TRANSITION PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT The Pennsylvania Model

The Pennsylvania Story  The Transformational Process  Compliance to Commitment  PA IDEA Memorandum of Understanding Regional Training  Promoting Effective Outcomes: A Cross- Systems Approach Regional Training

Partners in Planning  PA IDEA Memorandum of Understanding Training Fall 2001

Findings of the MOU Training: Identification of Real World Problems  Roundtable discussions to identify barriers to collaboration and strategies to foster interagency collaboration  Communication breakdowns  Turf issues  Money issues  Staff turnover  Differing priorities and language  Lack of relationships and mutual respect  Lack of opportunity to network

Promoting Effective Outcomes: A Cross Systems Approach Regional Training Fall 2001  This training was designed to aid in the development of local, cross system transition planning

Promoting Effective Outcomes: A Cross Systems Approach Teams developed action plans and a “picture” of their vision …

The Pennsylvania Story 2002  PA Office of Mental Health & Substance Abuse SPA Office of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services: Transition Pilot Projects  Regional Cross-Systems Training: Spring and Fall 2002 Sessions  First Annual 2002 PA Transition Conference  PA Bureau of Special Education Mini-Grants  PA Office of Mental Retardation: Employment Coalitions  PA Office of Children, Youth & Families: Impacting Policy & Practice  2002 PA Disability Mentoring Day

2002 PA TRANSITION CONFERENCE June st statewide, cross-systems transition conference Sponsored by the Pennsylvania…  Department of Education (PDE), Bureau of Special Education (BSE) in collaboration with the Parent Education Network (PEN), Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), PDE Bureau of Career and Technical Education and the IDEA Memorandum of Understanding Partners in Pennsylvania

Primary Components of the PA Transition Conference  A Panel of Young Adults who transitioned to adult life kicked off the conference, by discussing their experiences.  A Strand for Parents with sessions structured to provide information requested by parents.  An Agency Forum offered information about several community and statewide agencies, their programs and general eligibility guidelines  An Information Sharing Session was held to share resources.  Invitation to apply for the Bureau of Special Education Mini- Grants.

BSE Transition Mini-Grants  117 mini-grants for the school year were awarded; more than $700,000 in funding.  Awarded to teams who attended the 2002 Transition Conference. (teams = parent, agency representative, school administrator and teacher).  Purpose: to build a “critical mass” of promising programs. Thirty- one model "mentor" program models were replicated through 117 mini-grants.  Goal: extend the number of outcome-driven transition programs focusing on employment, post-secondary education/training, and community living outcomes.  Baseline mid-point and year-end data on two student outcomes were reported.

OMR Employment Coalitions  Building coalitions in local communities, with a goal of shifting to the culture of collaboration and competitive employment as a goal for youth with mental retardation.  Initial Pilot: Lehigh Valley Transition pilot.  Coalition building is supported by OMR in various communities across the state, connecting to Local Transition Coordinating Councils.

Promoting Transition in Pennsylvania Child Welfare  Integration of service planning and delivery: Involving other systems in the service and permanency planning for children placed through the child welfare system.  Regulation revision & rewrite: Bringing transition language into child welfare regulation.  Independent Living Services: Building a collaborative cross-systems approach to better serve foster care youth.

PA Disability Mentoring Day  Jointly planned and implemented by the ten offices of the IDEA MOU partnership.  115 students with various disabilities from across the state participated.  Mentors from several offices in each of the four state agencies volunteered.  135 parents attended.  200 educators and agency staff received a “How to Kit” for implementing mentoring activities locally.  Youth from Pennsylvania participated in National Disability Mentoring Day event.

The Pennsylvania Story 2003  2 nd Annual 2003 PA Transition Conference  PA Signs on as First State of the National Community of Practice  Regional Training: Building & Sustaining Local Transition Coordinating Councils & Teams  Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Transition Projects  2003 PA Disability Mentoring Day

Primary Components of the 2003 PA Transition Conference  Keynote Presentations  National Community of Practice Introduced  Mentor and Mini-Grant Replication Panels  Transition Strategies Sessions  Self-Determination Strand Sessions  Capacity Building Sessions  Information Sharing Agency Fair  Vendor Displays

National Transition Community of Practice  In early 2003 PA signed on with the IDEA Partnership to be the first state to grow the National Transition Community of Practice at the Conference

How Does a Community of Practice Work?  Communities cross agency boundaries  Communities cross role boundaries  All interests are valid  Emphasis is on understanding interests  Emphasis is on crafting sustainable positions  Learning can come from anywhere  Peer/peer networks provide assistance  Networks share a vision they have crafted  Networks are goal oriented  Networks are results focused  Communities always ask, ” Who is not here?” Joanne Cashman, NASDSE

PA Dept. of Labor & Industry Office of Vocational Rehabilitation  Created an innovative mechanism to enhance and expand transition to employment strategies for eligible youth with disabilities in Pennsylvania, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department of Labor & Industry and the Department of Education became effective September 29,  $4 Million was invested in systems change efforts to expand employment opportunities for OVR-eligible youth with disabilities.

