Mississippi Department of Education,

Office of Special Education

Secondary Transition:

A Collaborative Planning Process

Table of Contents

What is Transition?

Transition At-a-Glance

Career Development

Secondary Transition and IDEA Requirements

Definitions

Secondary Transition

Exit Options

Considerations for Secondary Transition

Transition Planning

The Role of the IEP Committee Members

Transition Planning Process

Step 1: Measurable Post-Secondary Goals

Step 2: Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance

Step 3: Transition Services

Step 4: Measurable Annual Goals

Changing Graduation Options

Age of Majority

Considerations for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

Person-Centered Planning

Evaluating Your Transition IEP

Resources

References

Appendix

Appendix A: Student-Directed Summary of Performance

Appendix B: District-DirectedSummary of Performance

Appendix C: Transition Portfolio

Appendix D:Mississippi Accountability Standards Appendix A

Appendix E: Mississippi Occupational Diploma

Appendix F:Mississippi Accountability Standards Appendix G

Appendix G: Mississippi Occupational Diploma Any Combination Worksheet

Appendix H: Mississippi Accountability Standards Appendix C

Appendix I: NCAA Division I and II Initial-Eligibility Requirements

Appendix J: Transition Worksheet

Appendix K: Sample Transition Activities Pre-school to Adulthood

Appendix L: Transition Assessments for Students with Significant Disabilities

Appendix M: Indicator 13

Appendix N: My Interests, Hopes and Dreams

Appendix O: Applying Personal Preference Indicators

Appendix P: Job Characteristics I Like Worksheet

Appendix Q: Life Skills Inventory

Appendix R: Modified Informal Assessments from the Quickbook of Transition Assessments

  • Student and Family Interview
  • Parent Interview
  • Student Interest Questionnaire
  • Competencies to Pursue: Supported Employment
  • Competencies to Pursue: Vocational Training
  • Competencies to Pursue: Four Year College
  • Competencies to Pursue: Competitive Employment

Appendix S: Modified Informal Assessments from Prince Edward Schools

  • Teacher Observation
  • School and Community Skills Checklist
  • Community Information Summary
  • Communication Summary Form
  • Adolescent Autonomy Checklist
  • Questions to Guide the Transition Process
  • Learning Style Preference Inventory
  • Self-Determination/Self-Advocacy Checklist
  • Describe Yourself!

Appendix T: Sample Forms from Hudspeth Regional Center

  • Communication Guide
  • Modes of Communication/Communication Functions
  • Comprehensive Functional Assessment Vocational Skills
  • Self-Direction/Banking Skills
  • Music and Art Ideas for Leisure Time
  • Resource Materials for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

Appendix U: Sample Forms from DeSoto County Schools

  • Student Invitation to an IEP and/or Transition Meeting
  • Academic Achievement Record Review
  • Exit Option Fact Sheet
  • DeSoto County Schools Transition Planning Form
  • Steps for a Student Conducted IEP Meeting

Appendix V: Sample Forms from Oxford County

  • Transition Planning Assessment: Middle School/Junior High School
  • Transition Planning Assessment: High School

Appendix W: Sample Forms from Lamar County School District

  • Student Invitation to IEP Meeting
  • Special Education Exit Option: Certificate of Completion
  • Transition Planning: Parent Survey
  • Special Education Exit Option: General High School Diploma
  • Graduation/Exit Options Fact Sheet
  • Exit Summary of Performance
  • Special Education Exit Option: Mississippi Occupational Diploma
  • Mississippi Occupational Diploma Courses
  • Parent Letter for Transition Planning (SCD)
  • Parent Transition Survey (SCD)
  • Parent Letter for Transition Planning (Middle and High School)
  • Parent Transition Survey (Middle and High School)
  • Graduation Requirements
  • Student Survey (SCD)
  • Student Survey (High School)
  • Student Survey (Middle School)

Appendix X: Sample Forms from Jackson County School District

  • Community-Based Learning Non-Paid Work Experience
  • Employment Plan
  • Job Analysis Form
  • School-to-Career: Job Shadowing
  • Job Shadowing Interview Form
  • Job Shadowing Employer Evaluation Form
  • Peer Mentor Goals
  • The Golden Rules of Employment
  • Demographic Information
  • Post-School Survey
  • Vocational Transition Assessment: Third-Fifth Grades
  • Vocational Transition Assessment: Sixth-Eighth Grades
  • Vocational Transition Assessment: Ninth Grade – 21 Years

What is Transition?

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines transition as the passage from one stage or place to another. For all children, transition occurs from preschool to elementary school, elementary school to middle school, middle school to high school, and high school to adulthood. For student with disabilities, each stage in transition requires thoughtful planning to ensure that the students with disabilities are able to transition from one level to next level smoothly. The ultimate goal for these students is to exit high school to their desired post-secondary outcome.

Even though, Policy 7219 requires transition services to begin at age 14, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP committee, transition for all students begins much earlier.

