The following resources and activities are related to the student as it applies to transition services and centering the planning around the student. This will involve conducting transition assessments to better understand what is important to the student and what strengths and gaps are related to their skills and learning in reaching their postsecondary goals. Planning can then take place to create a roadmap, with the student involved in all planning goal setting.
Student Centered Transition Planning
It is important to better understand the benefits of student- centered transition planning, identify ways to involve students in collecting assessment information and developing goals, and be able to prepare students to actively participate in their own IEP meetings.
Related Learning Activities:
- Review the IRIS Secondary Transition: Student Centered Transition Planning page-training in secondary transition planning for educators.
- Work through the sections of the module including the Module Outline, IRIS & Adult Learning Theory, Navigating an IRIS STAR Legacy Module, and Wrap-Around Content Map (module completion time approximately 2 hours).
- Professional Development Certificate available for completion of module.
- Think about how you can implement the Student-Centered Transition Planning approach with 2-3 students (and add more students as appropriate).
- Go to Zarrow Center Resource Page: Curriculums
- There are several curriculums listed on this page. Scroll down to the Student-Directed Transition Planning curriculum (includes 8 lessons with teaching materials and lesson activities; Transition Knowledge Test; Pre and Post Measurement Tools for the student, parent, and teacher. Zarrow Center estimates 15 hours to complete 8 lessons)
- Consider how this curriculum, or portions of the curriculum, could be used in your transition program.
Individualized Transition Assessments
This module will help familiarize teams with transition assessments and provide resources needed to implement transition assessments for youth 14 years and older. The module has numerous examples and resources to help teams design and carry out quality transition assessments.
Related Learning Activities:
Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center-Finding Age-Appropriate Transition Assessments-Transition Matrix: This site offers simple tools to identify transition-related services and activities happening in the classroom, during community-based instruction, in a career/technical education classroom/program, and throughout a student’s school year. Assuring an individualized and meaningful assessment can help in identifying goals and decisions for the individualized education program (IEP). Assessments will be provided based on the criteria selected.
- Using the Matrix:
- Make choices to individualize based on the needs of the student. This allows you to narrow down topics of interest.
- Grade level (options for grades 6-12)
- Topic area (education, training, employment, independent living)
- Students with higher support needs
- Available in English, Spanish, Burmese
- Upon pressing Enter, assessments are presented with a short description:
- Check the criteria desired and press enter
- Review 3-5 assessments
- Make choices to individualize based on the needs of the student. This allows you to narrow down topics of interest.
Indiana University’s Portal for Professional Education offers a free online miniseries for educators of students with disabilities and transition topics including student involvement, transition planning and the IEP, annual goals, the present levels of functional performance, planning for postsecondary education, and more. Each module is about 1 hour in length and provides a brief course introduction, learning outcomes, and what the module includes. This portal is continually being enhanced with new offerings.
- To use the Portal, do the following:
- Register for a free IU guest account
- Access the miniseries in order or based on your interest in learning. Note Course #5 below is related to Transition Assessments and Postsecondary Goals. This course and the others listed can be accessed once you have a guest ID created:
- Course #1 - Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center - Transition Miniseries: Transition Introduction - 2022
- Course #2 - Transition Miniseries: Student Involvement - 2022
- Course #3 - Transition Miniseries: Transition IEP Introduction - 2022
- Course #4 - Transition Miniseries: Present Levels of Functional Performance - 2022
- Course #5 - Transition Miniseries: Transition Assessments and Postsecondary Goals - 2022
- Course #6 - Transition Miniseries: Transition Services and Activities - 2022
- Course #7 Transition Miniseries: Annual Goals - 2022
- Course #8 - Transition Miniseries: Transition IEP Alignment / Conclusion 2022
- Course #9 - Transition Miniseries: Adult Services and Supports after High School - 2022
- Course #10 - Transition Miniseries: Transition Portfolio
- Course #11 - Transition Miniseries: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice in Transition to Adulthood
- Course #12 - Transition Miniseries: Transition Programs for Transition Age Youth - 2022
- Course #13 - Transition Miniseries: Conclusion - 2022
Transition IEP Resources for Teachers of Students with High Support Needs: There may be specific IEP and assessment considerations for students with higher support needs. Individualizing IEP goals is important for all students, but students with higher needs may need further support to identify and meet well-planned and appropriate goals. Assessments are available for individuals who have greater needs, and IEP examples are also provided below.
- Access the following for guidance on appropriate assessments and:
- Assessing Students with High Support Needs Resource List which includes 17 assessments which are appropriate for students with greater needs.
- Postsecondary Goal Information for Students with High Support Needs
- Examples are also provided for the following:
Watch the OCALI video: Age Appropriate Transition Assessment (AATA): What is it? (6:50). Learn about the process of AATA, how to identify information needed for transition services and use data to inform postsecondary goals.
Review Transition TN: Transition Assessment Database.
- View Transition TN Webcast: Practical Approaches and Powerful Tools (41:56).
- Create a free account on the landing page, or login if you have an account.
Student’s Identified Postsecondary Goals
It is important students identify postsecondary goals, or longer term goals after high school for working, education, and living. By having students participate in this process, and having an understanding of their interests, strengths, life passions, and growth areas more meaningful planning and explicit actions put in place to help in moving the student toward their goals.
Related Learning Activities:
- Watch the Seattle University, Center for Change in Transition Services Video: Writing Measurable Postsecondary Goals to learn about basic considerations for writing postsecondary goals (20:51). Note two examples of new learning from the video.
- Download the Zarrow Center Postsecondary Goal Creator. Review the tool and implement with 1-2 transition age students.