Improving Transition Outcomes for Youth

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Improving Transition Outcomes for Youth TATRA
Conference Institute Minneapolis, MN March 27,
2009
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Session Outcomes

• Understand transition indicators
• Learn about Federal post-school outcomes
  requirements and resources
• Learn how states collect and use post-school
  outcome data
• Learn about predictors of post-school success
• Discuss connections to parent center activities

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• National technical assistance dissemination
  center funded by the U.S. Department of Education
  Office of Special Education Programs

Our Mission Help State Education Agencies
develop practical, yet rigorous data collection
systems to describe the further education and
competitive employment experiences of youth with
disabilities as they transition from high school
to adult life.
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IDEA Purpose

• To ensure that all children with disabilities
  have available to them a free appropriate public
  education that emphasizes special education and
  related services designed to meet their unique
  needs and prepare them for further education,
  employment, and independent living

IDEA Regulations 300.1(a)
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Transition
starts at when children are very young and
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continues throughout life
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Danas Story

• http//www.proyectovision.net/english/success/Dana
  .html

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Critical Relationships

• Quality IEPs

Staying in School
Family Support
Graduating
Positive post-school outcomes
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Reporting

• Under IDEA
• States are required to submit a
• State Performance Plan
• Annual Progress Report
• (SPP/APR)
• 20 Part B Indicators

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SPP/APR Accountability Mechanism
and a Blue Print for Improvement
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Federal SPP/APR Requirements

• 4 specific to secondary transition
• 1 of youth who graduate
• 2 of youth who drop out
• 13 of youth with transition components in the
  IEP
• of youth who achieve post-school outcomes
• 8 of parents reporting schools facilitated
  parent involvement as means of improving services
  and results

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Indicator 1
Percent of youth with IEPs graduating from high
school with a regular diploma
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Indicator 2

• Percent of youth with IEPs who drop out
• of high school

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Percent of youth aged 16 and above with an IEP
that includes coordinated, measurable, annual IEP
goals and transition services that will
reasonably enable the child to meet the
post-secondary goals Changes to this
measurement
Indicator 13
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Indicator 14

• Percent of youth who had IEPs, are no longer in
  secondary school and who have been
• competitively employed
• enrolled in some type of postsecondary school,
• or both
• within one year of leaving
• high school.
• Changes to this measurement

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Indicator 8
Percent of parents with a child receiving special
education services who report schools facilitated
family involvement as a means of improving
services and results.
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• Can we use these data to help us know if we have
  we prepared our students for
• Further education, employment and independent
  living?
• 34 CFR 300.1(a)

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Collecting Post-School Data

• What data are collected?
• Who are data collected on?
• How are data collected?
• When are data collected?
• Who collects the data?

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What data are collected?

• In-School
• Contact information (41 States)
• Demographic characteristics (26 State)
• Postsecondary goals (16 States)
• Transition experiences (10 States)
• Special Education Placement (9 States)
• Post-School
• Employment (60 States)
• Postsecondary school/training (60 States)
• Independent living/housing (10 States)

February 2008 SPP (FFY 2006) Reports
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Who are data collected on?

• Those with IEPs who leave high school
• With diplomas
• With certificates, modified diplomas
• By aging out
• By leaving early /dropping outs

Challenge finding early leavers
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How are data collected?

• From extant (existing) data (1 State)
• Survey of former student or family
• Phone survey (27 States)
• Mail survey (1 State)
• Combination (22 State)
• By conducting a census or sample
• Challenge Contacting leavers 1-year out of
  school

February 2008 SPP (FFY 2006) Reports
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More about how data are collected

• Census all leavers contacted
• 36 states
• Sampling a sample of leavers contacted
• 22 states
• Every district once within the 6 year period
• Yearly all districts of more than 50,000 students
• Representative sample
• disability
• race
• gender
• age

February 2008 SPP (FFY 2006) Reports
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When are data collected?

• In-School (44 States)
• During last year of attendance
• Keep contact information current
• Post-School (60 States)
• Within 1 year of leaving school (April through
  September)
• Competitive employment postsecondary
  school/training

February 2008 SPP (FFY 2006) Reports
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Who collects the data?

• SEA or LEA staff (27 States)
• Teachers support staff
• Administrators
• Outside Contractor (14 States)
• University
• Survey Center

February 2008 SPP (FFY 2006) Reports
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Indicator 14 Calculation(Known as Engagement
Rate)

• NUMERATOR
• Unduplicated sum of
• competitively employed (CE)
• enrolled in postsecondary school (PSS)
• both CE and PSS

• DENOMINATOR
• of respondents to survey/interview
• (always provide s)

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Results of States Efforts

• Engagement rates ranged from
• 36 to 94.10 (Median 73.75)
• 3 States respondents were representative
• for all subgroups
• Disability, race, age, gender, method of exit
• Response rates ranged from 6 - 100
• (Mean Median 52)

February 2008 SPP (FFY 2006) Reports
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Results of States Efforts

• Engagement rates ranged from
• 36 to 94.10 (Median 73.75)
• 3 States respondents were
• representative for all subgroups
• Disability, race, age, gender, method of exit
• Response rates ranged from 6 - 100
• (Mean Median 52)

February 2008 SPP (FFY 2006) Reports
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Overcoming the Challenges

• Challenge finding early leavers
• Accurate sources of contact information
• A system to identify leavers at the prior to
  their exit
• Challenge contacting early leavers one-year out
• Multiple sources of contact information
• Youth and families prepared to respond to the
  survey

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One of many NPSO resources
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Student Flyer
Available at www.psocenter.org
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Parent Flyer
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Critical Relationships

• Quality IEPs

Staying in School
Family Support
Graduating
Positive post-school outcomes
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Improving Post-School Outcomes

• Engage youth (and families) in transition
  planning
• Help students set attainable employment and
  postsecondary school/training goals
• Use age appropriate transition assessments
• Prepare youth (and families) for their future
• Teach self-determination self advocacy skills
• Provide opportunities for students to practice
  these skills
• Self-Directed IEPs
• Keep youth in school
• Build relationships with youth
• Set high expectations and provide support
• Make content meaningful and relevant
  (Covington-Smith, 2008)

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Be Informed

• Know your states plan
• Spread the word
• Distribute the PACER/NPSO documents
• Respond to the survey when contacted

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Be Involved

• Plan with your child for transition
• Provide contact information before leaving
  school
• Be ready and willing to respond when contacted
• Encourage others to participate
• Involve state PTI Center

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Jane Falls jafalls_at_uoregon.edu 541-346-0354 http
//www.psocenter.org