Secondary Transition - Urban Collaborative 2009/Pittsburgh.pdf · What the Evidence Shows…...
Transcript of Secondary Transition - Urban Collaborative 2009/Pittsburgh.pdf · What the Evidence Shows…...
Secondary Transition Pittsburgh Public Schools
Mary Jane Conley Senior Program Officer
Program for Students with Exceptionalities
What is Transition? Transition is a coordinated set of activities for a
student that… 1) Is designed within an outcome-oriented process which
promotes movement from school to post-secondary activities. Post-secondary activities include:
• Post-secondary education • Vocational training • Competitive employment • Supported employment • Connection to adult services • Independent living and community participation
IDEA 2004, Sec. 602 Definitions
2) Is based on the individual student’s needs, strengths, preferences and interests
3) Includes instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives and when appropriate acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation
IDEA 2004, Sec. 602 Definitions
What the law says… IDEA requires Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to
provide transition services to students disabilities to promote movement from school to post-school activities
PA Law- Transition planning must begin no later than age 14 and must continue every year
A statement of needed transition services must be included in a student’s individualized education plan (IEP)
The Transition Concept (3 Major Components)
1) Work with each student, along with their family to develop post-school goals and generate a plan for success
2) Design the high school experience to ensure that the student gains the skills and competencies needed to achieve his/her desired post-school goals
3) Identify and link students and families to any needed post-school services, supports or programs before student exists the school system
What the Evidence Shows… Educational researchers have identified that the following strategies and factors can lead to post-school outcomes:
Career focused and on-the-job training while in school
Inclusion of self-advocacy and self-determination skills in the curriculum
Assessment of needs before developing a student transition plan
Supervised on-the-job training in the community with continuous support for both the employer and the student
Involvement of students, parents, businesses, and community representatives in interagency transition teams
Supervised on-the-job training in the community with continuous support for both the employer and the student
Meaningful volunteer and job placement experiences that provide living wages and career opportunities
Expanding secondary transition programs for students ages 18-21
Transition and Post-School Outcomes for Youth with Disabilities: Closing the Gap to Post Secondary Education and Employment. National Council on Disability, Social Security Administration. November 1, 2000
Pittsburgh Public Schools
Ashley McFall SOS Program Coordinator
412-323-4078 [email protected]
Start On Success (SOS)
Overview Designed primarily for students with learning disabilities, minimum
supports needed Four year program, links instruction with community activities Primary goal: Increase the career potential of students with
disabilities, and prepare them for competitive employment after high school.
Incorporates: Career portfolios, both static and electronic Career Assessment Mentorship Service Learning Decision Makers Class at CMU Summer Employment at CIGNA Paid Internship Presentations/Celebrations
4 Year Plan 9th Grade Semester 1
Students are Selected Semester 2
Daily Career Development Class Disability Awareness Self Assessment Career Exploration Career Portfolios
10th Grade - Continuation of self-awareness, career exploration and portfolios
Semester 1 Daily Career Development Class 8 week community mentorship
Semester 2 Daily Service Learning Class Service Learning Project
11th Grade - Continuation of self-awareness, career exploration and portfolios
Semesters 1 & 2 Daily Career Development Class
CMU Decision Making Class Summer Employment at CIGNA
Group Insurance
12th Grade - Continuation of self-awareness, career exploration and portfolios
Semesters 1 & 2 Daily Career Development Class Paid Internships (2 hours/day, 5
days/week)
Start On Success Itinerants 7 highly qualified special education teachers
(1 teacher/high school) Teach in the classroom in the a.m. Leave building and visit worksite and support
students in the p.m. Completes all transition assessments Holds monthly SOS Team meetings in the school District provides cell phone for student/parent/
worksite communication
Classroom Instruction 4 year curriculum developed
Focuses on: Interests, Values, Increasing self-awareness, Transition assessment, Disability awareness, Learning styles, Accommodations, Self-Advocacy, The IEP, Job searching, Interviewing, Job maintenance, Labor market research, Career portfolios, Service learning, Graduation project, etc.
