Transition 101
Jim Martin
University of Oklahoma
Zarrow Center & Dept. of Ed Psy
Email: [email protected]
Agenda
1. Why? Quiz Time
2. Transition Big Ideas
3. Transition education steps
Why Transition?
Quiz Time
10 Questions to
Demonstrate Importance of
Transition Education
Question 1
What percent of former students with
IEPs receive government benefit
payments?
10% of former students with IEPs
receive government benefit payments
Question 2
What percent of students with IEPs
dropped out of high school?
28% of high school students dropped
out of high school
Question 3
Two years after leaving high school,
what percent of students with IEPs
worked?
70% of former students had worked, but
two years after leaving high school only
40% working compared to 63% of same
age peers without high school IEPs.
Question 4
Which domain is the biggest area of
concern for former high school students
with IEPs?
Reading Math Social Skills Health
Care
Social skills are the most problematic for all
categories of youth
6 in 10 have moderate social skill scores
Question 5
What percent attend
Career tech programs?
2-year community or junior colleges?
4-year colleges?
What percent attend
5% Career tech programs
20% two-year community or junior colleges
9% four-year colleges (6% two years later)
Question 6
What percent of student with IEPs in high school
self-identify in postsecondary education?
A third (approximately 33%) of postsecondary
students with IEPs in high school self-identify.
52% believe they do not have a disability.
7% believe they have a disability but didn’t tell.
40% identified having a disability, but 12% did not
receive services.
Question 7
Assume 100 students. How many will
Graduate?
Enroll in higher education?
Will graduate within five years of starting?
Assume 100 students. How many will
72 on average will graduate High School
22 on average will enroll in higher education.
4 will graduate within five years of starting.
Question 8
Two years after leaving high school,
what percent of former students with
IEPs live with parents?
75% still live with parents.
Similar rate to same age peers
without IEPs.
Question 9
Former students with IEPs rate of
being arrested and on probations is
less than, equal to, or greater than
same age peers who did not have
IEPs in high school?
Equal to
Question 10
What programs, skills, and
experiences predict post high-school
education and employment?
NTACT Program Predictors
Career Awareness
Work Study
Vocational Education
Paid Employment
Mazzotti, V. L., Rowe, D. A., Sinclair, J., Poppen, M., Woods, W. E., &
Shearer, M. L. (in press). Predictors of post-school success: A systematic
review of NLTS 2 secondary analyses. Career Development and Transition for
Exceptional Individuals.
NTACT Process Predictors
Parental Involvement
Parental Expectations
High School Diploma
Inclusion in Gen Ed
Mazzotti, V. L., Rowe, D. A., Sinclair, J., Poppen, M., Woods, W. E., &
Shearer, M. L. (in press). Predictors of post-school success: A systematic
review of NLTS 2 secondary analyses. Career Development and Transition for
Exceptional Individuals.
NTACT Skill Predictors
Autonomy & Decision Making
Goal Setting
Travel Skills
Social Skills
Self-Care & Independent Living Skills
Mazzotti, V. L., Rowe, D. A., Sinclair, J., Poppen, M., Woods, W. E., &
Shearer, M. L. (in press). Predictors of post-school success: A systematic
review of NLTS 2 secondary analyses. Career Development and Transition for
Exceptional Individuals.
Non-Academic Skills
Associated with Outcomes
Knowledge of Strengths and Limitations
Disability Awareness
Persistence
Interacting with Others
Goal Setting and Attainment
Employment
Student Involvement in IEP Meeting & Process
Support Community McConnell, A. E., Martin, J. E., Juan, C. Y., Hennessey, M. N., Terry, R., Kazimi, N, …
Willis, D. (2013). Identifying non-academic behaviors associated with post-school
employment and education. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional
Individuals, 36 174-187. doi:10.1177/2165143412468147
Predictive Non-Academic
Skills
Post-Secondary Education
Interacting with Others
Student Involvement in IEP
Support Community
Goal Setting and Attainment
Employment
Employment
Student Involvement in IEP
Support Community
Interacting with Others
Burnes, J. & Martin, J. E. (2015). Establishing Predictive Validity: Predicting Postsecondary Education and
Employment Outcomes Using the TAGG. Manuscript submitted for publication consideration.
