Transition Services

Transition services should focus on academic and functional achievement to facilitate movement from school to post-school life. Transition services can be instruction, community experiences, acquisition of daily living skills, related services, development of employment and post-school objectives, and functional vocation evaluation. In Oconee County, we have a Students Transitioning to Adult Roles in Society (STARS) program for our certificate track students. Participation in STARS, Vocational Transition, or Vocational Rehabilitation does not automatically mean the "Community Experiences" box in the Transition section of the IEP is checked. If the "Community Experiences" box is checked, it means there must be a need for the student to participate in a community experience to meet their post-secondary goal and there must be a community experience goal in the IEP. For example, if a student has trouble staying in his assigned work area then the IEP could have an annual goal such as "Amanda will stay in her assigned work area at least 35 out of 40 minutes over 3 consecutive work days." I will address the remaining transition services over the next few blog entries.

SC Career Cluster

I was having problems with blogger yesterday. It took several attempts to get my entry to post...then the last paragraph was chopped off. Things seem to be working better this morning so yesterday's entry has been "repaired".

Today's transition topic is short and sweet and concerns the SC Career Cluster. IEP teams and guidance counselors will need to work together to make sure the SC Career Cluster in Section I of the EXCENT IEP matches the Career Cluster in the Individual Graduation Plan (IGP) of students with disabilities. Seeing as how student career interests are likely to change over the years, it is possible that students with disabilities might meet with their career counselors to change their IGPs. When this happens, special education teachers need to know so they can make the same changes to the IEP.

Post-Secondary Goal Must be Based on Age-Appropriate Transition Assessment

Please remember that IEPs must show evidence that measurable post-secondary goals(s) were based on age-appropriate transition assessments. This evidence is documented in two places in the IEP in EXCENT: Section I under "Student interests and preferences" and Section II under "Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance". Here are some examples of evidence showing that post-secondary goal(s) were based on age-appropriate transition assessments under Section I "Student interests and preferences":

• "Based on the Kuder Career Planning System, Shaquille's top four carreer clusters are..."


• "According to the results of the Becker Work Adjustment Profile, Amy's work attitude and work habits..."


• "An interview with Michael revealed his interests and preferences to be..."
  

There are numerous transition assessments developed for various ages and ability (e.g., Skills Assessment Module, the Becker Reading Free Vocational Interest Inventory, SCOIS). Please remember to show evidence that measurable post-secondary goals(s) were based on age-appropriate transition assessments by listing them in Section II under "Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance" as well. Since we can no longer type "See attached reports" in the findings section, it will be necessary to summarize the results. If the teacher conducts an interview with the student, the interview form must be signed and dated by the student and teacher. If you have questions about transition, please contact Betsy Burkett, SDOCs Transition Facilitator, at extension 4427.

Transition Services

Transition service needs must be discussed for students age thirteen and older during the effective dates of the IEP. They can also be discussed for younger students if the parents(s) or the IEP team determine it is appropriate. What this means is that every student age thirteen and older during the effective dates of the IEP must have a post-secondary goal reported in the transition section (Section I) of the IEP. This goal must address education or training and employment, or for low functioning students, the transition goal might be to learn indendent living skills. The wording of the transition goal is like an IEP goals in that you must use the words "will study" or "will attend" (education and training) and "will become" (employment). IEPs are out of compliance if they use wording like "hopes to become", "aspires to be employed", or "will seek a job". Think about it like this...we do not write a goal for math using the wording "When given 25 mixed conversions (fraction to decimal to percent), Brandon hopes to respond correctly to at least 20 within 20 minutes by the annual review date of the IEP". If you have questions about writing post-secondary goals, please contact your curriculum coordinator in special services or Betsy Burkett (ext. 4427) our Transition Facilitator. Thanks for doing your best to keep SDOC in compliance with South Carolina's Indicator 13 of the State Performance Plan.

First Day for Students

Good Morning! I wish you all of you an exciting and smooth start back to school. It was wonderful seeing the buses on the road this morning and students waiting at bus stops ready to see their friends and get back to work. The Department of Special Servies will be out in the schools for most of the day providing support and making sure needs are met. The schools are divided as follows:

Kent: BRE, NSE, West Elem, SMS

Sam: JMB, Keowee, Wal Elem, Wal MS, Wal HS

Melissa: OPE, Ravenel, Adult Ed, Code LC

Marge: FOE, OIS, WOMS, WOHS, TSE, TSMH, SHS

I look forward to seeing students and teachers today. Have great first day of school!

Definition of a Parent In South Carolina

Sometimes I get invitation letter questions about situations where the parents of a student with a disability are divorced and one parent has custody and the other doesn't or the student is in custody of an organization or individual rather than the biological parents. I am hoping this state definition of a "Parent" will help in choosing who to include on an invitation letter.

B. DEFINITION OF PARENT

LEA personnel must determine the appropriate person(s) to make educational decisions on behalf of the child. Those individuals have a right to receive notice, give or revoke consent, file formal complaints, request mediation, file for a due process hearing, give or deny permission for release of records, etc.

In South Carolina “parent” is defined as:

a) Parent means
(1) A biological or adoptive parent of a child;
(2) A foster parent, unless state law, regulations, or contractual obligations with a State or local entity prohibit a foster parent from acting as a parent;
(3) A guardian generally authorized to act as the child’s parent, or authorized to make educational decisions for the child (but not the state if the child is a ward of the State);
(4) An individual acting in the place of a biological or adoptive parent (including a grandparent, stepparent, or other relative) with whom the child lives, or an individual who is legally responsible for the child’s welfare; or
(5) A surrogate parent who has been appointed in accordance with 34 C.F.R. § 300.519 of the IDEA. (S.C. Code Ann. § 63-1-40 (2008))

If there is more than one party qualified to act as parent and the biological or adoptive parent attempts to act as the parent the biological or adoptive parent must be presumed to be the parent and legal decision-makers unless the biological or adoptive parent does not have legal authority to make educational decisions for the child. A judge may decree or order a person acting as a parent or legal guardian to act as the “parent” to make educational decisions about the child. The LEA must recognize this person(s) as the legal decision maker for the child. (34 C.F.R. § 300.30 (b)(1)(2)).

Transition Service Participants in an IEP Meeting

IDEA 2004 300.321(b), describes transition service participants in an IEP meeting:
(1) In accordance with paragraph (a)(7) of this section [see my blog entry for 8/11/10], the public agency must invite a child with a disability to attend the child's IEP Team meeting if a purpose of the meeting will be the consideration of the postsecondary goals for the child and the transition services needed to assist the child in reaching those goals under 300.320(b).
(2) If the child does not attend the IEP Team meeting, the public agency must take other steps to endure that the child's preferences and interests are considered.
(3) To the extend appropriate, with the consent of the parents or a child who has reached the age of majority, in implementing the requirements of paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the public agency must invite a representataive of any participaing agency that is likely to be responsible for providing or paying for transition services.

Please remember that in South Carolina transition services must be addressed for any student with an IEP aged 13 or older or if the student will turn 13 sometime during the life of the IEP. Betsy Burkett (ext 4427) is the Transition Coach in SDOC and is available to assist with transition questions.