Postsecondary Goals,and Assessments for
Transition
Hou Met
Karen Pepkin
Education Specialist
Region 4 Education Service Center
Agenda
Assessments
Postsecondary goals
Summary
Transition Assessments
Transition Assessments
Assessing for transition involves a:
“Planned, continuous process of obtaining, organizing and using information to assist individuals with disabilities of all ages and their families in making all critical transitions in the students’ lives both successful and satisfying.”
Assessment for Transition Planning – Gary Clark
The Law and AssessmentsIDEA 2004
…the IEP must include
(1) appropriate measurable postsecondary goals based upon age appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment and where appropriate, independent living skills
CFR §300.3
Transition Assessment Is an ongoing process
Can be formal or informal
Is based on what you need to know about that student
Is Individualized, not generic
Can be simple or complex
A Tale of Two Assessments
Janine is a 17 year old 11th grade student with a learning disability in math. She is sociable and is passing all her courses with accommodations. She is interested in going to college, but has no idea what she wants to do.
Jackson is a 16 year old 9th grade student who is hard of hearing and has Asperger’s Syndrome. His CTE teacher reports that he is technologically talented and Jackson has stated that he wants to work in the computer field.
Should these two students get the same assessment?
What Can We Assess?In General:
Student interests
Student strengths
Student preferences
Functional performance data
Training
Education
Employment
Independent living skills
What Can We Assess?More Specifically:
Environment
College readiness
Community awareness
Safety skills
Transportation skills
Interests
Aptitudes
Behavior
Self-determination skills
Self-advocacy skills
What About Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities?
Assess all students
Obtain information from parents and teachers
Look for non-verbal assessments
Consider functional vocational evaluations and task analyses for students in Community Based Vocational Instruction (CBVI) or VAC services
What Else Can Assessments Provide?Assessment results can:
Help student learn more about self (self advocate)
Help student learn more about careers
Help student to choose course of study
Help student develop postsecondary goals
What Else Can Assessments Provide?Assessment results can:
Be used to draft annual goals in IEP
Be used to develop Summary of Performance
Identify linkages/interagency collaboration
Identify need for further transition assessment
What Assessment(s) Would You Recommend?Wendell
Wendell is a 17 year-old eleventh-grade student with an
orthopedic impairment and a mild learning disability in
reading. Wendell’s goal is to work with computers.
He enjoys going to the movies, watching the Rockets
and the Astros in person and on television, and spending
time with his family. Wendell would like to have friends, but
does not know how to make them.
What Assessment(s) Would You Recommend?
Arielle
Arielle is a 15 year old ninth grade student with Down
Syndrome. She and her teacher are planning for her IEP
meeting. She has a friend who is a sophomore and is working
in the school cafeteria for 30 minutes each day as part of her
IEP program. Arielle would like to do something like her friend.
Her mother would like her to work at the mall someday.
Postsecondary Goals
The Law and Postsecondary Goals
IDEA 2004
Beginning not later than the first IEP that is in effect
when a child turns 16 or younger if determined
appropriate by the IEP committee, and updated
annually thereafter…
CFR §300.320(b)
The Law and Postsecondary Goals
IDEA 2004
…the IEP must include
(1) appropriate measurable postsecondary goals
based upon age appropriate transition assessments
related to training, education, employment and
where appropriate, independent living skills
CFR §300.3
The Law and Postsecondary GoalsSenate Bill 1788
Transition plans must be in place by age 14
SB1788 effective on September 1, 2011
What Is a Postsecondary Goal?
A postsecondary goal is
“…generally understood to refer to those goals that a
child hopes to achieve after leaving secondary
school.”
Postsecondary Goals
Students must have a goal in education/training
Students must have a goal in employment
Students can have a goal in independent living skills if appropriate
Goals must be based on data from assessments and other information
Postsecondary GoalsEducation/Training
Community college
4-year college/university
Short-term education or employment training programs
Vocational/technical school
On-the-job training
Apprenticeship
Postsecondary Goals
Employment
Competitive: Full-time, Part-time, Self-employment
Supported
Sheltered
Postsecondary Goals
Independent living
Leisure
Recreation
Home maintenance
Personal care
Community participation
Financial management
How are Postsecondary Goals Written?
Must:
Be measurable after graduation from high school
Be based on age-appropriate transition assessments
Contain results-oriented terms
How are Postsecondary Goals Written?
Goals must be post high school
Examples:
Upon graduating high school
After graduation from high school
After finishing high school
After high school
After graduation from college
How are Postsecondary Goals Written?
Goals must be measurable after high school
Avoid vague terms such as “plans to,” “is considering,” “is interested in,” “hopes to,” etc.
“Upon graduating high school, John will… ” rather than “The student will….”
