Navigating Rough Waters: Supporting Students with Disabilities in Transition

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Navigating Rough Waters Supporting Students
with Disabilities in Transition

• A presentation by the North Region SELPA
  Community Advisory Committee (CAC)
• and the Disability Rights Education and Defense
  Fund )DREDF)

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A Vision for the Future

• Take a few minutes to envision your hopes and
  fears about your child transitioning out of
  school (or for students, for yourself!)
• What words describe the outcomes you envision?
• So what are the outcomes right now?

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Current OutcomesWhy are transition services
required?

• KEEPING IT IN PERSPECTIVE
• Studies show the average young person relies on
  parental support until age 26!
• Compared to their peers without disabilities,
  people with disabilities experience
• Half the graduation rate
• Higher dropout rates (21 v. 10)
• Lower college entrance/completion
• Lower employment (35 v. 78)
• Higher dependency on public assistance
• Higher poverty rate (26 v. 9)
• Lower life satisfaction rate (34 v. 61)
• TRANSITION PLANNING, DONE RIGHT, SUPPORTS ACCESS
  AND INCLUSION, AND CREATES NEW POSSIBILITIES!

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The 2004 Congressional Finding

• Almost 30 years of research and experience has
  demonstrated that the education of children with
  disabilities can be made more effective by-
• (A) having high expectations for such children
  and ensuring their access to the general
  education curriculum in the regular classroom, to
  the maximum extent possible, in order to
• (i) meet developmental goals and, to the extent
  possible, the challenging expectations that have
  been established for all children and
• (ii) be prepared to lead productive and
  independent lives to the maximum extent possible
  (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1401 (c)(5)

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Critical Elements of Transition
Transition to Adulthood
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Transition What is goal of IDEA?

• Goal of IDEA is to promote maximum independence
  in adulthood
• Goal of transition plan is to promote maximum
  transition plan in adulthood
• Transition plan must address childs interests,
  aptitudes, plans regarding education, career,
  housing and community involvement

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Transition Planning is a Process!
Step 1 Measurable Postsecondary Goals
Step 3 Needed Transition Services
Step 4 Annual IEP Goals
Step 2 Present Levels of Academic Performance

• a. Course of Study
• b. Needed Services
• Instruction
• Related Services
• Community Experiences
• Employment and other post-school adult living
  objectives
• Daily Living skills Functional Vocational
  Assessment (when appropriate)

Step 5 Summary of Performance
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What are transition services?

• Definition of transition services in the IDEA a
  coordinated set of activities designed to be
  within a results-oriented process, that is
  focused on improving the academic and functional
  achievement of the child with a disability to
  facilitate the childs movement from school to
  post-school activities
• The data just presented indicates a
  need for improved results.

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The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
has required transition language in the IEP
since 1990 with the following

• An expectation of coordinated services
• Transition planning based on the student's
  interest and preferences
• Including instruction, related services,
  community experiences, development of employment,
  or other post-school adult living objectives, and
  when appropriate, acquisition of daily living
  skills and a functional evaluation
• Transition services
• Transferring rights at the age of majority

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The Individuals with Disabilities Education
Actof 2004 requires

• Transition language in the IEP at age 16
• AT THE LATEST! Services can begin as early as
  IEP team determines necessary.
• Measurable postsecondary goals
• Based on age-appropriate assessments related to
  training, education, employment, and, where
  appropriate, independent living skills
• Providing a Summary of Performance upon school
  exit

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What are Postsecondary Goals?

• The IDEA 04 requires
• appropriate, measurable postsecondary goals
  based on age-appropriate assessments related to
  training, education, employment, and, where
  appropriate, independent living skills
• Postsecondary goals are what the student plans to
  do upon school exit

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What are Postsecondary Goals?

• The IDEA indicates the need for
• measurable post-secondary goals related to
  training, education, employment, and, where
  appropriate, independent living skills
• What is the difference between
• training and education?

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What are Postsecondary Goals?

• Training a program leading to high school
  completion or certificate like adult education or
  a short-term training program like a vocational
  program.
• Education community or technical colleges
  (generally two-year programs) or college or
  university (generally four-year programs)

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Without goals, a transition plan becomes a
transition to nowhere.

• IEP inadequate where not based on transition
  evaluation, contains inadequate transition
  services, lacks goals.
• ITP is a FLEXIBLE roadmap to a destination that
  matters!

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What are Age-Appropriate Transition Assessments?

• What is age-appropriate?
• Age-appropriate means chronological rather than
  development age
• What is the purpose of transition assessments?
• To provide the team with meaningful information
  to make appropriate decisions. Insufficient
  information is a major obstacle to collaboration
  and planning!

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What are Age-Appropriate Transition Assessments?

• The IDEA 04 requires
• appropriate, measurable postsecondary goals
  based on age-appropriate assessments related to
  training, education, employment, and, where
  appropriate, independent living skills
• For some students, a FUNCTIONAL VOCATIONAL
  ASSESSMENT is necessary to drive appropriate
  services.

