the transition process and form the basis for defining goals and services to be included in the Individualized Education Program (IEP)” Sitlington, Neubert, and Leconte. (1997). Career Development for Exceptional Individuals. 20:69-79.

12. NSTTAC Guidance on Age-Appropriate Transition Assessments • Guidance from the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) • Become familiar with different types of transition assessments and their characteristics • Select methods that assist students by helping them answer • Who am I? • What do I want in life, now and in the future? • What are some of life’s demands that I can meet now? • What are the main barriers to getting what I ant from school and community? • What are my options in the school and community for preparing me for what I want, now and in the future?

13. Age-Appropriate Transition Assessments • Select approaches that are appropriate for students in terms of cognitive, cultural sensitivity and language comfort. • Always interpret and explain assessment results in formats that students and families can understand easily • Consider the research-based practice of using multiple assessments on an on-going basis

14. Formal VS Informal • Formal transition assessments • Adaptive behavior/daily living skills assessments • General and specific aptitude tests • Interest inventories • Intelligence tests • Temperament inventories/instruments • Career maturity or employability tests • Informal transition assessments • Interviews (student and family) • Questionnaires • Direct observation • Curriculum-based assessments • Environmental analysis

15. Interest inventories Transition surveys Person-centered planning Curriculum-based assessments Structured interviews Social histories Career portfolios Employability skills inventories Assessments of post-school environments desired by the student Adaptive behavior inventories Life skills inventories Aptitude tests Personality scales Social skills inventories College entrance examinations Assessment of technology needs Vocational skills inventories Professional assessments For example… Sue Walter, 2008

16. Where to look… • http://www.ncwd-youth.info/assets/guides/assessment/AssessGuideComplete.pdf • http://www.nsttac.org/pdf/transition_guide/nsttac_tag.pdf • http://www.isbe.net/spec-ed/html/transition_video.htm • www.ILWorkInfo.com/icrn • http://www.illinoisworknet.com/vos_portal/residents/en/Jobs/Prepare/Skills/ • http://www.icsps.ilstu.edu/IllinoisNTC/index.asp • http://www.hrtw.org/tools/check_assessment.html Sue Walter, 2008

17. Step 2 Describe the student’s present level of academic achievement and functional performance. Knowing where students’ are functioning in relation to where they want to go and what they want to do in their adult lives is a critical step in the development of a transition-focused IEP.

18. Step 3 Design a course of study Transition services include courses of study that focus on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child to facilitate movement from school to post-school.

19. Courses of Study • Course of study, instructional program of study or list of courses of study should be in the IEP and should align with the student’s post-secondary goals. • Does a post-secondary goal require a certain minimum requirement of courses, e.g., college bound, trade school bound, etc.? • Does a post-secondary goal require or benefit from the successful completion of specific high school classes, e.g., a future chef planning to take and completing all cooking related classes, a future child-care provider planning to take and completing relevant classes in Family and Consumer Science, etc.

20. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Extended Age 14/15 Age 15/16 Age 16/17 Age 17/18 Age 18 - 21 Courses of Study

21. Step 4 • For each post-secondary goal, in association with meeting the post- secondary goal, is there • (a) instruction, • (b) related service, • (c) community experience, • (d) development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives, • (e) acquisition of daily living skills, if appropriate, or • (f) provision of functional vocational evaluation, if appropriate Design a coordinated set of activities that encompass transition services.

22. Transition services should… • Develop an outcome-oriented plan for adult life that addresses, plans for and coordinates what the student will learn in school and do following graduation or leaving school. • Make sure that the student’s needs, strengths, preferences and interests regarding his/her desired post-school activities are the focal point of the planning and resulting IEP. • Identify who will provide, be responsible for and pay for each activity • Identify the dates or school year in which each activity will be addressed and prioritize those activities to be addressed for the coming year

23. Reflecting on transition services • What services, supports or programs does this student currently need? • What services, supports or programs will this student need in order to achieve his/her desired post-school goals? • What services, supports or programs will this student need in order to ensure success as he/she enters the adult world? • Is the student linked to the needed post-school services, supports or programs BEFORE he/she leaves the secondary school setting?

