This training was developed by the Project 10: Transition Education Network, a discretionary project funded by the Florida Department of Education, Division of Public Schools, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services, through federal assistance under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA),
Part B.
Using Transition Assessments
to Write Measurable
Postsecondary Goals
Introductions
Name
Current
Position
Rewind - did you
complete an
assessment tool
yourself before
graduating high
school?
2
Objectives
After this presentation, participants will be able to:
Describe the importance and types of transition
assessment
Use information/data gathered from transition
assessments for transition planning and in writing
measurable annual and postsecondary goals
Explain how transition assessment informs transition
individual educational plans (TIEPs), including the
alignment of meaningful goals based on transition
assessments
3
Basic Requirements for
Secondary Transition
4
“All Florida students deserve to graduate high school with
knowledge and skills they need to succeed in college,
careers and life” (Florida Department of Education,
http://www.fldoe.org/academics/standards/florida-standards/about.stml)
The purpose of quality transition planning is to provide
students with disabilities the support they need to attain
the goal of successfully progressing from high school to
college, careers and life.
Positive Student Outcomes for All
5
“Percent of youth with IEPs aged 16 and above with
an IEP that includes appropriate measurable
postsecondary goals that are annually updated and
based upon an age appropriate transition
assessment, transition services, including courses of
study, that will reasonably enable the student to meet
those postsecondary goals, and annual IEP goals
related to the student’s transition services needs.”
(20 U.S.C. 1416(a)(3)(B))
Definition of State Performance
Plan (SPP) Indicator 13
6
Section 1003.5716, Florida
Statutes (F.S.)
(1) To ensure quality planning for a successful transition of a student with a disability to postsecondary education and career opportunities, an IEP team shall begin the process of, and develop an IEP for, identifying the need for transition services before the student with a disability attains the age of 14 years in order for his or her postsecondary goals and career goals to be identified and in place when he/she attains the age of 16 years. This process must include, but is not limited to:
7
s. 1003.5716, F.S.
(1)(a) Consideration of the student’s need for instruction in
the area of self-determination and self-advocacy to assist
the student’s active and effective participation in an IEP
meeting
Question: What is the difference between self-
determination and self-advocacy?
Question: How will a student’s need for instruction in
self-determination and self-advocacy be determined?
8
Comparing Self-Advocacy and
Self-Determination
9
Self-advocacy is defined as the
ability to speak and act on behalf
of one’s self and is an important
skill for students in school
settings, including IEP meetings,
and in post-school adult life.
Self-advocacy becomes more
important as a student moves
from entitlement programs to
eligibility programs.
Self-determination is the process of taking control and making decisions that affect one’s life.
Self-determination provides students with the skills and abilities to:
Make choices
Make decisions
Problem solve
Set and attain goals
Self-advocate
Independently perform
2014 Changes in
Transition Planning
10
Assessing students strengths, preferences and interests
Considering the need for instruction in self-determination and self-advocacy
Setting measurable postsecondary education and career goals
Selecting the type of standard diploma and identifying a course of study, including digital tools and industry certifications
Identifying transition services needs
Steps in Quality
Transition Planning
11
Transition Assessment
Postsecondary Goals
Instruction, Services
(National Technical Assistance Center on Transition [NTACT], n.d.)
Transition Assessment
12
13
“…an ongoing process of collecting
information on the youth’s needs,
preferences, and interests as they relate
to measurable postsecondary goals and
the annual goals that will help facilitate
attainments of postsecondary goals”
(Neubert and Leconte, 2013, p. 74)
Definition of
Transition Assessment
14
Assessment data serve as the common thread in the
transition process and form the basis for defining goals
and services to be included in the Individualized
Education Program (IEP).