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Four-Step IEP Process

• Identify students post-school goals
• Determine present levels of performance
• Develop annual goals to support post-school goals
• Identify needed transition services

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Age-Appropriate Transition AssessmentsOutcomes
to Consider, where needed

• Independent living
• Selecting a lifestyle and living arrangement
• Money management
• Health care
• Mobility (travel training, drivers license)

• Independent living
• Nutrition
• Cooking/cleaning
• Community participation
• Accessing resources
• Connections established with adult service
  providers

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What are Annual IEP Goals that Support
Postsecondary Goals?

• Does the student know what his/her post-school
  goals are for education or training?
• Does the student know what his/her post-school
  goals are for employment?
• If not, annual goals to support self awareness
  and career exploration might be appropriate.
• Annual goals for work or work-like experience
  (service learning, WorkAbility program, Regional
  Occupational Program) may also help the student
  make informed decisions.

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What are Annual IEP Goals that Support
Postsecondary Goals?

• Does the student know what their post-school
  options for independent living are?
• If not, annual goals to support daily living
  skills, exploration about housing options and
  community resources might be appropriate.
• Does the student need connections to post-school
  adult service providers?
• If so, annual goals to establish those
  connections are appropriate.

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What are Annual IEP Goals that Support
Postsecondary Goals?

• Annual goals that support postsecondary goals
  for
• Instruction/training
• Employment
• Independent living
• Most sample annual goals show alignment with
  selected English/language arts content standards
  or CAPA levels

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What are Transition Services?

• IDEA 04 requires
• transition services (including courses of study)
  needed to assist the child in reaching those
  (postsecondary) goals

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What are Transition Services?

• A. Courses of study are
• A multi-year description of coursework
  (necessary) to achieve the students desired
  post-school goals.
• For students working toward a general diploma, a
  transcript that lists courses taken/courses
  required may be appropriate.
• For students working toward a certificate of
  achievement/completion, a listing of the academic
  and functional courses may be appropriate.

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What are Transition Services?

• A. Transition services may be
• Services the student needs to complete needed
  courses and succeed in the general curriculum
• Services the student needs to accomplish the
  annual IEP goals that support the postsecondary
  goals, such as assistance gaining work experience
  or obtaining a social security number or drivers
  license

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What is a Summary of Performance?

• The purpose of the summary is to provide the
  student with a document that will help establish
  eligibility for reasonable accommodations and
  supports in post-school settings. It is also
  useful for the Vocational Rehabilitation
  Comprehensive Assessment process.
• It is NOT an assessment in itself!

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What is a Summary of Performance?

• Part 1 Background information
• Part 2 Students postsecondary goals
• Part 3 Academic and functional performance
• Describes accommodations/modifications
• Part 4 Recommendations to assist goals
• Part 5 Student input (recommended)
• Note This is NOT an assessment. However, in
  most cases, to access DSP services in college,
  recent (No more than 3 years) assessment is
  required.

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Address Behavior if Needed in Transition Planning!
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What Can Parents Do to Help?

• Families provide critical relevant information!
• Participate in the processlisten, question,
  collaborate and challenge on high stakes issues
• Negotiate in good willfollow through on your
  end, ask what you can do to support teachers,
  staff.
• Remind team of who this youth IS and what they
  CAN do.

• What am I most worried about?
• Is there something I can recommend?
• If your child cannot participate in meeting,
  speak to their dreams and interestsbring them in
  in any way possible.
• Bring in concrete examples of strengths and
  challenges to help team understand.

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What Can Parents Do to Help?

• Supporting Self Determination and Advocacy
• What can you do to encourage self determination
  and advocacy?
• Help youth make doctor appointments
• Provide incremental independence opportunities
• Ensure youth understands his/her disability, and
  can explain it to others
• Make sure student understands LEGAL rights and
  responsibilities
• Encourage youth to USE accomodations.
• PROVIDE PRACTICE OPPORTUNITIES!

• Student Rights and Responsibilities.
• What are your childs rights?
• What are your childs responsibilities?
• Never hesitate to bring team back together if
  things arent workingdo it sooner rather than
  later.
• ADVOCATE BEYOND YOUR OWN STUDENT!
• GET INVOLVED!
• PARTICIPATE IN LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES!

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The Family Participation Fund to Encourage
Engagement!GET PAID TO ATTEND CAC MEETINGS!

• The Family Participation Fund provides assistance
  for family members to attend and participate in
  policy-making meetings.
• TO QUALIFY FOR FUNDING, Families must
• Have a child with disabilities.
• Attend local, regional or statewide meetings to
  provide their ideas to decision makers about
  education policy.These meetings include, but are
  not limited to, the following
• The Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC)
• The Regional Coordinating Councils
• The State Special Education Advisory Committees
• Task forces/committees where families provide
  input on issues affecting the education of
  children with disabilities, to appropriate
  decision makers.