24. A few examples… • Instruction (e.g., to complete courses needed for graduation, succeed in the general curriculum and gain needed skills) • Self-determination skill training including self-regulation, self-awareness and choice-making • Access and attend tutoring math and science sessions • Enroll in tech prep program for Family and Consumer Science in junior year • Contact JTCC for disability documentation policies • Obtain, complete and submit application to community college • Related Services(e.g., to benefit from special education, transition services and to enter the adult world) • Assistive Technology Evaluation • Occupational therapy services focusing on manual dexterity • Health/Social work services re: medication planning & independence

25. A few examples… • Community Experiences(e.g., outside of the school building and in community settings including banking, shopping, recreation, job sites, work experiences, counseling and transportation) • Volunteer to bus tables at cousin’s restaurant • Contact community volunteer center to find opportunity to assist with making food baskets and serving meals • Investigate wellness and fitness programs at the local Y: choose one activity to begin by junior year • Development of Employment & Other PS Adult Living Objectives (e.g., services that lead to a job or career and services that support activities such as registering to vote,filing taxes, renting a place to live, accessing medical services and accessing adult services such as Social Security Income [SSI]) • Meet with DRS counselor for eligibility determination and resources to support entry and attendance at an in-state college • Participate in job-shadowing at higher-end restaurants in the community • Participate in summer internship • Register at the local PO for selective service • Obtain assistance on management of financial resources and legal issues

26. A few examples… • Acquisition of Daily Living Skills(e.g., activities that adults do every day including preparing meals, budgeting, maintaining a home paying bills, caring for clothes and grooming, taking medication) and/or Functional Vocational Evaluation (e.g., assessment regarding job or career interests and skills using a variety of methods including situational assessment, observations or formal measures) • Regularly perform two household chores from a list provided by family • Learn to operate washer and dryer • Schedule and keep medical appointments independently (w/family assist sophomore and junior…independent senior year • Linkages to After Graduation Supports/Services • DHS/DRS local office • County DMV • Benefit Counselor (through DRS) • SSI regional office • Center for Independent Living (CIL) • Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) for medical home counseling

27. Step 5 • For each postsecondary goal, there should be at least one annual goal in the IEP that will help the student make progress toward the stated post-secondary goal. • In relation to the PLAAFP what does he/she need to work on to move toward the post-school goal… • Academic? • Community-based experience? • Functional and work skills? • Self-determination skills? Develop annual IEP goals and objectives

28. Post-School Goal(Result of Transition)John will attend community college full-time. Post-School Goal(Result of Transition)Susie will work full-time at a grocery or chain store. Annual Goal Using word processing software on a computer, John will compose a 5 paragraph essay, save it, retrieve and revise it, check for spelling and grammar errors, save the revised essay and print it. Annual Goal Susie will accurately complete job applications and a resume with correct spelling and grammar. Annual Goal Susie will learn to follow a schedule. • Objectives • Given a schedule of activities to complete during each instructional block of vocational activities, Susie will correctly complete the activity and check off as completed on her list without assistance for 5 consecutive days. • - Given a self-management time schedule, Susie will correctly list all activities to be completed and write in the “clock face” time at which each activity needs to occur, without assistance, for 5 consecutive days. • Objectives • Given a blank job application to complete, Susie will use a cue card which contains personal information, list of references, and previous experience to complete the application without errors. • Susie will use her job application cue card and a computer and its spell and grammar checking to create a resume with no errors. Objectives Using a computer typing program such as “Type to Learn” to learn keyboarding skills, John will type at a rate of at least 35 wpm with 4 or fewer errors. Using Microsoft Word, John will demonstrate that he can type an already prepared essay on the computer, name the file, and save it to a floppy disk or the hard disk of the computer. - Using Microsoft Word John will demonstrate that he can open a file which he had previously saved, edit the file, save the changes and print the file. Sue Walter, 2008