Transition At-a-Glance

Transition and Career Development

Career development is an essential component of transition. Donald Zunker (1994)refers to career development as “a lifelong process of developing beliefs and values, skills and aptitudes, interests, personality characteristics, and knowledge of the world of work. Specifically, the terms reflect individually developed needs and goals associated with stages of life and with tasks that affect career choices and subsequent fulfillment of purpose.” (Zunker, 1994, p. 3).

Career Awareness

Career awareness includes an understanding of the world of work and the knowledge and skills needed for traditional and nontraditional jobs and careers. Students are aware of opportunities, options, and roles that interest them in the world of work. They gain an awareness of the importance of personal responsibility, good work habits, and how people work.

Activities for the students includes, but is not limited to:

  • Understanding the importance of working
  • Acquainting students with local places of employment
  • Understanding the need for cooperation and teamwork

Career Exploration

Career exploration includes investigation of the workplace and an understanding of the relationships among personal abilities, education, and knowledge and skills needed to pursue occupations and careers. Students learn about the variety of careers available and the types of jobs that would best fit their preferences, needs, and interest and explore the requirements related to those jobs.

Activities for the students includes, but is not limited to:

  • Becoming aware of personal characteristics, interests, aptitudes, and skills
  • Development of an awareness of and respect for the diversity of the world of work
  • Understanding the relationship between school performance and future employment options
  • Development of a positive attitude towards work

Career Preparation

Career preparation includes the purposeful planning of activities thathelp students transition from the school to the world of work and higher education. It includes learning about different careers and exploring skills needed to be successful in those careers, implementing skills that have been fostered and developed while in school and the successful transition from the secondary to post-secondary environment.

Activities for the students includes, but is not limited to:

  • Volunteer
  • Service Learning Activities
  • Apprenticeships/Internships
  • Job Shadowing
  • Part-time/Full-time Supported Employment and/or Integrated Employment

Secondary Transition and IDEA Requirements

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004 defines secondary transition services as a coordinated set of activities for a student with a disability that is designed within a results-oriented process focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the student with a disability to facilitate movement from school to post-school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation. The coordinated set of activities include instruction, related services, community experiences, development of employment and other post-school adult-living objectives and, if appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and a functional vocational evaluation. These activities are based on the individual student’s needs, taking into account the student’s strengths, preferences and interests.

Definitions

Coordinated set of activities is a planned and organized sequence of activities based on the student’s preferences and interests, which promotes the movement of a student from school to post-secondary adult living. It involves a collaborative effort among various agencies to provide transition services to the student.

Results-oriented process is a series of meaningful events to assist the student in achieving desired post-secondary outcomes.

Post-secondary education is an organized educational program provided by qualified personnel that is available beyond secondary education including community colleges, vocational-technical colleges and four-year colleges and universities.

Vocational education is specialized instruction and practice, by qualified personnel, in a specific field to prepare students to enter into, continue, or upgrade employment in recognized trades or occupations.

Integrated employment is paid work in sites and settings that are not unique to individuals with disabilities.

Supported employment is paid work that requires the use of designated personnel to assist individuals with disabilities in acquiring and maintaining site-specific skills.

Secondary Transition

Secondary transition is a component of the IEP that should be addressed by age fourteen (14) years old, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP committee. The IEP will include:

  • Appropriate measurable post-secondary goals based upon age-appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills;
  • Transition services (including courses of study) needed to assist the student in reaching post-secondary goals identified on the IEP.

A student with a disability must be invited to participate in his or her IEP meeting if the purpose of the meeting is to consider post-secondary goals for the student and to identify transition services needed to assist the student in goal attainment. If the student is unable to attend the meeting, the public agency must ensure that the student’s preferences and interests are considered.

When students exit from special education, public agencies are required to provide them with a Summary of Performance (SoP) or Transition Portfolio to facilitate their transition to desired post-secondary settings.

  • Summary of Performance: Public agencies will ensure that a SoP is created for a student that has exited with a standard high school diploma or due to exceeding the age of eligibility.It provides a summary of academic achievement and performance along with recommendations concerning how to assist the student in meeting post-secondary goals. The SoP is to assist the student in the transition from high school to higher education, training and/or employment. (See Appendix A: Student-Directed Summary of Performance and Appendix B:District-Directed Summary of Performance)
  • Transition Portfolio: Public agencies will ensure that a Transition Portfolio is created for each student with a disability who exits secondary school without a standard high school diploma (Mississippi Occupational Diploma or Certification). It documents the preparation of students with disabilities for independent adult living. The Transition Portfolio is intended to be a practical tool for documenting the efforts of the student, his or her family, teachers and other service providers to ensure a smooth transition to post-school opportunities. (See Appendix C: Transition Portfolio)

Exiting Options for Consideration

The IEP Committee is required to identify a student with a disability’s exiting option. The options afforded are as follows:

  • Standard High School Diploma: There are three pathways to achieve a standard high school diploma: Traditional, District, and Career Pathways. (See AppendixD: Mississippi Accountability Standards Appendix A)
  • The Traditional option requires students to earn a minimum of twenty-four (24) Carnegie Units and achieve a passing score on required high school examinations.
  • The District option requires students to earn a minimumof twenty-one (21) Carnegie Units and achieve a passing score on required high school examinations.
  • The Career Pathways option requires students to earn a minimum of twenty-one (21) Carnegie Units, of which four (4) of the Carnegie Units have to be in Career and Technical Education, and achieve a passing score on required high school examinations.
  • General Educational Development (GED): The GED Option is a program that is offered by a select number of school districts. This is a viable option for students who have the capabilities to complete high school requirements, but are behind in the credits needed to graduate with their class and are at risk of leaving school.
  • Mississippi Occupational Diploma (MOD): The MOD requires a student with a disability to earn 21 credits by successfully completing selected courses from the general education curriculum, vocational education programs, MOD portfolio objectives or a combination of these courses, create an occupational diploma portfolio, and successfully complete a two-year Career/Technical (Vocational) Program or document a minimum of five hundred forty (540) hours of successful, paid employment. Its primary focus is to teach employability skills and prepare students with disabilities for competitive employment. (See Appendix E: Mississippi Occupational Diploma; Appendix F: Mississippi Accountability Standards Appendix G; Appendix G: Mississippi Occupational Diploma Any Combination Worksheet)
  • Certificate: A student with a disability that is unable to meet the requirements of the above exiting options will exit with a Certificate.

Considerations for Secondary Transition

There is a disconnect between secondary and post-secondary expectations because parents and students with disabilities are not well informed of the differences in the rights and responsibilities of schools and students between secondary school and post-secondary settings (e.g., colleges/university and employment); and educators and parents are unaware of the policy differences between IDEA at the secondary level and Section 504 and Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA) at the post-secondary level. Schools must provide students and parents information so that they can make informed decisions about their child’s future options and prepare for life after high school. Considerations are as follows:

•Secondary personnel, parent(s), and student(s) need to be aware that post-secondary level institutions/environments have different expectations and obligations than secondary schools.

•It has to be clear that the specific accommodations or supports are just recommendations that do not limit the independent decision-making of personnel at the post-secondary level.

•Section 504 and the ADA require students to self-identify and provide documentation of their disability in order to be eligible for accommodations and services in post-secondary settings. As a result, students with disabilities must have opportunities to make choices and decision and to practice self-advocacy skills to prepare to transition after high school.

•Post-secondary schools provide supports based on what is reasonable rather than what is appropriate or least restrictive. Support services and accommodations are based on providing accessto content and reductionof barriersto learning rather than promoting achievement.

•Documentation of disabilities varies widely between post-secondary schools and students must be aware of those requirements as they apply to the different schools.

•Most post-secondary schools do provide some level of support, but the type and scope of this support varies widely among institutions.

Comparison of Secondary Education and Post-secondary Education

Secondary Education / Post-Secondary Education
•Individuals with Disabilities Act 2004 (IDEA)
•School districts are not required to complete evaluations before a student exits high school
•Focuses less on formal testing and more on monitoring student progress (e.g., progress monitoring) / •Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (2008)
•Most IHLs require documentation that identifies specific disabilities and current functional levels
•Most adhere to documentation guidelines that specify types of information required to receive disability services

Comparison of Secondary Education and Vocational Rehabilitation

Secondary Education / Vocational Rehabilitation
•Individuals with Disabilities Act 2004 (IDEA)
•Mandated with Child Find
•Mandated to evaluated if a student is suspected to have a disability
•Eligibility determined by:
•Meeting the criteria for one of the 12 disability categories identified by IDEA and State Board Policy 7219; and
•The student requires special education and related services to progress in the general education curriculum. / •Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
•Consumer must self-identify their disabilities
•Consumer must provide documentation to become eligible for services
•Eligibility determined by:
•A physical or mental impairment that constitutes or results in a substantial impediment to employment;
•Consumer benefits from VR services in terms of employment outcome; and
•Consumers require VR services to prepare, secure, retain or regain employment.

Transition Planning

Transition planning is the process that provides assistance to students, parents, and school personnel as they discuss and plan transition from school to adult life. This planning will include assessing interest and strengths; setting transition goals; and selecting the course of study and exit option; and services and agency linkages needed to meet the transitional goals for students with disabilities. Transition planning can begin as early as elementary school. School personnel should begin the process with students and parents to discus the educational progress and needs of the student, taking into consideration the expectations and aspirations of the student. The process should include discussions concerning future goals and the skills that are needed to support the transition goals.

When the student is in middle school, school personnel should begin using career assessments to identify the career interests, abilities and needs of the student. The assessment data should be utilized to develop appropriate programming including the courses of study that focus on preparing the student to meet his/her post-secondary goals. Public agencies/schools must provide information to students and parents regarding different diploma/exit options for students with disabilities.