Use student’s name or first person such as “After graduation I, John will.…”
How are Postsecondary Goals Written?
Goals can be separate or combined
There is no one way to write measurable postsecondary goals
Postsecondary goals should not be the same for all students
Measurable Postsecondary GoalsEducation/Training
Example
Upon graduation from high school, Jamarreo will enroll in welding courses at Central Piedmont Community College to attain the Entry Level Welding Certificate.
Non-example
Jamarreo will learn about welding.
Examples and Nonexamples for Web-based Indicator 13 Checklist, www.nsttac.org
Measurable Postsecondary GoalsEducation/Training
Example
The fall after high school, Jodi will enroll in courses (non-degree) at Gaston Community College.
Non-example
After leaving high school, Jodi wants to take some classes.
Examples and Non-examples for Web-based Indicator 13 Checklist, www.nsttac.org
Measurable Postsecondary GoalsEducation/Training
Example
After graduation, Rolanda will participate in an in-home or center-based program designed to provide habilitative and vocational training with medical and therapeutic supports.
Non-example
After leaving high school, Rolanda’s family plans for her to receive habilitative training through Medicaid Alternatives Program (CAP) Services. www.nsttac.org
Measurable Postsecondary GoalsEducation/Training
Example
After high school, David will get on-the-job training to become a farmer.
Non-example
David would like to become a farmer.
Measurable Postsecondary GoalsEmployment
Example
After high school, David will work full time as a farmer.
Non-example
After high school, David is interested in farming.
Measurable Postsecondary GoalsEmployment
Example
After college, Sally will work full-time as an engineer.
Non-example
After high school, Sally will explore career options in engineering.
Measurable Postsecondary Goals (Combined)
Education/Training and Employment Example
Upon graduation from high school, Jamarreo will enroll in welding courses at Central Piedmont Community College to work full-time as a welder.
Measurable Postsecondary Goals (Combined)
Education/Training and Employment Example
The fall after high school, Maria will enroll in computer and office management courses (non-degree) at Houston Community College, to work full time in an office.
Measurable Postsecondary Goals (Combined)Education/Training and Employment Example
After high school, David will receive on-the-job training while working full time as a farmer.
After high school, Sally will attend a four-year college with the goal of becoming an engineer.
Measurable Postsecondary GoalsIndependent Living
After high school, Mary will live with a roommate in an apartment.
After high school, William will live with his brother and take part in community/social and recreational activities.
Source: Ed O’Leary (2007)
Measurable Postsecondary Goals (Combined)Education/training, Employment, Independent Living
After completion of school, Wayne will live at home, work at ADAPT, and receive vocational skills training
After high school, Harold will attend community
college part-time in photography, and work part-time
as a sales clerk. He will live at home with his parents.
What About Students with Severe Disabilities?
How can we write goals for postsecondary
education/training and employment for students
with severe disabilities?
Writing Goals for Students with Severe Disabilities
Postsecondary Goals
Should reflect high but realistic expectations
Should reflect a “forward movement” instead of a dead end approach
Can be “mixed” considering the student’s stamina, endurance, and ability level
Can incorporate external supports
May initially be less specific, increasing in detail as the student approaches graduation
May change from year to year, sometimes slightly, sometimes drastically
Taken from NSTTAC Teleconference on 9-9-08
Writing Goals for Students with Severe DisabilitiesUniversity of Oklahoma’s Guiding Questions for Secondary Transition Planning for Youth withSignificant Disabilities (Zarrow Center)
1. Can the young adult express interests? If not, get information from parents and caregivers to develop transition plan.
2. What are special health care needs?
3. What are needs/challenges preventing the young adult from working outside the home?
Taken from NSTTAC Teleconference on 9-9-08
Writing Goals for Students with Severe Disabilities - ConsiderationsUniversity of Oklahoma’s Guiding Questions for Secondary Transition, Planning for Youth with Significant Disabilities (Zarrow Center)
4. Who can provide education/training to assist the young adult?
5.What can the young adult accomplish without assistance?
6. What else could the young adult accomplish if assistance were provided by a job coach, habilitation training specialist (HTS), or other caregiver?
Taken from NSTTAC Teleconference on 9-9-08
Students with Severe Disabilities Example
Lucy is a student with multiple disabilities. She:
Is legally blind
Functions cognitively in the severe range
Has an orthopedic disability that confines her to a wheel chair
After high school Lucy will receive in-home vocational and habilitative training from ABC services including physical and medical supports.
Postsecondary Goal Activity
Alex
Postsecondary Goal Activity
Jodi
Resources
National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC)
NSTTAC Helps states comply with State Performance Plan Indicator 13
Website contains resources on every aspect of transition
www.nsttac.org
High School Transition Post School Results Network
http://www.transitionintexas.org/site/default.aspx?PageID=1