Local Project Design  The 38 local projects fit into one or more of the following project category designs:  Outreach-Underserved  Vocational Assessment  Mentoring  Post-Secondary Education and Training  Employment

The Pennsylvania Story 2004  Regional Capacity Building Sessions with Local Transition Councils & Teams  Local Transition Coordinating Councils and Teams Development of Cross-System Portfolio Assessment Strategies: Regional Training, paired with Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Mini-Grants  3 rd Annual 2004 PA Transition Conference  2004 PA Transition Communities of Practice: Reaching Our Outcomes Together Phase 4  PA Dept. of Health: Cross-Systems Development of Transition Healthcare Checklist  PA Youth Employment Expo

PA Transition Communities of Practice Spring 2004  State to Local and Local to State Strategies  Regional Sessions across the State to Build the State to Local and Local to State Learning

State to Local and Local to State Strategies  Policy & Practice  Recognition of LTCC’s & Team’s Activities, Products, & Projects: Expanding Community of Practice Opportunities.  Strengthening the PA Transition Communities of Practice Communication Network.  Including cross-systems local participants in national activities.

State to Local and Local to State Strategies  Capacity Building  Transition Portfolio Assessment Strategies Training & Financial Support.  Non-traditional Cross-Systems Team Funding Strategies.  Expanded Cross-System Learning Opportunities.

Strengthening and Expanding Local Interagency Transition Coordinating Councils and Teams Through Regional Training  Findings of Phase I regarding Local Transition Councils & Teams across the state.  Memorandum of Understanding Interagency Team Response to Outcomes of Phase I Training.  Discussion of state to local, local to state learning.  Learning through Current Research and Literature Review  Learning from One Another  Membership & Organizational Structure  Projects & Products  Action Planning and Future Strategies

2004 PA Transition Communities of Practice Conference July 14 – 16, 2004  The primary purpose of the Third Annual Conference was to provide opportunities for community partners to learn new information about successful practices to assist youth/young adults with disabilities in achieving successful post-school outcomes (employment, post- secondary education/training and community participation).  The first state-to-state meeting of the National Community of Practice was kicked off at the conference, with eight states participating through support of the IDEA Partnership.

A Shared Vision: Foundation for our Future  Pennsylvania Post School Outcome Design Focus Groups  9 Regional Sessions across the State, designed and implemented by the State Leadership Team in partnership with Local Teams to strategically plan local goals and hear youth voice  Created vision statement “To build and support sustainable community partnerships that create opportunities for youth and young adults with disabilities to transition smoothly from secondary education to the post- secondary outcomes of competitive employment; education, training and lifelong learning; community participation; and healthy lifestyles.”

Pennsylvania Community on Transition Communication Structure Youth & Young Adults with Disabilities Families & Caregivers Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Core Team State Leadership Team (SLT) State Interagency Advisory Committee on Transition (SIACT) The IDEA Partnership Interagency Transition Community of Practice Local Transition Coordinating Councils & Teams Community Connections (Advocates, Associations, Regional, County and Provider Networks, etc.)

Priorities of the PA Community on Transition  Develop a cross-agency data sharing system and longitudinal study.  Enhance the PA Community on Transition communication structure.  Outreach to additional partners.  Create a seamless service delivery system, empowering youth to transition to the role of productive, participating adult citizens.

Pennsylvania: State to National, National to State and State to State Learning  The PA Community of Practice on Transition, has played an instrumental role in moving national efforts forward, by being invited to present to:  National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)  National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE)  National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET) – 3 Summits & National Teleconferences  The IDEA Partnership Summits  Kickoff of the California Community of Practice

Pennsylvania Professional Development for Secondary Transition  Embracing an agenda to interface with the high school reform effort, integrating efforts with general education curricula and workforce investment initiatives  Developing a relationship with key leaders and legislators to improve policy and funding mechanisms  Continuing commitment to cross agency process  Continuing and strengthening our investment in the youth voice  Continuing focus to move the agenda to the local level