Next Stop Life: North East Transition Services (NETS)

North East Independent School District, San Antonio, Texas

3736 Perrin-Central, Bldg. 1San Antonio, TX 78217

210.637.4950

Director/Principal: Nancy Neugebauer, EdDnneuge@neisd.net

North East Transition Services

Age-Appropriate Learning

Environments for Adults

18 Through 21

Leaving High School

• All students have questions– What will I do?– What kind of job would be a good one for me?– Is college in my future?– Where will I live?– How will I get to work or school?

NETS: North East Transition Services

It is a Service and Not a School

North East Transition Services (NETS): Mission• Work with students and parents to

develop and support– Employment– Postsecondary Education– Independent Living– Transportation – Socialization– Accessing Community Services

Adult Life Connections

• Vocational– Volunteer Work– Work-based

Learning– Paid Employment

• Community– Adult Services– Community

Facilities and Resources

– Transportation

• Postsecondary Education– Continuing

Ed/Certificates– Training

• Independent Living Skills

What NETS can do:

• Train on using public transportation• Assist in scheduling student activities• Assist in accessing adult services• Monitor job sites and job coach• Collaborate with employers• Assist with career development• Teach skills for community inclusion• Facilitate access to colleges• Assist with job training opportunities

Developing Community-Based Services

Age-appropriate Learning Environments for Students 18

Through 21

NETS: The Idea

• Concerns– 20 year olds on

high school campus with 14 year olds

– Sudden change from bell schedule to non-structured adult life

– Transition services looked too traditional

• Solutions– Find age

appropriate environments

– Design the school day to look like a day in the life of an adult

– Design a non-traditional instructional day which meant non-traditional services

NETS

• Location of instruction– Age-appropriate instructional environments– Work environments– Learning environments– Public transportation– Community sites: restaurants, stores, etc.

NETS

• The NETS Building (school)

– Houses staff and records

– Students go only for:• Assessment• Planning meeting with staff• Central meeting location to meet with case managers

LOOKS MORE LIKE AN EMPLOYMENT OFFICE THAN A SCHOOL LOCATION!

NETS

• Staffing and Scheduling– Teachers and job coaches– The role of employers/co-workers– What about nights and weekends?

• Flex time• Rotating weekends

– The schedule board

TrainingMust be:

• On-going• Broad and specific• Related to facilitating postsecondary goals• Involve community services and

networking• Collaborative

Making it Work

Tools and Strategies for

Non-Traditional Learning Environments for Students 18 Through 21

Transition Assessment

• Don’t Reinvent the Wheel– Data from the high school years

• ESTR (Enderle-Sevenson Transition Rating)

• Student/parent surveys• Interest inventories• Data collection in the community

– Employment– Transportation

Assessment Plan MonitoringImplementation

Transition Plan

DreamsInterestsPreferencesSupports

Modifications, Accommodations, Services

Progress Reports

DailyWeekly3 Weeks9 Weeks

Objectives

Objectives

Objectives

LessonPlans

ESTER-III

FIECurriculum TestingInterviewsObservations

Graduation

Summaryof

Performance

Post GraduateInterview

Teaching

All goals and objectives are either mastered or linked to a community support system.

Goals

Education

Employment

Independent Living

Home LivingCommunity AccessRec/Leisure

20-30 hours of transition-related activities

ARD/IEP Meeting

YESNo

Success

Results

Graduation

North East Transition School Services

A COORDINATED SET OF ACTIVITIES DESIGNED WITHIN A RESULTS -ORIENTED PROCESS THAT IS FOCUSED ON IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC AND FUNCTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT OF OUR STUDENTS TO FACILITATE THEIR MOVEMENT FROM SCHOOL TO ADULT LIFE

0

5 0

10 0

15 0

2 0 0

2 5 0

3 0 0

J anuary 2007

Graduation

Possible

J anuary 2007 48 61 36 32 12 189

Graduation 52 65 37 34 14 204

Possible 62 90 46 46 28 272

1 2 3 4 5 6

Outcomes for Graduating Class of 2007

Employment Home Living Rec/Leisure Community Post-Sec Ed Total

The Transportation Connection

• Enrolling in public transportation• Who pays for the bus?• Transportation training• The parent/family role• Increasing independence• Ensuring safety

Employment

• Work-based learning in high school• Vocational assessment• Making a good job match• Job training• Supported employment• The role of the parent/family

Volunteer Work

• The role of volunteer work in adult life and transition services– Opportunity to help the community– Caution: this does not replace employment

training or paid employment

Agency Partnerships

• Alamo Area Council of Government (AACOG)

• Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)

• Department of Labor/Texas Workforce• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)• Other – including private organizations

Family Issues

• The obvious: SSI and employment• When the family wants day habilitation

services and not employment – Information and training for parents– Family to family networking– The final decision for life after public school

belongs to the family.