Bonus Question
What is the purpose of special
education as defined by IDEA 2004?
19
20
The Purpose of SPED
. . . a free appropriate public
education that emphasizes
special education and related
services designed to meet
students’ unique needs and to
prepare them for further
education, employment, and
independent living.
Transition
Taxonomy
Kohler, P. D., Gothberg, J. E., Fowler, C., & Coyle, J.
(2016). Taxonomy for transition programming 2.0.
Retrieved from http://transitionta.org
Four Transition Big
Ideas Explain
Requirements
Transition Big Idea #1
Students need to answer:
Where do I want to live after leaving high
school?
Where do I want to work after leaving high
school?
Where do I want to learn after leaving high
school?
Results from transition assessments
facilitate answers, which become
postsecondary goals
Two Steps to Write Post-
Secondary Goals
1. After graduating from high school,
exiting
2. I (or person’s name) will
work at . . .
live at . . .
learn how or will attend
Transition Big Idea #2
Students need to answer:
What skills do I need to learn to live where I
want?
What skills do I need to learn to work where I
want?
What skills do I need to go to school where I
want?
Answers to these questions become
annual transition goals.
Generalizable Behaviors
Not all skills are equal
Focus on skills that when learned will
generalize to any type of postsecondary
goal.
Focus on skills we know that when learned
will predict better education, employment,
and/or independent living outcomes
Transition Big Idea #3
Students need to answer this question:
What classes do I take in school to be
prepared to work, learn, and live where I
want after leaving school?
The answer to this question becomes the
course of study.
Course of Study
List of courses needed to graduate
List of courses to improve skills related to
students’ post-secondary goals
Optional
List of extra curricula activities
List of community activities
Transition Big Idea #4
Students need to answer:
What supports do I need to live, learn, and
work where I want to after leaving high
school?
Answers to these questions become
coordinated services to accompany annual
transition goals or post-school linkages to
assist students to transition to adult life.
Coordinated Activities
Tasks or experiences to learn needed
skills to attain annual transition goals.
Needed independent living skills
Can be implemented by family, peers,
community people
Taught by Independent Living Center staff
Post-School Linkages
Individuals or Organizations and Students
Need Support Form After Leaving High
School
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
Job Coach
Disability Resource Support at a Career
Technology Center
Medical Assistance Providers
Student Focused
Planning
Student Engagement in IEP
Transition Planning Process
Teacher-Directed IEP Meetings: What
Percent Did These People Talk?
Role % of Time Talked
Special Ed Teacher
General Ed Teacher
Administrator
Family Members
Support Staff
Student
No Conversation
Multiple Conversations
Who Talked at IEP Meetings?
What Percent Did These People
Discuss Transition?
Role % of Time Talked
Special Ed Teacher
General Ed Teacher
Administrator
Family Members
Support Staff
Student
No Conversation
Multiple Conversations
Special Ed50%
General Ed 4%
Admin8%
Family8%
Support Staff20%
Students10%
Percent of Intervals Discussed Transition
References for IEP Meeting
Questions
Martin, J. E., Huber Marshall, L., & Sale, P. (2004). A
3-year study of middle, junior high, and high school
IEP meetings. Exceptional Children, 70, 285-297.
Martin, J. E., Van Dycke, J. L., Christensen, W. R.,
Greene, B. A., Gardner, J. E., & Lovett, D. L. (2006)
Increasing student participation in IEP meetings:
Establishing the Self-Directed IEP as an evidenced-
based practice. Exceptional Children, 72, 299-316.
