1. Transition Assessment
Sue Severson, Ed.D.
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Minneapolis Career Fair
March 4, 2005

2. IDEIA, 2004
The term “transition services” means a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that - (B) is based on the individual child’s needs, taking into account the child’s strengths, preferences, and interests
IDEA , the first transition mandate as well as IDEA 1997 indicated that transition planning must be based on students’ needs preferences and interests.
IDEIA 2004 added that we must also identify student transition-related strengths.
So--our assessment plan must identify transition-related strengths, needs, preferences and interests.
June 7, 2004
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3. IDEIA, 2004 Appropriate Measurable Postsecondary Goals
Based upon age appropriate transition assessment
Related to training, education, employment and where appropriate independent living skills
IDEIA 2004 also indicates that we must identify appropriate measurable postsecondary goals. These goals are to be based on appropriate, transition assessment and we must identify postsecondary goals in the areas of training, education, employment and when appropriate independent living skills.
We have done this in MN for many years. We have called these Future Outcome/Goals and we identify these in five transition areas: Employment, Recreation and Leisure, Home Living, Community Participation and Post Secondary Education.
There are some assessments that provide information on postsecondary goals and some do not. These will be reviewed in this presentation.
June 7, 2004
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4. Transition Assessment & Planning
Teaching of skills/knowledge (goals & objectives, general education curriculum)
Initial Identification of Needs
Transition Planning
In-Depth Assessment of Select Areas
Linkage to services/supports (activities)
Adapted from Transition Planning Inventory, Clark & Patton, 1997.
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5. Questions Transition Assessment Must Answer
What are the desired future outcomes/goals? (preferences and interests)
Results oriented process.
Needs, strengths, preferences and interests.
What skills does the student possess? (strengths)
Relative to their goals.
What skills must the student acquire to achieve their goals? (needs)
What planning issues need to be addressed? (needs)
Sue
What are the student’s desired future outcomes/goals?”
-Discussed after our first break.
Jon
2 & 3. “What skills does the student possess and, what skills must the student acquire to achieve their goals?”
-In some cases, assessment results may indicate that the student’s current repertoire of skills is adequate for reaching their future goals, eliminating the need for life skill-oriented IEP goals and objectives and/or planned activities for that specific area.
-In other cases, assessment will identify that the student has skill needs that must be addressed in the planning process.
“What planning issues need to be addressed to enhance the student’s opportunities to experience success in vocational, residential and community environments?”
-If a student desires to continue their education after high school graduation, they will need to make plans to visit, apply and finance this education.
-Ask participants for another example.
-Smooth transitions will not occur if planning is incomplete.
-Assessment must identify not only what planning needs exist, but also the planning issues that have already been addressed.
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6. (preferences & interests)
Postsecondary
Goals
(preferences & interests)
ASSESS
Course of Study
Present Level Of
Educational
Performance
Build on strengths,
address needs
Statement of Needed
Transition Services
ASSESS
Jon p. 28 in manual
The transition planning process evolves through several stages.
Stage One is assessment (ESTR Scales)
Stage Two involves Future goal statements (we will practice writing today) and Performance Levels in each transition area (we will practice writing today).
Sue
From the information documented in performance levels teams work together to develop the IEP which includes “statement of transition service needs” (course of study), “statement of needed transition services” (we will discuss today when we talk about LCCE curriculum), and goals and objectives.
You are familiar with this process and so we will be focusing on the “how to” of assessment, future goals, performance levels, and curriculum.
Goals
&
Objectives
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7. Transition Assessment
Key piece of the “preparation for life” puzzle
Systematic observation of what individuals need to function successfully as adults
Systematic observation--objective and organized means of gathering data to confirm or validate (DCD Manual)
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8. Transition Assessment Instruments
ESTR Scales
ESTR-J-R + Parent Form
Transition specific assessment for students with mild disabilities
ESTR III + Parent Form
Transition specific assessment for students with more disability
Transition Planning Inventory (TPI)
Transition screening for students with mild disabilities
LCCE Batteries (Published by CEC)
Knowledge Battery-200 multiple choice test
Performance Battery-Performance-based measures
Brigance Diagnostic Inventory of Employability Skills
Criterion referenced performance-based assessment
Brigance Diagnostic Inventory of Life Skills
June 7, 2004
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9. Transition Planning Inventory (TPI)
Four forms: home, school, student, profile
46 transition planning statements
9 planning areas
Employment, Further Education/Training, Daily Living, Leisure Activities, community Participation, Health, Self-Determination, communication, & Interpersonal Relationships
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10. Transition Planning Inventory (TPI)
Screening?