Supplemented by the James Stanfield Transitions Curriculum
Follows the PA Career Education and Work (CEW) Standards
Allows for a connection between school and the workplace Discuss worksite issues
Transition Assessments Completed by SOS Instructors Assessments should…Identify individual
needs, strengths, programs, services, supports and resources
Drive the IEP – Indicator 13 Assessment process should involve the:
Student Family Rehabilitation Counselor/Transition Coordinator Special Education Teachers OVR Counselor
Transition Assessments Assessment What does it
measure? Grade
Administered Publisher
Self-Directed Search Interests 9th Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc. http://www.self-directed-search.com/
Kaleidoscope Student Profile
Learning Styles Inventory 9th Performance Learning Systems http://www.plsweb.com/resources/kaleidoscope/
CAPS/COPS/COPES Workplace Profile
Abilities, Interests and Values
10th EdITS http://www.edits.net/cops.html
Kaleidoscope Workplace Profile
Workplace Values 10th Performance Learning Systems http://www.plsweb.com/resources/kaleidoscope/
Job Survival and Success Scale
Workplace Self Assessment
11th & 12th JIST Publishing http://www.jist.com/productDetail.asp
Aviator Interests, Skills & Aptitudes
9th or 10th Valpar International Corporation http://www.valparint.com/index.htm
Community Based Assessment
Self-Assessment, Teacher Rating & Narrative Summary
11th and 12th
Monthly Progress Reports
Workplace Supervisor Ratings
11th and 12th
Community Experiences Mentorships – 10th grade, 1st semester
8 weeks, 3 hours/week Often the first experience to the world of work Not always matched to student interest, goal is to provide a picture of what a
successful business looks like. Service Learning Project– 10th grade, 2nd semester
Students decide on group project to improve their own neighborhood Teaches student to give back to the community – should be a lifelong process
College Experiences – 11th and 12th grades Opportunity to participate in a Carnegie Mellon University Class, Decision Makers
Mentoring program Promotes self-determination and decision making
Opportunity to participate in the PAS (Promoting Academic Success) Program at local community college
Dual enrollment, 1-3 credits Internships – 12th grade
Students work 2 hours/day at a community worksite Paid $7.25/hour Travel Independently Real work for Real pay
Travel Instruction
All students provided with Port Authority bus pass
Completed by SOS Instructors Each student is trained from school to
community site and back or to the home Instructors will ride the bus with student until
student is cleared to travel independently. Parents must be in support
Community Partners University of Pittsburgh,
Carnegie Mellon University, UPMC, Allegheny General Hospital, CIGNA Group Insurance, Other community businesses
Example Worksites: Carpentry, Plumbing, Landscaping, Mailing Services, Payroll, Nursing, Patient Escort, Radiology, Physical Therapy, Security, Clerical, Food Service, Childcare
SOS Today Currently the SOS Program is in 9 of the district’s high
schools SOS is serving over 230 students in the 9th – 12th
grades 57 planning to work in community internships in
the fall 97% of SOS students have graduated from high
school 63 different mentorship placements 71 different internship placements
For More Information
Check out the Start On Success website at:
http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/academicoffice/specialeducation/sos/default.asp
Community Based Vocational Education (CBVE)
Pittsburgh Public Schools
Ms. Peg Fitzgerald CBVE Program Facilitator
(412) 323-3497 [email protected]
What is CBVE?
• Vocational exploration, assessment, and training that occurs in a typical work setting, rather than a school environment. It is vocational instruction in the community. A vocational class outside the classroom…in the real world.
• It is designed to move the student toward their goal of employment and independence.
• Student participation is on a volunteer non-paid basis. • Students receive academic credit for their participation. • Students are supervised by school staff for the duration of their
vocational experience. • Because it occurs in real work settings, all CBVE must comply
with the Fair Labor Standards Act
Who is it for? Students for whom
competitive employment is not immediately obtainable.
The primary focus includes students with life skill support needs and autism spectrum disorders.
Regional classrooms are located at six comprehensive high schools in the Pittsburgh Public School District.
3 distinct components of CBVE
Exploration Assessment
Training
These phases do not have to occur sequentially, nor are all three components required for each
student.
Exploration Component • Assists in career decision making. • Provides a brief exposure to a variety of work settings • Helps students investigate personal values and
interests • Through the observation and participation in performing “parts” of a job, they can better understand the positives and the challenges of a specific workplace
Training Component • Training goals are established and data collection is
continued. • When a student reaches the training objectives in a
particular setting, the student may move to another setting where additional or related learning and reinforcement of current competencies and behavior can occur.
• Many times a student will continue in the same setting and become competitively employed.
FLSA Safeguards
A CBVE student: - Cannot displace a regular worker - Must be supervised by a representative of the
school or the business - Is there to meet IEP goals, not business needs - Is not guaranteed a job at the end of CBVE
Considerations for CBVE CBVE is a core component of high school
programming for students with moderate to severe disabilities
The number of community experiences a student has depends on the needs of the student and staff availability
Student are placed at CBVE sites based on interests, abilities and behaviors as well as parental vision and approval
Considerations for CBVE
• IEP team decision • Permissions • Training agreements • Travel Instruction • Site matching • Time schedule • Photo identification • Staff assignment
Assessment Component • Provides systematic collection of data
on interests, aptitudes, learning styles, work habits, behavior, personal and social skills attitudes toward work, and work tolerance.
• Assessment data assists in determining vocational goals for the student’s Individual Education Plan.
• Authentic assessment more useful than paper/pencil assessments.