(Sitlington, Neubert, and Leconte, 1997, p. 70-71)
Purpose of Conducting
Transition Assessments
15
16
Begin transition assessments as early as possible,
including elementary school (kindergarten)
Develop Assessment Timeline
Incorporate universal design to ensure student has access
to assessments that are age appropriate
Career and Education Planning course available in middle
grades
Share results with families
Key Points
Transition Assessment
Framework
17
1. Interests
2. Preferences
3. Cognitive development
and academic
achievement
4. Adaptive behaviors
5. Interpersonal relationship
skills
6. Emotional development
and mental health
7. Employability and
vocational skills
8. Community participation
Eight assessment areas that
are considered minimum requirements for academic and
functional transition assessment
(Sitlington and Clark, 2007)
Sitlington, Neubert and Leconte (1997) make the following recommendations for transition assessment: Assess in environments that resemble real education,
training, employment or community environments Use methods that are appropriate for the learning
characteristics of the individual, including cultural and linguistic differences
Ensure that assessment information is current, valid or verified and relevant to transition
Important Points
18
Produce outcomes that contribute to ongoing
development, planning and implementation of “next
steps”
Synthesize and interpret data to students with
disabilities, their families and the transition team
Document data in a format that can be used to facilitate
transition planning
Incorporate assistive technology or accommodations as
needed
(Sitlington, Neubert, & Leconte, 1997)
19
Also Consider
Formal (norm referenced)
College Entrance Test
PSAT, SAT, ACT, CPT
Transition Planning Inventory
Brigance
Life Centered Education
(LCE)
Statewide Standardized
Assessments (e.g., FSA,
FSAA, EOC)
Types of Assessment
Informal
Curriculum-Based/
Teacher-Made Tests
Interest Inventories
Self-Determination
Situational
Questionnaires/Surveys/
Interviews/Observations
Checklists
20
MyCareerShines (Replaced CHOICES)
21
www.FloridaShines.org
Florida’s new comprehensive education and career
planning system to help students and adults prepare a
plan to achieve their education and career goals.
Website features online tools and resources customized
specifically for Florida for students, elementary through
postsecondary education and adults.
Access course transcripts, explore degree programs and
postsecondary education options, learn about the Florida-
specific career/industry information
What transition assessments are
you, or your school/district,
currently using?
22
Over time multiple individuals may gather a student’s
transition assessment data.
To ensure effective and linked communication it is
recommended to develop an “assessment map”.
Creates a general timeline for conducting the various
assessments
Avoids unnecessary duplication of assessments
Links information from one grade to another, including
elementary to middle school and middle to high school
Transition Assessment
Roadmap
23
(LRP Publication, 2015)
Age-appropriate means activities,
assessments, content, environments,
instruction and/or materials that reflect a
student’s chronological age.
Age-appropriate assessments may
necessitate adaptations to their
administration for some students so that
meaningful data are obtained.
Transition assessment should include
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
principles
(NTACT, 2016)
Age-Appropriate Transition
Assessment
Related Resource:
Transition Assessment
Implementation Timeline
(NTACT, 2016, p. 45-60)
24
Data Captured through Transition
Assessment
Academic and functional performance
Strengths, needs, preferences, and interests:
• Training
• Education
• Employment
• Independent living
• Self-Determination
25
Checking for Understanding
26
True False Statement
1. Transition assessment is a one time event.
2. Transition data should Indicate strengths,
preferences and interests of the student.
3. Transition assessment only considers present
environments
Checking for Understanding
27
True False Statement
4. Transition assessment results must be used in
the development of measurable postsecondary
goals and other components of the IEP
5. Only one person can gather transition information
6. Staff should be sensitive to cultural diversity when
choosing transition assessments
Measurable
Postsecondary Goals
28
“Percent of youth with IEPs aged 16 and above with
an IEP that includes appropriate measurable
postsecondary goals that are annually updated
and based upon an age appropriate transition
assessment, transition services, including courses of
study, that will reasonably enable the student to meet
those postsecondary goals, and annual IEP goals
related to the student’s transition services needs.”
(20 U.S.C. 1416(a)(3)(B))
Indicator 13
State Performance Plan
29
s. 1003.5716, F.S.
