1. Idaho Transition Cadre Hailey, ID October 2, 2013
Getting It Done: Preparing All Students for Post-School Success in Idaho
Idaho Transition Cadre
Hailey, ID
October 2, 2013
National Secondary Transition
Technical Assistance Center

2. What’s an NSTTAC?
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) funded technical assistance & dissemination center
NSTTAC = National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center
January 1, December, 2014
Pronounced: /IN / STAK
Housed at UNC Charlotte and partner with Western Michigan University

3. NSTTAC Charge Provide TA and disseminate resources
Build state capacity
Foster data collection and use
Improve student outcomes

4. What Does NSTTAC Offer to Me?
Disseminates federal policy/legal information through state departments of public instruction
Secondary transition compliance (e.g., SOP, 1-13)
Facilitates research-to-practice
Offers resources to Idaho DOE (&59 others) to help the state build its efforts to improve secondary transition
Responds to requests for information from stakeholders

5. NSTTAC’s Technical Assistance
Intensive – more face to face, intensive work in LEA
Targeted/ Time Limited – workshops, consultation
All States - website, capacity building institute, phone and

6. Intensive TA States Bureau of Indian Education Delaware Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Indiana
Louisiana
Maine
Missouri
Rhode Island
Tennessee
Utah
Washington, D.C.

7. NSTTAC Technical Assistance
Engage in NSTTAC activities
Provide resources
National
Build state-specific capacity
Address state-specific context(s)
State
Empower local improvement
Engage directly in local context
Local
Idaho
Blaine County

8. Context for Improving Practice
Factors
Federal policy
State and local policy
Community
Effective practices

9. IDEA Accountability Mandates
Continuous Improvement Monitoring Process (CIMP) – Compliance with IDEA
State Performance Plan (SPP)
Set targets for key compliance and performance data (indicators)
Annual Performance Report (APR)
Report key compliance and performance data (indicators) – did you meet the target?

10. Using Transition Indicators to Improve What We Do
Post-School Outcomes
~Indicator 14~
Postsecondary education and/or training
Employment
Independent living
Not so good?
Good?
Why? Why Not?
Dropping Out
~Indicator 2~
Why?
Appropriate programs?
Address student and family needs?
Graduation
~Indicator 1~
Expectations and standards?
Various pathways available?
Linkage to post-school environments?
What’s the Quality of Our IEPs?
~Indicator 13~
Measurable post-school and annual goals
Transition-related assessments
Course of study, services, and activities
Coordination of services

11. Critical Interrelationship
Staying in School
Quality IEPs
Achieving post-school outcomes
Graduating

12. Critical Interrelationship
Establishing transition education and services
Developing individual student IEPs
Preparing students for the future

13. Cadre to Build Capacity
Improve student outcomes by improving what we do!
Process

14. Cadre to Build Capacity
Increase knowledge
Reflect on current practices
Develop plans to address needs
Process

15. How do we do that? Content Data review and use Strategic planning
Support each other
Leave with an actionable plan!

16. NSTTAC Model Strategies

17. Taxonomy for Transition Programming
Family Involvement
Student-Focused Planning
Program Structures
Organizes the many practices we talk about in a way that makes sense - a framework
Developed from research of effective programs
SFP = IEP development – student-centered
SD = skills students need (academic, vocational, independent living)
IAC = IAC structures and work
FI = family involvement, training, empowerment
PS = human resources, professional development, $ decisions, philosophies
Student Development
Interagency Collaboration

18. Taxonomy for Transition Programming
IEP Development
Student Participation
Planning Strategies
STUDENT-FOCUSED PLANNING
FAMILY INVOLVEMENT
Family Training
Family Involvement
Family Empowerment
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
Life Skills Instruction
Employment Skills Instruction
Career & Vocational Curricula
Structured Work Experience
Assessment
Support Services
PROGRAM STRUCTURES
Program Philosophy
Program Policy
Strategic Planning
Program Evaluation
Resource Allocation
Human Resource Development
Breaks down from very general to specific practices
Collaborative Framework
Collaborative Service Delivery
INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION

19. Taxonomy for Transition Programming
IEP Development
Student Participation
Planning Strategies
STUDENT-FOCUSED PLANNING
FAMILY INVOLVEMENT
Family Training
Family Involvement
Family Empowerment
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
Life Skills Instruction
Employment Skills Instruction
Career & Vocational Curricula
Structured Work Experience
Assessment
Support Services
PROGRAM STRUCTURES
Program Philosophy
Program Policy
Strategic Planning
Program Evaluation
Resource Allocation
Human Resource Development
Breaks down from very general to specific practices
Academic Skills Instruction
Collaborative Framework
Collaborative Service Delivery
INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION

20. Data-Based Decision Making
What data?
Indicator data
Student outcome data (in and post school)
Exit survey data
Data across agencies
Teacher knowledge data
Why data?