Community Partners
Competitive Employment Opportunities Watson Institute Life'sWork of Western PA UPMC Supported Employment
Examples of CBVE sites University of Pittsburgh, Sodexo Dining Services Elizabeth Seton Center Honorable Dan Onorato’s Office, Allegheny County Courthouse Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Education Mailroom Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh Anathan Club Humane Society Marian Manor Nursing Home The Hilton Hotel West Penn Hospital Volunteer Department Mt. Washington Foodland Bidwell Training Center Horticulture Department
“The purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.”
Sydney J. Harris
Travel Instruction
Deborah Caterino Travel Instruction Facilitator
412-728-3481 [email protected]
Pittsburgh Public Schools
Travel Instruction Goals
The PSE Travel Instruction Program gives students an increased confidence and the opportunity to achieve independence in their community
Students may accomplish this goal by walking or riding public transportation to various destinations independently.
Program Features Community Based Instruction according to
the individual needs of the student Skill Development in:
- Street Crossing - Street Signs - Use of Pay Phone/Cell Phones in Emergency
Situation - Lessons in Stranger Awareness
Who is Eligible?
Students supported by the Program for Students with Exceptionalities are eligible for Travel Instruction
Travel Instruction evaluation and implementation is completed at the request of a parent, teacher, counselor, or other school personnel
Students of high school age are given priority scheduling
Who is responsible for training?
The Travel Training Team consists of: 1 Travel Trainer Facilitator
3 assistant Teacher Trainers
How is travel instruction conducted?
Instruction is done in the community Individualized instruction plan is designed All training is done with a 1-1 ratio
(trainer-student), to ensure the safety and competence of the student
Progress monitored through observation and record keeping
C.I.T.Y. Connections
Pittsburgh Public Schools
Creating Individualized Transitions for Youth
Susan Wetzel Transition Coordinator
(412) 224-4656 [email protected]
Gayle Bair Instruction Coordinator
(412) 224-4656 [email protected]
PHILOSOPHICAL BASIS: CITY Connections is based on Valued Life Outcomes
Having a safe and stable home in which to live now and the future
Having access to a variety of places and engaging in meaningful activities
Having a social network of personally meaningful relationships
Having a level of personal choice and control that matches one’s age
Being safe and healthy Meyer, et al, 1991, Schalock, 1990,
Giangreco, Cloninger, Mueller, Yuan and Ashworth, 1991
CITY Connections is Defined & Organized by Transition Outcomes
Post Secondary Education & Training Employment Community Living
Residential Daily Living Domestic Community Access/Consumerism
Participation Volunteerism Citizenship Sexuality
Recreation and Leisure
Embedded Skills
Self-Determination Social Skills Communication Community Travel Health and Safety
Long Range Outcomes
Students and families will be connected to the agencies and resources needed for adult life
Students and families will reach valued life outcomes because of: Connections made Educational experiences
What is C.I.T.Y. Connections? Continued “day” programming for
students aged 18-21 years old with moderate to severe disabilities
Educational programming based in age appropriate settings, outside a traditional high school campus
Individualized education supporting movement to community participation in the adult world
Current Sites Four apartment sites CITY Connections West 1 (opened 2002) CITY Connections West 2 (opened 2004) CITY Connections East (opened 2003)
CITY Connections North (opened 2007) One college site CITY Connections CCAC (opened 2005)
ACHIEVA / CITY Partnership
Adds an evening/overnight component to our programming
Ludwig Family Educational Enrichment Program
1 overnight site, Brighton Heights Two students at a time, for a two week period Staffed overnight by “awake” staff who are
trained personnel from ACHIEVA No cost to the students
Community Partners Life’sWork, Goodwill, UPMC, Easter Seals and Others
• Provide a variety of services: Vocational evaluation Facility based training Job development and job coaching
through Federal grants and private funds
Community based assessments Supported employment
Travel Instruction Critical to the success of the CITY Connections Requires extensive coordination and communication so students can travel from home to CITY Connections, to
all community sites and back home from a variety of locations
Typical Day at CITY Connections Apartment Sites
Students at the East, North and West apartment sites follow daily schedules which reflect opportunities in employment, daily living instruction, community access and recreation and leisure activities.
Typical Day at CITY Connections College Site
Use of campus for lunch, activitities & gym Current or dual enrollment for class credit Functional academics around independent
living Independent living skills Participation in CCAC clubs Career development, community based
assessment Competitive work
Typical Day at CITY Connections
All Students in CITY Connections…
Access a wide variety of community locations and recreational opportunities available in the Pittsburgh area.
Work in a variety of settings designed and supported by our community partner, Life’sWork or other agencies.
Volunteer at a variety of community settings including the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, a variety of nursing homes and community groups.
In the end our students will be prepared to…
Live, Work, Connect, & Contribute in the Community
For more information on Secondary Transition programs and initiatives in the Pittsburgh Public School District please contact:
Crystal Evans Transition Facilitator
Pittsburgh Public Schools 2140 Saw Mill Run Blvd Pittsburgh, PA 15210
(412) 323-3970 [email protected]
www.pghboe.net
QUESTIONS???