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Family Participation Fund

• Family members may

• One person per household per activity may apply
  for stipend and reimbursement.
• 1,000.00 per person per year maximum.
• Will not be receiving a stipend from the agency
  conducting the meeting
• Total number of meetings reimbursable per month
  is two (2) meetings
• Applications must be received within 30 days of
  the meeting that was attended.
• NOTE Trainings, Workshops, Lobbying and
  Conferences are NOT paid for under this program.
• SEE HANDOUT!

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What about the Age of Majority?

• One year before student will turn 18, parent and
  student need notice that this is coming.
• What happens when students reach the age of
  majority (18 years old)? They are in the
  drivers seat.
• Ask team How can we help student get ready for
  this?
• Questions to consider
• Is your child able to make informed decisions?
• Will your child live independently?
• Who can help with conservatorship?

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New Rule on Parent Participation

• Student has a right to complete a Delegation of
  Authority or some other mechanism for allowing
  the parent to participate on behalf of the
  student even if parent is not taking
  conservatorship
• Even in this case, make every effort to involve
  and engage youth!
• See sample in your packet

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What Agencies Support Transition?

• There are many! See checklist in Transition to
  Adult Living Guide in packet
• Lists major federal/state agencies that support
  transition
• Describes eligibility and services
• State-level contact information is listed to
  obtain regional agency assistance.

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Interagency Collaboration is Essentialand
Difficult!

• Department of Developmental Services
  (DDS/Regional Center) caseworker
• County Mental Health
• District Foster Youth Liaison (where
  applicable)
• Workability Staff/Job Coaching program
• Department of Rehabilitation
• Vocational Assessment professional
• Health Care Coordinators / Social Workers
  /Therapists
• Any other Agency or individuals that may be
  responsible for input or delivery of plan
  services.

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If student is eligible for support from other
agencies, address

• Steps for applying and determining eligibility
• Assistance with securing enrollment
• Plan for effective use
• Examples Center for Independent Living,
  Department of Rehabilitation, Center for
  Assistive Technology, Social Security Admin,
  Adult Assisted Living Program

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So what about the CAHSEE?

• See DREDF Special Edition for September 2009.
• State Exit Exam is not required for students with
  a 504 or IEP plan beginning this year
• Not retroactive
• Students must still attempt exam in 10th grade
• Not an excuse for not providing services,
  supports, opportunities for students to meet all
  graduation requirements and state standards, but
  allows school boards to continue setting their
  requirements with some flexibility for students
  with disabilities

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Eligibility for accommodations on ACT/SAT,
Graduate and Licensing Exams

• Requires documentation, e.g., evaluation and
  special education or 504 status
• No longer flagged on reports
• Evaluation agencies toughening criteria
• Must now link disability to history of
  adverse impact in relation to general population

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Burden on student/applicant to document disability

• In testing and education context, student must
  affirmatively request and document need for
  accommodation
• Same in employment context, but applicant must
  balance risks of disclosure in employment context
  with benefits

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Additional factors in determining eligibility for
accommodation

• Must be otherwise qualified
• Provides right to accommodations, but not
  remedial services
• Accommodations cannot be unduly burdensome or
  fundamentally alter nature of program

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Criteria for Eligibility for Accommodations

• Must have up-to-date evaluation (generally not
  more than 3 years oldsenior year is ideal
• IEP or 504 plan insufficientneed ASSESSMENT
  REPORTS
• Special education/Section 504 eligibility helps
  not legally essential, but functionally essential
• Evaluation must be by qualified professional
• Must show impairment in comparison to average
  population
• Must link need for accommodation to impairment

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When do services stop?

• Graduation with regular diploma.
• 22nd birthday in California

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The Buck Stops with the School

• If the Transition Plan involves other agencies
  and they fail to deliver, the school must
  reconvene the IEP to identify alternative
  strategies to meet the transition objectives.20
  USC 1414 (d)(6)

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Remember

• ACCOUNTABILITY IS KEYIEP Team should never
  assign responsibility to a person or Agency not
  present to ACCEPT and UNDERSTAND what is needed!
• ASK What tools, modifications/accommodations,
  services, staff training and relationships will
  support Student in meeting this goal
• Cost cannot be a considerationAppropriateness
  and identified need are the issue.

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Key Components of Success

• Provide youth with maximum input into charting
  their own course without forfeiting adult support
  or safety nets availablethe Training Wheels
  metaphor.
• School-Based Preparatory Experiences and
  environments to support skill acquisition,
  educational and vocational opportunities
  INDIVIDUALIZED to the students own goals.
• Career Preparation and Work-Based Learning
  Experiences while still in school (could be an
  ESY service)

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FINAL REMARKS

• Transition Planning should start early
• Plan must be Person Centered
• Plan must link activities, classes and learning
  at school to post secondary goals
• Parents are critical partners in the process
• Students should be increasingly in the drivers
  seat from 16 on.
• Interagency collaboration is key
• JOIN THE CAC!