SpEd 470/570 Transition

Spring Semster, 2008

• Dr. Sue Severson
• Lommen 209G, 477-2585 (if I am not in my office, please e-mail me rather than leaving a phone message)
• severson@mnstate.edu

Transitional planning for secondary students with disabilities including transitional assessment, programming and planning. Students will also acquire knowledge of post-secondary service options and funding sources. Prerequisites: SpEd 419, SpEd 461, SpEd 473

Overall Objective:

You will demonstrate a theoretical and practical understanding of transition planning for secondary youth with disabilities. Discussion of models, post-school outcomes, and legislative will result in an understanding and definition of transition services. Exploration of assessment, curriculum, the IEP process, and post-school support systems will lead you being knowledge and skillful in providing transitional services to youth with disabilties.

Required Texts / Readings:

• Brolin, D. (1997). Life centered career education: A competency based approach. Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.
• Enderle, J., & Severson, S. J. (2003). Enderle-Severson transition rating scale-J-revised. Moorhead, MN: ESTR Publications.
• Enderle, J., & Severson, S. J. (2003). Enderle-Severson transition rating scale-III. Moorhead, MN: ESTR Publications.
• Clark, G., & Patton, J. (1997). Transition planning inventory. Austin, TX: PRO-ED.
• Severson, S. J., Enderle, J., & Hoover, J. (2003). Transition planning in the Schools: Using the Enderle-Severson transition rating scale (3rd Ed.). Moorhead, MN: ESTR Publications.
• Greene, G., & Kochhar-Bryant, C. A. (2003). Pathways to successful transition for youth with disabilities. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Students with Disabilities: “Students with disabilities who believe they may need an accommodation in this class are encouraged to contact Greg Toutges, Coordinator of Disability Services at 477-2652 (voice) or 477-2047 (TTY), CMU 222 as soon as possible to ensure that accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.”

Course Objectives:

This course contributes to your knowledge and skills in:

ASTM Outcome 5: Establishing and maintaining a productive learning environment.

ASTM Outcome 7: Designing an organized, effective and appropriate curriculum.

This course will facilitate your abilities to:

• Understand vocational skills, career planning, and transition from school to post-secondary training or employment.
• Help youth with disabilities to develop independent living skills to include transition to and integration into the community.
• Understand the need for transitional planning as it relates to employment, community living, and social opportunities and options as students move to adult agencies, services, and environments.
• Understand transition teams defining professional and parent roles and responsibilities and demonstrate the ability to formulate transition plans.
• Demonstrate an understanding of how to access school/community resources, which will enhance programs for students with disabilities.
• Demonstrate an understanding of funding sources as they relate to service options for persons with disabilities.

Instructional Strategies:

Instruction

The course addresses three main issues: theoretical and legal foundations of secondary programming and transition, secondary assessment and instructional planning, and interagency linkages. Questions are provided and topics are identified (see course outline) to help you explore text content and contribute to class discussions. Discussion, lecture, small group activities, student presentations, and internet activities are used to explore course content.

EVALUATION:

Grading Criteria:

• 90-100 A
• 80-89 B
• 70-79 C
• 60-69 D
• 59 and below F

Course Requirements:

• Test 1-20 points
• Test 2-20 points
• Individual Transition Plan-25 points
• Job Analysis-15 points
• Final Project- 25 points

Late assignments are reduced one point per day, assignments more than five days past due will not be accepted.

Assessment

Individual Transition Plan (25 points). Course content relating to assessment, curriculum, interagency supports, family involvement etc. must be built into your plan. The plan should reflect the format found in the cases in the manual Transition Planning in the Schools; Using the Enderle-Severson Transition Rating Scales (3rd Ed.).

You will be given transition assessment information and assigned to a group. You will use the ESTR Scale Online Assessment Summary to summarize the transition assessment information. Each group member must become familiar with the assessment summary format and information. To complete the transition plan, your group will work together to write a: 1) Course of Study, 2) Description of how needs are met within the Course of Study, 3) Statement of Transition Service Needs, 4) At least one IEP Goal and two IEP Objectives to address at least one need, and 5) description of instruction to address the objectives (as defined by the LCCE). I will provide you written feedback on a draft of your transition plan if received by: (date to be set). One plan from each group will be submitted for final grading. Final Product Due: , Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008 This assignment must be turned in to me in class.