29. It is important to have a good “fit” between post-secondary goals and annual goals! Determine annual goals and short-term objectives or benchmarks Carmen will work full-time at a daycare or preschool program. Carmen will volunteer in the district’s preschool program during the 2nd quarter of the school term. Carmen will keep a weekly log of her duties in the preschool and present a one-page paper at the end of the quarter to her Family and Consumer Science class. Sue Walter, 1/07, ISBE Transition

30. Thoughts on accessing the Illinois Learning StandardsAccess Skills • Organize information • Communicate information • Advocate for one’s needs • Decision-making and problem solving • Inter/intrapersonal skills • Physical • Technology McAlonan, et. Al., 1998

31. Accessing Illinois Learning Standards • Appendix D of the Illinois Learning Standards, which can be accessed on the ISBE website, provides a linkage between the standards and Workplace Skills and Career Development Competencies. http://www.isbe.state.il.us/ils/pdf/appendixD_workplace.pdf • Demonstrating the linkage between the skills and the standards will afford teachers the opportunity to strengthen the applications of learning for students and increase curriculum integration in all disciplines at the school level.

32. Jack Kinder. High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation.

33. Illinois State Board of Education Indicator 13 Webpagehttp://www.isbe.state.il.us/spec-ed/html/indicator13.htm Will you be the rock that redirects the course of the river? -- Claire Nuer.

34. Bridging the Gap to Successful Adult Outcomes Changing Systems  Changing Rules

35. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act • Key points • Schools’ responsibilities • Services VS accommodations • Least restrictive environment (LRE), quality, and free appropriate public education • Availability of federal funds • Applies until student graduates or reaches the age of 21

36. Section 504 of theRehabilitation Act • Key points • Individual responsibility • Public institution responsibility for cost of assistance provision • Focus on services and supports • Focus on non-discrimination • Receipt of Federal funds by public institutions is linked to compliance with the law • Applications across environments

37. Americans with Disabilities Act • Key points • Individual responsibility • Institutions and employers responsibility for cost of assistance provision • Focus on accommodations VS services or supports • Focus on nondiscrimination, reasonableness and undue hardship • No link between Federal funds and compliance with the law • Application across all environments

38. Gaps and Inconsistencies • Roles and responsibilities • Process of determining assistance

39. What needs to happen in secondary education? • Focus on post-school outcomes rather than minimal compliance • Teach responsibility to youth with disabilities • Focus on transitioning modes of assistance

40. Reflecting on our work with students…keep in mind… • Provide opportunities for students’ to discover what they can and cannot do. • Provide opportunities for students’ to discover what they might be able to do with accommodations or further education and training. • Provide opportunities for students’ to try out work and life experiences based on their expressed interests.

41. Reflecting On and Evaluating Our Role in the Development of Plans • Did the consumer have the opportunity to actively participate in the development of his/her plan? • Did family and/or friends with a stake in the consumer’s future have the opportunity to participate? • Does the plan include statements about the consumer’s needs, preferences, and future lifestyle choices? • Do the goals/objectives reflect the opportunity to learn skills of self-determination and independence? • Do goals/objectives reflect movement toward the consumer’s chosen future lifestyle?

42. Plan Evaluation (Cont’d) • Do the goals/objectives provide opportunities for developing self-advocacy skills? • Do the goals/objectives promote acquisition of prevocational skills? • How will services meet goals/needs? • What are the consumer’s opportunities to develop relationships and participate in community? • What services/supports will be obtained from generic agencies or natural supports?

43. Synergy Basic Compliance Best Practices Dynamic Process Maximum employment, community intergration = and and participation for Partnerships youth with disabilities Sue Walter, 2008

44. The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. You cannot blow an uncertain trumpet. -- Theodore Hesburgh

45. Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must be first overcome. Samuel Johnson.

46. Sue Walter, 1/07, ISBE Transition

47. “There will always be some curveball in your life. Teach your children to thrive in that adversity.”Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe Sue Walter, 1/07, ISBE Transition