(2)(c) Beginning no later than age 16,
the IEP must include
Measurable long-term postsecondary education and career
goals based on age-appropriate transition assessments
related to: Training
Education
Employment/Career
Independent living, if
appropriate
Transition services
Courses of study to
assist these goals
30
A measurable postsecondary goal may address more than
one of the designated areas and must meet the following
requirements:
• It must be measurable; you must be able to “count it” or
observe it
• It must be intended to occur after the student leaves
school
• It must be reviewed annually.
Measurable Postsecondary Goals
31
Process for Writing a
Postsecondary Goal
(NTACT, 2016)
will
By (date), student name behavior/
action
where and how
32
33
Measurable
Postsecondary Goals
Based on the Transition Assessment data review following
goals for these key elements:
Date
Name
Behavior/Action
Where/How
34
Frank shows strengths in his empathy for others and his English teacher
describes him as a “people person” (e.g., greets peers/students)
Based on a teacher-created assessment, Frank’s career preferences are
to work inside and to help people. He likes to make people smile.
According to the Transition Planning Inventory (TPI), Frank shows
interests in the Health Care field. His latest TPI (April 2015) supports his
interest in the medical field and caring for people who are ill.
Frank would like to enter Project SEARCH in the fall (deferring receipt of
his standard diploma) in order to gain employment training through a
structured internship program. After completing Project SEARCH and
accepting his standard diploma, he will then seek further employment
training through the local hospital.
Transition Assessment
Results
35
Employment
Within three months of completing his employment training from Project SEARCH, Frank will be employed at a local hospital.
Career
Within two years of obtaining employment at a local hospital, Frank will meet his career goal of working in the patient transport department.
Example Postsecondary Goal:
Employment and Career
36
Do these goals have all of the components?
1. Within three months of completing Project SEARCH, receiving
his deferred standard diploma and exiting the K-12 system,
Frank will become employed in the medical field at a hospital.
2. While working at the hospital, Frank will complete employment
training on the job through the hospital’s general orientation
process and department-specific professional development
with a focus on patient transport.
Postsecondary Goal(s):
Education/Training
37
Do this goal have all of the components?
Within three years of graduation, Frank will live
independently with roommates and with support services to
manage his daily health needs.
Postsecondary Goal:
Independent Living
Frequently Asked Questions:
Measurable Postsecondary
Goals
38
Where in the IEP?
Where is the measurable
postsecondary goal written on the IEP?
Response: The measurable postsecondary goals should be
reflected early in the IEP as every component of the IEP for
students 16 and older should lead toward attainment of the
measurable postsecondary goal(s).
39
Does the timeframe for a measurable postsecondary
goal need to address when a student will start
something, such as “enroll in a two-year community
college program,” or should it address when they finish,
such as “complete a two-year degree program?”
Which constitutes best practice, or is either okay?
Response: Districts have flexibility in the format they
choose to use for measurable postsecondary goals.
Timeframe
40
If a parent requests an Adult
Day Training (ADT) program or sheltered workshop setting and
services for their child, how should this be addressed in the
measurable postsecondary goals?
Response: The IEP team should always consider the most
inclusive postsecondary outcomes first. The Workforce Investment
Opportunity Act (WIOA) has established limitations on subminimum
wage. Youth with disabilities 24 and younger are not eligible for
subminimum wage employment unless the youth has completed the
following:
Transition services under IDEA and/or Pre-ETS under WIOA
Application for VR Services
Local Education Agencies are required to provide VR with
documentation of transition services provide to the student
Least Restrictive
Environment
41
How is a student’s progress toward the measurable postsecondary goals documented?
Response: There is no requirement for reporting progress on measurable postsecondary goals. If the student is making adequate yearly progress toward attaining their measurable annual goals and other transition services within the IEP, then the student should be making progress toward attaining his or her measurable postsecondary goals.
If there is a change in course of study or shift in interest then a new goal is required.
Documenting
Progress
42
Student Invitation
Indicator 13
“There also must be evidence that the student was
invited to the IEP Team meeting where transition services
are to be discussed.”
(20 U.S.C. 1416(a)(3)(B))
43
Ensuring Student Input
Indicator 13
44
“If the student does not attend the IEP meeting, the public
agency shall take other steps to ensure that the student’s
preferences and interests are considered.”
