Students Taking Control of Their Lives & Their Future

Texas Transition ConferenceAustin, Texas

February 16, 2010

Amy Woodul Leander ISD Special Education

Dropout Prevention Specialist

Nancy Young Leander ISD W.R.I.S.E.

Writing and Reading Intervention for Special Education

Our Mission…

To prepare high incidence Special Education students (LD, ED, OHI) with the knowledge and skills needed to successfully transition from high school to a meaningful life filled with achievable goals.

Population vs. Transition Planning

Special EducationPopulation

Concentration of Transition Planning

High-Incidence Population• Learning Disabled• Emotional Disorder

• Other Health Impaired

Mid-Incidence Population• Low-Functioning Learning Disabled

• Severe Emotional Disorders• Mild Mental Retardation

Minimal Transition Planning• Priority given to graduation• Few with Career Passports• Historically low participation

in COOL Week

Least Restrictive Vocational Programs

• Skills for Employment and Lifelong Fulfillment (SELF)

• EMPOWER• Site Based Campus Jobs

• Community Career Investigations

Vocation & Self-Help Programs

• Life Skills Training• Vocational Adjustment Class

• Supported Employment• Community Based Vocational

Instruction

HighIncidencePopulation

Low-Incidence Population

• Moderate to severe Mental Retardation

• Visual Impaired• Autistic• Deaf

Our Journey• Problem identified in 2001…

… students with disabilities from Leander I.S.D. were enrolling in Austin Community College … they were dropping out within the first few months

• Students were: Unprepared for post-secondary learning Unable to self-advocate Goals were unachievable

National Trends• 41% general education students were enrolled

in post-secondary programs – compared with only 24% of students with

disabilities. (National Longitudinal Transition Longitudinal Study 2, 2009)

• Increased numbers of students with disabilities enrolling in post-secondary programs … – Unfortunately these students have limited success– Only 25% earned an associates degree after five

years at a community college. (Burgstahler, Crawford & Acosta)

Our Journey• ACC/LISD partnership • Active dialogue between ACC Office for

Students with Disabilities (OSD) and LISD Resource Eng IV teachers

• Transition English IV curriculum developed to help students set and attain achievable goals for post-secondary transition

• Indicator 14

Our Journey• Transition Eng IV is the district approved

curriculum for Resource English IV credit.

– Utilize Resource English classroom time for transition planning– Local elective for SpEd students in general education English class– Address the fact that high incidence population was receiving the

least amount of transition services– Students recognize their options for post-secondary learning– Increased the number of students with disabilities who were able to

enroll in community college/technical schools and remain enrolled!

How it works …

Transition Eng IV Curriculum

• Research– Careers– Post-secondary education options based

on interests• College research & field trips• Apprenticeships• Vocational Training• Military

– Financial Aid-FASFA– LISD Senior Research Project

• Technical Reading & Summarization– Interpreting Disability Laws and Disclosure

• IDEA• ADA

– Course Catalog• Degree/certificate requirements • Course descriptions

– Transcript Analysis– Diagnostic Analysis

• Understanding their diagnostics tests

Transition Eng IV Curriculum

College Preparedness- College terminology and expectations- Application process- ASSET test prep in Reading and Writing- Administration of ASSET test w/ accommodations- Fill out FASFA forms- Understand/Access College Office

for Students with Disabilities

Transition Eng IV Curriculum

Self-Determination

• Set and track personal goals • Track academic goals• Articulate personal disabilities• Understand rights as a student with a disability

– Difference between high school and college accommodations

– Register for OSD Services

Ownership!

Impact and Results From Transition English IV

• Special Education students graduating with:– Greater sense of self-awareness– Achievable goals– An understanding of how to self-advocate– How to independently access post-secondary

learning options• Students are now enrolling in ACC and TSTC and

staying in school• ASSET score on file if students pursue

post-secondary education in the future– Equipped to transfer and generalize learned skills to other life options

Increased Options!

The bottom line…

Transition English IV demystifies: • The next step in education and • Allows students to achieve post-

secondary results that ultimately impact their: – employment – career goals – adult living

2007 Exit Survey Results

4 year University Two-year institution0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

0.0900000000000001

0.45

0.06

0.23 LISD

Other Central Texas Districts

Other district data provided by Central Texas Student Futures Project

ACC Cypress Creek Data

• January 2002-2009 – 70 LISD students accessed OSD services

• Spring 2009 – 48 LISD students actively receiving OSD services

Challenges• NCLB requirements mean more special

education students in general education English classes– Reduces the number of “Resource” students who

automatically take special education courses.

• “Selling” elective transition course to students taking English IV in the

general education classroom setting– Study lab support for Senior English Research Project– ASSET test preparation to avoid college

remedial classes

Challenges• General Ed English curriculum does not

address improvement in basic reading and writing skills

• Parents lack understanding of issues that affect their child’s transition from high school– Tired parents adopt a “just graduate”

attitude

Other Concerns• ACE (Academic and Career Excellence)

9th grade-local credit is a good start but … nothing is in place other than Transition English IV to address transition for ALL students

• Low number of students who graduate under employability & self-help equipped to pass ASSET test

Questions or Comments

Amy Woodulamy.woodul@leanderisd.org(512) 570-0173

Nancy Youngnancy.young@leanderisd.org(512)