Spirit of IDEA
Students need to invited to attend IEP
meeting at least when transition age or
earlier to learn what to do at transition
IEP meetings
Implies students be taught to know the
language, their role, what to do, and are
prepared to become actively involved
Its Not Easy
Instructional Materials
OU Zarrow Center Website
Self-Directed IEP
Student-Directed Transition Planning
Whose Future Is It Anyway?
Self-Advocacy Strategy
KU Center
I’m Determined
VA Dept. of Ed
Self-Directed IEP Steps
State Purpose of Meeting
Introduce Team
Review Past Goals
Ask for Feedback
State School and Transition Goals
Ask Question If Don’t Understand
Deal with Differences in Opinion
State Support Needs
Summarize Goals
Close Meeting
Work on Goals All Year
Elementary Student Presenting
IEP Information
Using Poster
Secondary-Aged Student Actively Involved at
IEP Meeting – Presenting PLAAFP Section
Student Development:
Transition Assessments
IDEA 2004 Goals
IEPs must include
postsecondary and annual
transition goals
based upon age-appropriate
transition assessments
related to training, education,
employment, and independent
living (when needed)
Goals of Transition
Assessment
• Make informed choices and identify needed skills
• Provides opportunity for students to become actively involved
• Students and families can learn to understand the skills needed for post-school environments
Picture of boy
daydreaming about
a mansion, plane,
sailboat, and
Ferrari
Transition Assessment &
The Courts
Prince, Plotner, & Yell (2014) examined
district court findings
Use multiple assessments across
transition domains
DO not solely use informal assessments
Some assessments need supporting
validity evidence
Maximize student participation in the
transition planning process
Case Law Decision
Case involved not conducting adequate
transition assessments. Decision:
Told school to focus on meaningful
non-academic goals to prepare
students for post-school life.
Massachusetts Bureau Of Special Education
Appeals And Currently Under Appeal In Federal
Court, Dracut Public Schools, BSEA #08-5330, 15
MSER 78 (2009).
DCDT Transition
Standards
Use valid and reliable transition assessments
Use assessments on an on-going basis
Use assessments to identify student
interests, skills, and needs
Interpret results for students, families, and
other professionals
Involve students in the transition planning
process
Details How
Assessments Need
to be Developed
Details needed
validity evidence to
support use of
assessment results
Basic Validity and Reliability
Assessment Questions
What is the purpose?
Who was it designed for?
Where did items come from?
Does ample evidence exist for
Internal reliability
Test-retest reliability
No or minimal bias by gender, placement,
GPA, grade, disability category, SES
Predictive validity
Facing Reality
Law requiring use of transition
assessments still fairly recent
Only a few transition assessments or
processes have ample validity
evidence to support use
If using assessment without ample
validity evidence should acknowledge
this limitation when discussing results
with IEP team.
Transition Assessment
Employment
Education
and
Training
Independent
Living
(optional)
Should Address Three Areas
Postsecondary Goal
Fluff Scale
Freshman Senior Sophomore Junior
Firm Match
Match Not as Important (Fluff OK)
Am
ount
of F
luff
HIGH SCHOOL YEARS
Types of Transition
Assessments
Interest Assessments
Employment
Living Arrangements
Educational Choices
Skill Assessments
Vocational
Independent Living
Educational
Career Interest
Transition
Assessments
Career Clusters
Career Tech uses career clusters to sort
programs.
http://www.careertech.org/sites/default/file
s/StudentInterestSurvey-English.pdf
Free
Career One Stop
Skill and Ability Videos
http://www.careeronestop.org/Videos/Skill
andAbilityVideos/skill-and-ability-
videos.aspx
Free
Transition Skill
Assessments
Whatever Skill
Assessments
Whatever Skills
Test writers picked behaviors that seemed
to logically fit, then turned these into rating
scales or other assessments.