34 CFR (Sec. 300.344(b)(2))
Discussion: What are some creative ways you
can obtain a student’s authentic input in the
transition IEP process if they are unable to attend
a meeting ?
Developing Quality IEPs: A Guide for
Instructional Personnel and Families
http://www.fldoe.org/academics/exce
ptional-student-edu/beess-
resources/presentations-
pubs/index.stml
Annual Goals
Writing Objectives
Online modules for registered users of
CPALMS (http://www.cpalms.org)
Resources for Writing Goals and
Objectives
45
Developing and
Facilitating
Quality IEPs:
Transition
Planning Florida Diagnostic and Learning
Resource Systems (FDLRS)
FDLRS Administration Project
46 Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources Systems
FDLRS Administration Project
Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services. (2015).
Developing quality individual educational plans: A guide for instructional personnel and families,
Tallahassee, FL. Retrieved from http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7690/urlt/0070122-qualityieps.pdf
Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services. (2015).
Exceptional Student Education Compliance Manual 2016-17.
http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7673/urlt/ESEComManual1617.pdf
Florida Department of Education (n.d.). Florida standards. Retrieved from
http://www.fldoe.org/academics/standards/florida-standards/
LRP Publications. (2015, July 16). 4 assessment tips to propel students toward post-school success [email
newsletter]. Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT). (2016). Age appropriate transition assessment
toolkit fourth edition. University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Original by NSTTAC and A. R. Walker, L. J.
Kortering, C. H. Fowler, D. Rowe, & L. Bethune. Updated by C.H. Fowler & M. Terrell. Retrieved from
http://transitionta.org/system/files/toolkitassessment/AgeAppropriateTransitionAssessmentToolkit2016_C
OMPLETE_11_21_16.pdf
National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT). Transition planning: Indicator 13, Charlotte,
NC. Retrieved from http://www.transitionta.org/transitionplanning
Neubert, D.A., & Leconte, P.J. (2013). Age-appropriate transition assessment: The position of the division on
career development and transition. Career Developmental and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 36,
72-83.
References
47
Noonan, P., Morningstar, M.E., & Clark, G. (2009). Transition assessment: The big picture. [Online Training
Module]. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas, Department of Special Education. Retrieved from:
http://www.transitioncoalition.org
Project 10: Transition Education Network. (n.d.). Career development: Resources for school professionals,
St. Petersburg, FL. Retrieved from http://www.project10.info/CareerDevelopment.php
Project 10: Transition Education Network. (n.d.). Transition assessment, St. Petersburg, FL. Retrieved from
http://project10.info/DetailPage.php?MainPageID=146
Sitlington, P. L., & Clark, G. M. (2007). The transition assessment process and IDEIA 2004. Assessment for
Effective Intervention, 32(3), 133–142.
Sitlington, P. L., Neubert, D. A., Begun, W., Lombard, R., & Leconte, P. (2007). Assess for success: A
practitioner’s handbook on transition assessment (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Sitlington, P. L., Neubert, D. A., & Leconte, P. J. (1997). Transition assessment: The position of the Division
on Career Development and Transition. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 20, 69-79.
Transition Coalition, University of Kansas (2014). Topical Presentations. Retrieved from
http://transitioncoalition.org/transition/presentations.php
U.S. Government Publishing Office (2015). Code of Federal Regulations (Annual Edition), Washington, D.C.
Retrieved from www.ecfr.gov
West Virginia Department of Education. (n.d.). Standards-based individualized education programs (IEPs).
Retrieved from https://wvde.state.wv.us/osp/standards-based-iep.htm.
References
48
Questions and
Thank You! Questions, concerns, or
recommendations?
Thank you for your attendance and
input today!
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Presenter Contact Information
Franklin Coker and Tury Lewis
Project 10:
Transition Education Network
Regions 3 and 1 Transition
Representatives
Email: [email protected]
Office: 407-721-6907
850-294-8973
Updated August 2017
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