Person-Centered Planning• Why

– Teach parents a problem-solving process– Provide solutions to unanswered questions– Develop a system of support for the family

• When– There are concerns that need a non-traditional strategy– The family has few supports or needs input from someone

other than the school staff

• How– Personalized location: home, church, etc.– Planning membership– Only 1 or 2 school staff present

** Personalizing the PCP Process

Ensuring Effectiveness

• Transition Planning Matrix– Is the student ready?– Have we addressed all of the areas of

transition?– Do we have paid and natural supports in

place?– Will the day after graduation bring life to a

halt...OR...have we provided effective transition services?

Transition Planning Matrix

Name Post-School

Goal Agency

Connections Transportation Employment

Postsecondary Ed./Training

Support Systems

Needed Activities

1. Student 1

Mom wants son to have a job

Live in group home

State Rehab MH/MR SSI TRICARE

Uses Metro Groups Home

Van

DARS: psychological testing shows student not eligible/qualified for competitive employment.

Parent

Job search Mom/student to

schedule metro Help group

home info search

2. Student 2

Wants job in computers

Lives at home Student wants

supervised apartment

Works at car

wash

Family Friends

Search for job in computers

Apply to agencies

3. Student 3

Job-Chef Live

independently in an apartment

DARS SSI College

Uses Metro Olive Garden

(5 days/week)

Interested in Culinary Arts...touring college 3/29/07

Family Apartment

manager Friends/peers Work

supervisor

Apply to college and ODS office

Investigate apartment options

4. Student 4

Currently attend Day Habilitation

To live in group home

Home & Community Support funding

DB waiver

Family and Day Habilitation will transport

Disabilities indicate that student is not qualified for competitive employment

Enrolled in ARC Independent Living Training

Family Day Hab

Respite provider

Person-Centered Planning

Transition Planning MatrixStetson and Associates, Inc.; Houston, Texas

Monitoring Progress

• Transition Planning Matrix– Used to identify

services completed and service gaps

– Can evaluate gaps for each student

– Can identify systems problems

• Transition Monitoring Chart– Identify the status

within each transition service

– Develop steps needed to improve the transition service to ensure meaningful connections to postsecondary goals

TRANSITION SERVICES PROGRESS CHART Student Name: Student USA

TRANSITION SERVICES

CURRENT STATUS CONVERSION ACTIVITIES

TO POST-SCHOOL NEXT STEP ISSUES

Postsecondary Goal: Employment

Student USA will work at a veterinary clinic walking and feeding the animals following graduation from high school.

1. Participated in CBVI at high school; no animal sites

2. Had sacking job at KrogerÕs Grocery last year

3. Is efficient and hard worker

1. Left job at grocery after grandparent died 2. Has difficulty with medication management 3. Motivating student is a challenge 4. Had attendance and punctuality problems at

grocery store prior to grandfatherÕs death 5. Question: What animal related job is in the

community in which student lives? 6. TO DO:

Obtain Churchill task analysis Develop animal related job in community

in which Michelle resides (possibly at 281 Pet Smart or vet clinic)

Work with DARS to provide training and support as a team with NETS

Consider enhancement activity by volunteering at the Humane Society

Postsecondary Goal: Postsecondary Education

Student USA will attend West Community College and take continuing education courses in pet care and pet training.

1. Currently does not participate in postsecondary education

1. Question: What postsecondary training is related to MichelleÕs career goals?

2. TO DO: Check local community college for vet

assistant classes and certifications Consider tours of vet clinics, pet stores,

and interview pet sitters. Enroll in certificate program or a

continuing education course on pet care.

Transition Services Monitoring ChartStetson and Associates, Inc.; Houston, Texas

Lessons Learned

The Things We Would Keep:• Flexible staffing, hours• Consultative services from transition

specialists• Off school campus• Age appropriate environment• Community based environment

Flexibility is Key!

• Every year is different. • Every student is different.• Federal and state laws change.• Funding and resources change.• Technology and research improves

services.

– Stay informed and be flexible.

Contact InformationNorth East Transition Services

3736 Perrin-Central, Bldg. 1San Antonio, TX 78217

210.637.4950

Director/Principal: Nancy Neugebauer, EdDnneuge@neisd.net