Many of these “informal” assessments exist
and are often used by educators
No supporting validity evidence
Hundreds of these assessments exist
Free
Expensive
Essential Skill
Assessments
Essential Skills
Test writers used behaviors from research
found associated with or predictive of post-
school education, employment, and/or
independent living
Gathered validity evidence to support use of
assessments
Results predict outcomes
A few of these exist
Free or low-cost
Transition
Assessments for
Further Education
Whatever Skills vs Essential
Skills Assessment
Guide to Assessing
College Readiness Landmark College Assessment
http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/styles/iidc/defiles/INST
RC/Webinars/College-Readiness_Assessment.pdf
Five Domains
Academic Skills
Self-Understanding
Self-Advocacy
Executive Functioning
Motivation and Confidence
Cost: Free
OR
TAGG
An easy-to-use transition assessment
based upon behaviors and experiences
research has identified as associated with
post-school employment and further
education
TAGG assessment yields priority ranked
annual transition goals and an overall
strengths and needs profile.
$3.00 per use
TAGG Constructs
Strengths and
Limitations
Disability Awareness
Student Involvement
in the IEP
Persistence
Goal setting and
attainment
Interacting with
Others
Employment
Support Community
Post-Secondary Education
• Interacting with Others
• Student Involvement in IEP
• Support Community
• Goal Setting and Attainment
TAGG Results Predict Post-
Secondary Education Outcomes
Transition
Assessments for
Employment
Whatever Skills vs Essential
Skills Assessment
Employability/Life Skill
Assessment
Free
http://www.edresourcesohio.org/transition/do
cs/resources/assessment14-21.pdf
Self-Help Skills
Work Habits
Task Related
Work Quality
Attitude
OR
TAGG Post-Secondary Employment
Constructs
• Employment
• Student Involvement in IEP
• Support Community
• Interacting with Others
TAGG Results Predict Post-
Secondary Employment
OR
85
AIR Self-Determination
Assessment
Parent Version
Teacher Version
Student Version
Available at
http://www.ou.edu/content/education/centers-
and-partnerships/zarrow/self-determination-
assessment-tools/air-self-determination-
assessment.html
Cost: free
87
Transition
Assessments for
Independent Living
89
Consider
The law states that an independent living goal
be addressed “when appropriate.”
We believe that to determine if an
independent living goal needs to be written,
an adaptive behavior assessment needs to
be given. This provides evidence of needing
an independent living goal or not. How else
would a team determine if an independent
living goal is needed?
Life Skills Inventory
15 domains (money, hygiene, safety, etc)
Four levels: basic, intermediate,
advanced, exceptional
Must know the person or have family
member complete
Cost: free
http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/styles/iidc/defil
es/INSTRC/Webinars/Life_skills_inventory
92
Enderle-Severson Transition Rating
Form ESTR-J Students with mild disabilities
Parent (available in Spanish) and Teacher version
Five Transition areas
ESTR-III Students with “more” disabilities
Parent and Teacher version
Five Transition areas
ESTR-S Students with severe/multiple impairments
Parent and Teacher versions
Employment, Rec/leisure, home living, community participation, and adult life
Estr.net (each costs about $2.00)
94
Casey Life Skills
Web based and FREE!!!
Spanish, French or English, with numerous supplemental assessments
Youth and caregiver formats
Automatically scored and sent to you
Can obtain class summaries
Provides different levels of questions for students across functioning levels
http://lifeskills.casey.org/
CLSA
Appropriate for all youth ages 14 to 21
regardless of living circumstances (i.e., in
foster care, with bio-parents, in group
homes or other places).
Comprehensive with 113 assessment
items categorized within eight areas for
skills, knowledge and awareness. Youth
can complete one area at a time or finish
the whole assessment in approximately
30-40 minute
96
Personal Preference
Indicators
Interview format
Family members, friends, professionals
who know student well
Designed for students with significant
support needs
Likes, dislikes, social indicators, choices
Health, body clock, future
http://www.ouhsc.edu/thecenter/products/p
ersonalpreference.asp
Cost: free
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Questions?
Contact Information
Jim Martin, Ph.D.
OU Zarrow Center
Room 190
338 Cate Center Drive
Norman, OK 73019
Phone: 405-325-8951
Email: [email protected]