21. A “Tool” to Facilitate Planning
What are we doing now?
What do we need to do?
What will we do?
How will we measure our progress?
Focus Questions
Current Status
A plan

22. “Must - Have” Cadre Materials
Agenda
Handouts (from registration and more!)
Team planning tool
Evaluation
Attitude!

23. How Will Your District Plans Get Done?
Communicate the message back home
Who was missing?
Who else is doing this work in your State? region of the State? district?
Playing with others
Playing alone
Use Cadre

24. Make Progress Reconvene Measurable goals Activities toward the goals
Assign tasks
Deadlines
Celebrate your successes!
Monitor your progress and continue to meet!

25. Why Is Evaluation Important?
What gets measured, gets done
If you don’t measure results, you can’t tell success from failure
If you can’t see success, you can’t reward it
Osborne & Gaebler, 1992, Chapter 5, “Results Oriented Government”

26. What Do You Do If When It Doesn’t All Work Perfectly?
Self-determined model of planning
Each plan is based on YOUR context
Identify goals you can achieve
Identify goals that are meaningful to YOUR district
Reconvene
Network to problem solve – think up, down, and across

27. Off we go…

28. Need to Be Doing What Works
Need to implement most effective practices to get students to their post-school goals – Critical in all of education – especially critical for students with disabilities.
Unlike 20 years ago – We actually know a lot about what works.

29. Flash Back to 1984
What to do ?????

30. What Does Research Tell Us?
Are based on rigorous research designs
Have demonstrated a record of success for improving student outcomes
Have undergone systematic review process using quality indicators to evaluate level of evidence
Evidence-Based Practices
Research-Based Practices
Are based on research
Have demonstrated limited success
Have used a ‘weak’ research design
Promising Practices
Are not based on research
Have no data to support effectiveness
Based on anecdotal evidence and/or professional judgment
Unestablished Practices
There are four levels of research used in classrooms across America.
EBP – those based on rigorous research designs, demonstrate improved outcomes, and undergone systematic review to evaluate level of evidence
RBP – are one step down – based on rigorous designs and demonstrate success but have NOT undergone systematic review
PP – based on some research, show limited success, and use weak design
UP – not based on research and have no data to support it

31. What Does the Field Tell Us?
Are based on rigorous research designs
Have demonstrated a record of success for improving student outcomes
Have undergone systematic review process using quality indicators to evaluate level of evidence
Evidence-Based Practices
Research-Based Practices
Are based on research
Have demonstrated limited success
Have used a ‘weak’ research design
Promising Practices
Are not based on research
Have no data to support effectiveness
Based on anecdotal evidence and/or professional judgment
Unestablished Practices
Unfortunately, what Jennifer and I have experienced in the field is many classrooms implementing transition practices based on anecdotal results rather than data.
Today we thought we’d give a brief overview for you all of transition education practices you should consider for your classroom and in your schools.

32. NSTTAC Builds On Transition Practices Research
Serves as a conceptual framework
Provides a foundation for change
Helps focus efforts and initiatives
Provides concrete information

33. Taxonomy for Transition Programming
Family Involvement
Student-Focused Planning
Program Structures
Organizes the many practices we talk about in a way that makes sense - a framework
Developed from research of effective programs
SFP = IEP development – student-centered
SD = skills students need (academic, vocational, independent living)
IAC = IAC structures and work
FI = family involvement, training, empowerment
PS = human resources, professional development, $ decisions, philosophies
Student Development
Interagency Collaboration

34. Taxonomy for Transition Programming
IEP Development
Student Participation
Planning Strategies
STUDENT-FOCUSED PLANNING
FAMILY INVOLVEMENT
Family Training
Family Involvement
Family Empowerment
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
Life Skills Instruction
Employment Skills Instruction
Career & Vocational Curricula
Structured Work Experience
Assessment
Support Services
PROGRAM STRUCTURES
Program Philosophy
Program Policy
Strategic Planning
Program Evaluation
Resource Allocation
Human Resource Development
Breaks down from very general to specific practices
Collaborative Framework
Collaborative Service Delivery
INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION

35. Taxonomy for Transition Programming
IEP Development
Student Participation
Planning Strategies
STUDENT-FOCUSED PLANNING
FAMILY INVOLVEMENT
Family Training
Family Involvement
Family Empowerment
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
Life Skills Instruction
Employment Skills Instruction
Career & Vocational Curricula
Structured Work Experience
Assessment
Support Services
PROGRAM STRUCTURES
Program Philosophy
Program Policy
Strategic Planning
Program Evaluation
Resource Allocation
Human Resource Development
Breaks down from very general to specific practices
Academic Skills Instruction
Collaborative Framework
Collaborative Service Delivery
INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION

36. Student Development
Student Development = the “stuff” of the educational program

37. Research to Practice Lesson Plan Starters
What We Have Done
Reviewed experimental research to identify evidence-based practices in secondary transition
Identified 63 evidence-based practices
Developed over 75 Research to Practice Lesson Plan Starters
Taxonomy Category
Evidence-Based
Practices
Research to Practice Lesson Plan Starters
Student Focused Planning 6 9
Student Development 56 98
Family Involvement 1
Program Structure

38. Student Development Teaching Academic Skills Using Mnemonics
Using Peer Assisted Instruction
Using Self-Management Instruction
Using Technology
Using Visual Displays
Teaching Functional Life Skills
Using Backward Chaining
Using Constant Time Delay
Using Forward Chaining
Using Progressive Time Delay
Using Self-Monitoring Instruction
Using a System of Least to Most Prompts
Using a System of Most to Least Prompts
Using Total Task Chaining

39. Student Development Teaching Food Preparation and Cooking Skills
Teaching Banking Skills
Using Community Based Instruction
Using Constant Time Delay
Using Simulations
Teaching Community Integration Skills Using Community Based Instruction
Teaching Food Preparation and Cooking Skills
Using Computer Assisted Instruction
Using Constant Time Delay
Using Response Prompting
Using Video Modeling
Using a System of Least to Most Prompts

40. Student Development Teaching Grocery Shopping Skills
Using Computer Assisted Instruction
Using Community Based Instruction
Using Response Prompting
Using a System of Least to Most Prompts
Teaching Home Maintenance Skills
Using Video Modeling
Teaching Laundry Tasks Using Response Prompting
Teaching Leisure Skills
Using Response Prompting
Using Constant Time Delay
Teaching Safety Skills
Using Community Based Instruction
Using Progressive Time Delay
Using a System of Least to Most Prompts

41. Student Development (more)
Teaching Counting Money Using the One More Than Strategy
Teaching Finance Skills Using an Extension of Career Planning Services after Graduation
Teaching Purchasing Skills
Using Community Based Instruction
Using the One More Than Strategy
Using Progressive Time Delay
Using Response Prompting
Using Simulations
Using a System of Least to Most Prompts

42. Student Development
Teaching Self Determination Using Whose Future Is It Anyway?
Teaching Goal Attainment Using the Self Determined Learning Model of Instruction
Teaching Social Skills
Using Response Prompting
Using Self-Management Instruction
Using Simulations
Teaching Communication Skills
Using Community Based Instruction
Using a System of Least to Most Prompts

43. Student Development (last one!)
Teaching Employment Skills
Using Community Based Instruction
Using Response Prompting
Teaching Job Specific Skills
Using Computer Assisted Instruction
Using Constant Time Delay
Using Self-Management Instruction
Using a System of Least to Most Prompts
Teaching Completing a Job Application Using Mnemonics

44. Promising Practices to Teach Academics
Constant Time Delay
a prompting procedure that uses variations in the time intervals between presentation of the natural stimulus and the response prompt
Graduated Sequence of Instruction
uses concrete, then representational, then abstract (math)
Prompting Strategies
to transfer stimulus control from response prompts to the natural stimulus (most to least or least to most [verbal, gestural, physical])
Role Play
simulations and problem solving scenarios through application
Strategy Instruction
Includes mnemonic. Also other cognitive strategies, schema based, use of cue cards to prompt steps in a strategy (math, writing)
Structured Inquiry
structured hands-on experiments with formative feedback from the teacher (Science)
Systematic Instruction
model, lead, test

45. Research to Practice Lesson Plan Starters
Objective
Setting/materials
Content to be taught
Teaching procedures
How to evaluate student learning
Reference used to write lesson plan starter

46. The Missing Link Predictors Post-School Outcomes Lesson Plans
Practices

47. Transition Practices Research
Predictors!
Practices!
Macro Level
Systems
Programs
“Generic” practices
Micro Level
Specific interventions
nsttac.org

