It’s simple, right? write a goal for yourself

1. Transition Assessment - Improving Measurable Postsecondary Outcomes for Secondary Students with Disabilities October 31, 2013 17thAnnual Eastern PennsylvaniaSpecial Education Administrators ConferenceHershey, PA Debra A. Neubert, University of Maryland dneubert@umd.edu Neubert, 2013

2. Neubert, 2013

3. It’s simple, right?write a goal for yourself Neubert, 2013

4. Challenges • The term – what does it mean? • DCDT position paper (PDF) • How does it become a process? • How are students and families active participants in this process? • Do we have personnel (trained) or who can do this and do we have monies? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nG8Gb45WwI Neubert, 2013

5. Challenges…. • Frameworks • Models • Methods • Websites • Left to states and locals to interpret • See PDF Article by Neubert & Leconte (2013)for Resources Neubert, 2013

6. Challenges.. PA Common Core Standards • Standards based education • http://www.pdesas.org/standard/commoncore • PA is a Participating State in the PARCC Consortium • Postsecondary Commitment to College and Career Readiness Neubert, 2013

7. Standards CC = Common Core CCR = College and Career Readiness (Anchors) RTTT = Race to the Top Initiative PARCC= Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers ILP = Individualized Learning Plans UDL = Universal Design for Learning

8. Proposal 1 TA serves as a foundation/framework • for youth with disabilities to identify measurable postsecondary goals (IDEA 2004) • for school system personnel to identify community and college resources that are available/necessary to assist to pursue these postsecondary goals Neubert, 2013

9. Transition assessment incorporates… • UDL as foundation for instruction, assessments, reaching goals Neubert, 2013

10. TA can serve as foundation • To make “Every YOUTH Career and College Ready” • Career Education • Self-Determination • Career or Individual Learning Plans (ILSs) • Prepare for Careers • Explore Multiple of Postsecondary Options Neubert, 2013

11. Proposal 2Guidelines and ideas… • for special educators, transition specialists, and administrators to work with youth with disabilities, their families, and interagency personnel in planning goals • an on-going and meaningful age-appropriate transition assessment process for planning transition services Neubert, 2013

12. Proposal 3Review…. • Of federal policy impacting transition assessment….terms, purposes, and assumptions • Aconceptual framework for TA • To Make the Match • To Integrate self-determination • To incorporate SOP; share assessment data • Inform Career and College Readiness Neubert, 2013

13. Transition Services – IDEA 2004 • designed within a results-oriented process • focused on improving the academic and functional achievementof the youth to facilitate movement from school to post-school activities • including postsecondary education; vocational education; integrated employment, and supported employment; continuing and adult education; adult services; independent living or community participation • PaTTN Neubert, 2013

14. IDEA is specific about IEP Requirements • Appropriate measurable postsecondary goals (PSE) • based upon age-appropriate transition assessments related to living, learning, and working • the transition services (including courses of study) needed to assist the child in reaching those goals Neubert, 2013

15. Part of IDEA 2004, Indicator 13 Current Measurement Languagehttp://www.nsttac.org/content/what-indicator-13 • Percent of youth with IEPs aged 16 and above with IEP that includes appropriate measurable postsecondary goals • that are annually updated and based upon • an age appropriate transition assessment, • transition services, including courses of study, • that will reasonably enable student to meet those postsecondary goals, and • annual IEP goals related to student's transition services needs with prior consent of the parent or student age of majority U.S.C. 1416(a)(3)(B)) Neubert, 2013

16. PAhttp://patransassessment.pbworks.com Neubert, 2013

17. Proposal 3Matching as Framework • Purposes • Roles • Resources/Examples • Focus is generally on assessing students! Neubert, 2013

18. Purposes of TA For students, to Identify • needs, strengths, preferences, and interests in relation to measurable goals for postsecondary education, independent living, and employment • Identify a focus of study and transition services to attain postsecondary goals • Identify accommodations, supports, related services, technology (do they work?) • Identify self-determination skills needed to • participate in IEP meetings; request accommodations • pursue post school goals; use SOP Neubert, 2013

19. For teachers to • Determine annual goals to learn skills to attain goals • Determine progress toward goal(s) and annual IEP goals • Determine when changes are needed Neubert, 2013

20. On-going assessmentOnce a youth’s needs, strengths, preferences, and interests are identified (age 14 or 16) along with desired post school outcomes • monitoringto collect data on the youth’s progress toward his or her post school outcomes, transition services, and academic and functional achievement; planningto address the youth’s changing needs, strengths, preferences and interests related to postsecondary education, independent living, and employment outcomes; and • instructing to youth and family on how to use results of TA in IEP and SOP as new information becomes available on the youth and additional environments Neubert, 2013

21. What stops students from pursuing their postsecondary goals? • No goals, no structured career awareness, exploration • Lack of information on “course of study” • 16 career clusters • How CTE ties into postsecondary goals • What does it take to get college • Why work towards integrated supported employment • Why attend college for students with ID • School Engagement • Academic Lack of upper level high school courses for college or advanced technical programs • Won’t disclose disability and request accommodations for individual needs • Behavior • Attendance, discipline, lack of supports Neubert, 2013

22. To Start Making a Match(it’s as easy and difficult as this!) • Methods for Assessing Student • Student Profile • Methods for Assessing Environments • Profile of the Environment Neubert, 2013

