Published by Patty Baran
North Ridgeville High School Transition Coordinator
Transition Now
A bridge from school to employment, community participation, and independence
What Are Transition Services?
Transition Services offer students a variety of opportunities that help develop individual strengths, interests, and preferences through career exploration and internship activities. Services are individually designed to assist a student to move toward his/her post school goals in further education, employment, independent living, and community participation. Program options and resources are discussed with parents and students during the transition planning process which takes place at least annually. Transition Coordinators are part of the team-comprised of the student, parent, school, and community that prepares a student for adulthood.
Patty Baran is the Transition Coordinator for North Ridgeville High School and may be a resource to elementary and middle school students as well. Coordinators collaborate with many community agencies and participate in regional, state and national transition organizations to stay informed of the most current requirements pertaining to transition services and best practices. Information is passed along to students, families, and staff on a regular basis through parent conferences, transition planning meetings, professional development, community education, special events, and this document the Transition Now newsletter.
In This Issue:IEP Reviews Have Concluded….. 2
Checkout our Website 2
ACT/SAT Accommodations 3
What Is Project Search 4
Things to Consider For The Future 5
Upcoming Events 6
IEP’s Have Been Reviewed...Have you talked about them?
For many of you, your child’s IEP meeting has recently taken place at the high school. An IEP meeting can be very overwhelming to both parents and students. Now that you have had time to process the meeting, do you have any questions about your child’s services? Please know that your child’s intervention specialist is there to answer any of your questions or concerns.
Check out our website!
The Transition Service department has created a website. The website is maintained by the transition coordinator. It provides families and students with resources such as current events, program options, links, forms/presentations/surveys, Transition Now newsletters, and links to community resources. The website is a work in progress. Please be patient as we work on continuing to update information to provide you with meaningful resources that relate to you and your child.
You can access the website using the following link: http://www.nrcs.k12.oh.us/TransitionServices.aspx
ACT and SAT test accommodations for students with disabilities. . .
College bound students with special needs should begin discussion during their 9th grade year of high school with their Guidance Counselor and Mrs. Noga (Intervention Specialist) regarding ACT and/or SAT testing accommodations. Being placed on an IEP does not automatically qualify a student for test accommodations. Eligibility for accommodations is approved by the testing agency not the high school. Applicants apply for accommodations and each test agency requires specific documentation with the application.
Important points that should be discussed with the Guidance Counselor and Mrs. Noga:
· Timelines established by ACT and College Board Test agencies to submit an application for accommodations that is well in advance of test date.
· Timeline established by each high school to furnish documentation for the application-due to the amount of time it requires the guidance and special education offices to gather and copy school documentation for the application.
· ACT and College Board have their own policy for documentation of an applicant’s disability, which is fully explained on their websites.
· Students should be receiving the same test accommodations in school through their Individual Education Plan (IEP) that are being requested from ACT or SAT
· ACT offers two options with respect to testing accommodations-Extended Time at a National Testing Site and Special Testing at the school. ACT requires only one application for Extended Time at a National Testing Site so long as the same accommodations are requested from subsequent tests. ACT requires application for Special Testing accommodations each time a student takes the test.
· SAT requires only one application for accommodations unless accommodations are changed in the IEP.
· See websites for more information: http://sat.collegeboard.com/home and www.act.org
If you have questions regarding the ACT or SAT please contact your child’s guidance counselor: Amber Hunker (A-G), Lora Baker (H-O), and Randi Muck (P-Z).
Important ACT Registration Dates:
10/26/13 test date—deadline 9/27/13, 12/14/13 test date—deadline 11/8/13, 2/8/14 test date—deadline 1/10/14, 4/15/14 test date—deadline 3/7/14, 6/14/14 test date—deadline 5/9/14
What is Project SEARCH?
Project SEARCH is a unique business-led transition program for students with disabilities. It provides students who want to work a chance to explore careers and develop transferable job skills. Project SEARCH is a partnership between business, education, and vocational rehabilitation. The goal is to provide on-site internships experiences for youth with disabilities leading to completive employment.
Designed as an unpaid internship program, Project SEARCH places student in real-world situations where they learn all aspects of gaining and maintain a job.
Individual job development and placement occurs based on the student’s experiences, strengths, and skills. A series of job rotations lasting up to 10 weeks allow students to find positions that best suit their preferences. They receive support with accommodations, adaptations, and on-the-job coaching.
Students who have completed all requirements for graduation from high school may apply for enrollment in Project SEARCH. Participants must be 18-22 years old. This program is completed after students have completed four years of high school curriculum and it extends their public education by one year. Students exit public education upon completing the Project SEARCH program. Students must apply to get into the program and not every applicant is accepted.
It gives me great pleasure to announce our successes of Project Search this current school. North Ridgeville City School’s has partnered with the Lorain County Educational Service Center (ESC) and area school districts such as Avon, Avon Lake, Amherst, and Vermilion to continue a Project Search program at Mercy Regional Medical Hospital in Lorain.
North Ridgeville currently has one student in the Project Search program. She is participating and working in her first internship experience at Mercy Hospital.
For more information please visit: http://www.projectsearch.us/
If you have questions about this program, please contact Patty Baran at
Transition Things to Consider
When planning for the transition to life after graduation, students and parents are faced with many decisions. This section of the newsletter provides some informal suggestions to consider when planning for the future.
BACKWARDS PLANNING
LONG TERM SUPPORT
SELF ADVOCACY
Mark Your CalendarCollege Fair for Students with Learning Disabilities
Sponsored by: Gahanna Lincoln High School, Central Ohio Technical College, The Ohio State University at Newark and Muskingum University
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
6:30-8:00pm
Featuring schools from Ohio and across the nation!
Gahanna Lincoln High School Cafeteria
140 S. Hamilton Rd.
Gahanna, Ohio (Columbus Area)
(exit 37 off of I-270, go north .7 miles)
Free- Open to the Public
This is your opportunity to explore various programs. You can compare and contrast the wide range of accommodations.
For more information contact:
Phyllis Solove
or
(614)478-5500 ext 126
6