48. Predictors of Post-School Success
Career Awareness
Community Experiences
Graduating with a Diploma*
Inclusion in General Education*
Agency Participation*
Occupational Courses*
Paid Work Experience*
Parent Expectations (new)
Parental Involvement*
Program of Study
Self-Determination*
Self-Care/Independent Living
Social Skills*
Student Support
Transition Instruction*
Vocational Education*
Work Study*
NSTTAC, 2009; Coyle, 2012

49. What do I do now?

50. Career Awareness
job shadowing, internships, guest speakers, industry tours, Career Technical Education classes, or career fairs
identify skills and qualifications required for occupations
embed career awareness in the general curriculum
explicit connections between academic skills and use in various careers
age appropriate student assessment of career awareness (e.g., interest inventories)

51. Occupational Courses
career awareness activities, career planning, and vocational assessments in all occupational courses
include technology, 21st century skills and employability skills for specific career/career cluster content
hands-on and community-based opportunities to learn occupational specific skills
Universal Design for Learning principles in CTE programs
course offerings throughout the school day so scheduling conflicts do not restrict student access to occupational courses
occupational courses that represent a wide variety of occupational clusters

52. Paid Work Experiences
opportunities to participate in job shadowing, work-study, apprenticeships, or internships
instruction in soft skills (e.g., problem solving, communicating with authority figures, responding to feedback, promptness) and occupational specific skills (e.g., clerical, machine operation)
transportation training
instruction in obtaining (e.g., resume development) and maintaining a job
link eligible students to appropriate adult services services prior to exiting
ensure employment training placements offer opportunities for (1) working 30+ hours/week, (2) making minimum wage or higher, with benefits, and (3) utilizing individualized supports and reasonable accommodations

53. Vocational Education
sequence of entry level and advanced integrated academic and vocational courses
combination of in-school and community-based academic, competency-based applied, and hands-on learning experiences, based on the local labor market
connection to postsecondary education and/or employment through site visits and connections with support services
opportunities to earn certificates in certain career areas
career counseling and guidance to assist students in career planning
career development through volunteer work, job shadowing, work-study, apprenticeships, or internships.

54. Exit Exam/ Diploma Status
test-taking strategies and study skills
assist students to plan for and use appropriate accommodations
standardized practice tests periodically to monitor progress towards
student remediation assistance if they fail the test
multiple opportunities to take the test as allowed by the school/district for all students

55. Inclusion in General Education
administrative support (e.g., professional development for teachers and paraprofessionals, common planning, providing paraprofessionals) to teachers for students with disabilities included in general education classrooms
specific instruction to support students with disabilities who are included in general education (e.g., differentiated instruction, learning strategies, study skills, organizational skills, personal management skills)
a receptive school atmosphere for including students with disabilities in general education by educating administrators, teachers, other staff, and students about person-first language and disability rights

56. Program of Study
ensure program of study is inclusive, academically rigorous, and supported by Universal Design for Learning principles
multiple opportunities (e.g., career technical education; community-based work; school-based enterprises; dual credit through a cooperative agreement) for students to acquire needed credits to achieve standard diploma

57. Self-Determination Skills
student driven IEP process to allow students to demonstrate self-awareness, goal setting, problem solving, and self-advocacy
embed choices into the general curriculum and daily lessons and provide opportunities for students to practice self-determination skills
teach students to self-monitor and provide opportunities for students to practice the self-monitoring strategy
functional communication system to engage in choice making
opportunities for students to develop self-awareness by engaging in honest and respectful discussions
foster the development of students’ leadership skills

58. Self-Care/ Independent Living Skills
Provide instruction, as needed based on assessment data, in:
financial planning
self-help
cooking
home maintenance
using transportation
accessing community services
time/ organizational management
social roles/ citizenship
critical thinking

59. Social Skills
integrate social skills instruction across the curriculum
opportunities for students to practice conversational, negotiation skills in context
assist to use problem-solving skills when difficult interpersonal situations arise
provide parent and school staff information and training in supporting age-appropriate social skill development, taking into consideration the family’s cultural standards
use augmentative communication (AC) and assistive technology (AT) devices to encourage communication
ecological assessments to identify the social skills students will be expected to perform in each context

60. Predictors of In-School Success
Academically on-track in freshman year
Attendance
Teacher expertise and excellence
Career academies, other transition programs
Mentors (formal or informal)
After school programs
Parental involvement
Transition-focused IEP goals

61. Need to Be Doing What Works
Use this information in
your planning today!