23. Environmental Dimension • Methods Assess Current and Future Settings • Job Analysis • Vocational Training Analysis • Educational Analyses of Secondary Courses • Educational Analysis of Postsecondary Education and Training Options • Community-mapping or Community Analysisof Agencies, Services and Resources • Congruence Dimension • Match Between Student and Environment • Yes • Plan Course of Study, Postsecondary Goal, Transition Services for IEP • Monitor Student Progress, Document and/or Update IEP and SOP • Possibly • Identify supports/services, accommodations, interagency links, technology and assistive technology needs to be successful in course of study, reach postsecondary goal, benefit from transition services • Monitor Student Progress, Document and/or Update IEP and SOP • No • Reconsider course of study, postsecondary goals, interagency links, supports • Identify additional assessment questions/methods for assessing students • Identify additional assessment questions for assessing environments • Monitor changes and progress, Document and/or Update IEP and SOP Individual Dimension Methods to Assess Student Background Review Interviews (Person Centered Planning) Formal Assessments and Reports Informal Assessments: Surveys & Inventories Curriculum-Based Assessment Performance Work Samples Behavior Observation Techniques Community-based Assessments: Situational Assessments, interning, shadowing, etc. Assistive Technology Assessment Neubert & Leconte 2013 Neubert, 2013

24. ….More purposes • Explore postsecondary environments that match measurable postsecondary goals • Stimulate interest/motivation to achieve post school goals • Valid info for SOP to advocate for needed, desired services • Identify accommodations, supports, services, technology, and funding needed upon exit Neubert, 2013

25. Focus on Tentative PS Goal and Course of Study (age 14-…) • In Middle School - what are the student’s expressed Post Secondary Goals for • Living • Working • Learning • What is available in the middle and high school to help student prepare or work towards these PSE? • This is the course of study – • General education courses with focus on college • CTE in and/or after school • Other experiences that will assist work towards or decide on PSE • What type of transition services are needed to reach goal(s)? Neubert, 2013

26. Planning • What methods will provide age-appropriate TA data that will assist the youth develop or further explore postsecondary goals and needed transition services during the secondary years? • What formal or standardized instruments might provide valid and reliable data on this youth’s needs, strengths, preferences and interests? Do the norms and development of the instrument take into account differences in culture, language, ethnicity, gender, nationality, and other factors relevant to diversity? • How will the information from informal methods, such as situational assessments be validated and triangulated? Where do I want to live after leaving high school? Where do I want to work after leaving high school or after postsecondary education? What do I want to learn after high school and where can I do this? Neubert, 2013

27. Assessing Students • Age appropriate methods • Level of career development and career maturity • What types of assessments can I find or what do we use in school system? • What resources do I have to assist with assessment? • Do I have Enough Info to Make a Profile on The Student? • or am I complying with the checkboxes in the IEP? Neubert, 2013

28. Assessing Environments Tools or Methods ** see References in PDF Can do as a group of students or teachers in a school Can share in multiple schools or with multiple families Can assign to students and families Job analysis for Work Environments Education Analysis for • Secondary • Postsecondary Community Analysis for Transportation, Services Adult Agency Analysis for Work, Living, Social Needs Neubert, 2013

29. Assess Current and Future Environments Is there a profile on the student that has relevant information that someone will use? Describe Have you figured out a way to analyze typical environments and share this information across schools? Describe • Assess Congruence - Is There A Match? • Yes * Schedule/refer student and monitor progress (then does it work?) • Course of Study to meet measurable PSE? • Interests and preferences match PSE? • Way to monitor progress, collect data, and use to update PSE each year? * Document for IEP and Summary of Performance Document • Possibly* Identify course of study and monitor (do interests, preferences match) * Identify accommodations, supports, services needed to reach goals * Identify UDL, assistive technology, technology needed to reach goals • No * Reconsider postsecondary goals Return to methods for assessing students • Return to methods for assessing environments • Reconsider How to Match – Think Outside the Box for Supports, Accommodations, Needs Assess Student Neubert, 2013

30. Example 1 Postsecondary Expectations “I want to live in a townhouse and have a red sports car” (age 20) - “I want to go college like my brother” attending school until 21 and will receive certificate - unpaid job tryouts in an enclave - one paid job for 2 months, part-time (fired) - summer jobs for last three years that father finds, monitors (some paid) family support (semi-independent living, work) Has SSI (monthly benefits = $450) Linked to vocational rehabilitation, developmental disabilities agency for on-going funding for adult services • Average townhouse price is = $350,000 • Average red sports car (my choice) = $24,000 • Medicaid waiver for family to manage son’s supports and services for jobs and independent living (full)? • Analysis of Agency suggested by School – some opportunity for work in community, or work at agency (minimum wage or below minimum wage) Neubert, 2013

31. What’s next? Higher Education Adult Systems Employment Systems DD Adult Providers Rehabilitations Workforce Investment Neubert, 2013

32. What’s Next? College Experience, Degree, Certificate? Adult Service Systems Employment Systems PA Workforce Development OVR (Dept Labor & Ind) Developmental Disabilities Dept of Welfare, ID Services Programs, Facilities, Services • Think College.net – Options for People with ID • Office of Postsecondary Education • FIPSE Neubert, 2013

33. Another Student’s PSE Outcome “attend college” within one hour of home assessment data you need to have or collect Analysis of colleges include: SAT scores, GPA, activities, services and supports, dorms, transportation Use College Board website to enter student assessment data and generate list of college Review Websites, then Visit Community College Private College (small) Large university (if within one hour of home) • Interests, Preferences • Strengths • Needs • Academic Achievement • Accommodations Needed • Supports or Services • Parental Support • Recommendations from updated evaluation Neubert, 2013

34. Personnel Issues/Roles Neubert, 2013