Secondary Transition Education Scholars

1. Secondary Transition Education Scholars Jim Martin and Kendra Williams-Diehm University of Oklahoma Dept of Ed Psy & the ZarrowCenter

2. Mission To prepare secondary transition education scholars who can improve the delivery of transition education to increase employment and post-secondary education outcomes.

3. Program Overview • 36 semester hour Masters in Special Education Degree with focus in secondary transition education • Designed for educators working in secondary or post-secondary education environments • Two-year course of study with evening courses • Social Work Professor and Special Education co-teach two family courses • Needed expertise to effectively engage families, especially those from diverse and low socio-economic backgrounds in the transition planning and implementation process • Offered as a Social Work class with MSW students attending the class • Mentoring model • Year one cohort mentors year two cohort

4. Courses • Five Core courses for all Master Degree students • 15 hours • Four Transition Courses (12 hours) • Transition and Self-Determination • Postsecondary Education and Employment • Transition Assessment • Transition Practicum • Implement major change within current system • Done within own classroom with extension outside classroom or current program • Two Social Work Transition Courses (6 hours) taught in School of Social with MSW students in class • Engaging Families of Students with Disabilities • Practicum in Engaging Families • Directed Transition Project or Thesis (3 hours)

5. Student Information • First cohort of 9 students began classes in Fall 2012 • Two transition specialists • One postsecondary educator • Six secondary special education teachers • One transition specialist going taking additional courses to obtain special ed certification • Second cohort of 9 students will begin class Fall 2013 • One postsecondary educator • Eight secondary special education teachers • 2 middle school special education teachers • Students receive $18,000 stipends across two years to cover tuition, fees, books, mileage, etc • $3,000 in support to attend professional conferences

6. Directed Projects or Thesis Underway • All students required to completed Directed Project on a transition issue • In-depth paper including a literature review • Applied project • Projects Underway (due spring 2014) • Starting and maintaining an Oklahoma DCDT chapter • Establishing Student-Let IEP meetings throughout district’s secondary programs • Determining the effectiveness of an instructional program to teach students to attain annual transition goals

7. Professional Development • 8 of the 9 first year cohort Attended 2012 DCDT Conference in Denver • All of cohort 1 and 2 will attend 2013 DCDT Conference in Williamsburg • Five of the first cohort submitted proposals to present at 2013 DCDT in Williamsburg • Six of the first year cohort presented at the 2012 Oklahoma Transition Institute

8. Issues • Currently face-to-face delivery at OU campus in Norman • Many potential applicants from across the state want to become Transition Scholars, but too far away from campus. • On-line program not possible at this time • Possible solution: Offering Instructional TV live broadcasts to sites across the state via the state’s OneNet TV system • OU Tulsa • Career Tech Centers • Community Colleges

9. More Information • Visit the OU Special Education web page • OU Special Education Web Page