Broad items
Manual contains further breakdown
Mild Disabilities?
Authors indicate it can be used for all
Early Years?
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11. TPI Profile
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12. Measurable Postschool Outcomes
Student form
Parent form in manual
15 open ended statements
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13. Enderle-Severson Transition Rating Scales
ESTR III
ESTR III Parent Form
ESTR-J-Revised
ESTR-J-Revised Parent Form
Transition Planning in the Schools: Using the Enderle-Severson Transition Rating Scales, 3rd Edition
Sue
You have several products today in your packet that we will be discussing.
Brief description of the following:
Describe ESTR III and ESTR III Parent Form
Jon-describe ESTR-J-R and ESTR-J-R Parent Form
Talk about Transition Planning manual indicating how we will be referring to it throughout the presentation.
The Manual includes:
1-historical perspective
2-best practice
3-history and development of ESTR scales
4-administering ESTR scales
5-conducting transition planning using the ESTR Scales
6-case studies of three students
7-reliability and validity info
8-Appendices-explain.

14. ESTR III Items reflect the original scale (published in 1991).
5 transition areas-
Employment, Recreation & Leisure, Home Living, Community Participation, Post Secondary Education
Areas are inclusive of the areas identified in IDEA
Useful when assessing students with more disability.
Jon
June 7, 2004
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15. ESTR-J-Revised Reduced number of items from ESTR-III.
Same 5 transition areas-
Employment, Recreation & Leisure, Home Living, Community Participation, Post Secondary Education
Areas are inclusive of the areas identified in IDEA
Useful when assessing students with MILD disabilities.
Jon
Explain why we reduced items.
Include that ESTR-J-R is still comprehensive.
Explain bullets that act as indicators.
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16. ESTR-J-Revised Administration
Respondents
Parent Form (gray form)
Rating system
Yes=Independent and Consistent
No= Not performed or performed inconsistently.
Sue
We include parent form with ESTR-J.
Talk about completing the form with the student.
Explain yes/no rating system-what it means, why we use it.
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17. June 7, 2004
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18. Brigance Life Skills Inventory
Provides performance-based assessment to determine students strengths/needs
Does not assess Postsecondary Goals (Future Outcomes)
Is not organized around the five transition areas
Does not assess planning issues
But-it DOES provide performance based assessment of student skills
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21. June 7, 2004
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22. LCCE Knowledge Battery Life Centered Career Education
Published by CEC
200 Multiple Choice Test
Percentile rank
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23. LCCE Knowledge Battery Life Centered Career Education
3 Curriculum areas
Assesses Daily Living Skills, Personal Social Skills, Occupational Skills
Broken down into 22 competencies
Broken down into 97 subcompetencies
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24. LCCE Knowledge Battery Life Centered Career Education
10 questions for each competency
What the student knows in comparison to peers
Not what the student does on a daily basis
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25. LCCE Performance Battery Life Centered Career Education
Nonstandardized criterion referenced measure of LCCE competencies
Performance based assessment
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26. Budgeting
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27. Medical Symptoms
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28. Attendance & Punctuality
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29. Sitlington, Clark, and Kolstoe (2000)
The most central and critical use of transition assessment information is as a component of the Present Level of Educational Performance in the student’s IEP. Transition goals and objectives, along with official linkages with nonschool agencies, would come directly from transition-referenced assessment and the information in the Present Level of Educational Performance. The data should have direct implications for instructional program decisions, including program design, program placement, curriculum planning, instructional procedures, and additional assessment requirements. ( p. 123)
Sue
Scores
Criterion-referenced.
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30. Time Flies
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31. We have all of our ducks in a row.
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32. Transition-We’ve created a good fit. All the pieces are coming together.
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33. Because of our preparation…
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