Job Analysis (15 points). Complete a job analysis using the format provided on my web site. You may complete the job analysis on the job you currently hold or one that you have held in the past. This assignment must be typed and written in OUTLINE form. The outline format is on the SpEd 470 web site. The Word Format found on the website allows you to type your responses on the form. Please submit to the Dropbox by Tuesday Tuesday, February 19th, (creative) This assignment must be turned in by putting it in the D2L dropbox.

Final Project: Due: Tuesday, May 6th (25 points) (creative, knowledge) This assignment must be turned in to me in class.
This project represents a summary of transitional planning/services as well as a summary of post-secondary supports that would be useful to a student or parent. The first component of your project should include a description of transitional services (e.g., define transition, description of events that you would have used to address transitional planning, then introduce the idea of planning to a post-school support system. The second component of the project is to present a summary of post-school support systems in a format that students and parents would find useful and understandable. Areas of support to include are: residential, vocational (vocational rehabilitation and post secondary vocational service providers), legal, financial, case management, post-secondary education.
Check out this website as a resource:

http://www.c3online.org/aboutUs.htm

You may also use the information attained by linking to the web pages below as well as information you get from the guest speakers. Other web sites can also be referenced. Besides the information on post-secondary education, presented by Greg Toutges, I would suggest you explore other web sites of post-secondary educational institutions. Three programs you should explain in this section are: Central Lakes Community College (Brainerd)-Occupational Skills Program (http://www.clcmn.edu/academicprograms/new/osp/osp.htm), Life College (http://www.mnlifecollege.org/) and Ridgewater College-Occupational Skills Program (http://www.ridgewater.mnscu.edu/Future-Students/Academics/Technical-Education.cfm?ProgramName=Occupational%20Skills). These are post-secondary programs designed for persons with disabilities. Then you should also explore various other post-secondary websites to see how other two and four year institutions describe the supports provided to students with disabilities. In your introduction to the post-secondary education section be sure to provide a brief description of laws (i.e., ADA, Vocational Rehabilitation Act) and the support they provide to persons with disabilities in higher education.

In your search you will find much information. You must sort through this information, select what you view as most important and understandable to parents, and then summarize this information in a format that would be user friendly to students and parents. This project is many pages long. You can choose to develop a newsletter or brochure but be sure not to limit the amount of information you provide if you choose this format.

1. Start by providing an introduction to transition. Describe what it is, laws that support it, processes in conducting it. Be sure to write this in a parent/student friendly manner but also provide specifics.
2. Then develop a section for each of the aforementioned areas.

The format you should use for each area is:

• Introduction to the area--make this interesting to student or parent reading. Try to stimulate enthusiasm while providing a brief description of supports in the area.
• Brief explanation of types of services provided (e.g., Residential-supported living, independent living)
• Identify and describe local providers that support student transition in this area with inclusion of contact information (you can provide contact information for any local region)

REMEMBER--MAKE THIS STUDENT AND PARENT FRIENDLY

I would view the finished project as something you could give to parents as a resource.

The project will be graded on

• Format (5 pts.)
  • organization
    • table of contents
    • information located under appropriate headings
• Appearance (5 pts.) I will be evaluating your creativity!!
• professional
• interesting
• graphics !!
• font
• indentation, tables
• Content (15 pts.)
  • good introductions that provide parents and students adequate information
  • good summary of services (e.g., Residential--the types of services provided to persons with disabilities)
  • good contact information (you can provide contact info for any local area)

You are expected to be creative!! There should be no copying of web site information, inclusion of printed web site pages, or inclusion of pamphlets in your project. All information you obtain from sources must be paraphrased and referenced.

Here are a few links that will help you.l

Social Security Administration

State Medical Assistance

Medical Assistance

Legal Supports

This assignment must be turned in to me in class.

Graduate Students

Using 4th dition APA style, write a research paper on an approved issue relating to transition. Graded A, B, C, D, F

Diversity:

"Teacher candidates need to develop proficiencies for working with students from diverse background and with exceptionalities to ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn." (Standard 4) In this class, you will explore the influence of diversity relative to socioeconomic background, demographic variables, and ethnicity in transition assessment and planning for youth with disabilities.

Class Schedule