Presenter: Cheryl Sandholm

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• Presenter Cheryl Sandholm
• Affiliation Village Northwest Unlimited,
  Sheldon, Iowa
• Topic Project POWER (Providing Options for the
  Workplace, Education and Rehabilitation)

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POWER

• Providing Options in the Workplace, Education,
  and Rehabilitation

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Purpose

• Provide a standardized performance-based tool for
  documenting the ability of participants to
  perform specified skills in
• Workplace and Employability
• Community Access
• Independent Living
• Track participants progress

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Purpose (cont.)

• Identify support services needed to perform the
  skills
• Monitor accountability of the individual and
  program by showing progress across successive
  observations

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What Is Power?

• Three performance-based instruments that assess
  the functioning of learners with developmental
  disabilities.

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What Is Power? (cont.)

• Assessors observe the consumer in real-life
  situations and rate the consumers on the basis of
  the level of assistance needed to perform a given
  skill.
• Cannot perform skill
• Needs full physical assistance
• Needs direct prompt
• Needs indirect prompt
• Independent

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Workplace and Employability Skills Summary (WESS)

• Focuses on a selection of basic-level skills
  appropriate for consumers who are in or training
  for entry to supported employment positions.
• Assessment points consist of 27 skills divided
  into three sections
• Career development (8 skills)
• Workplace Basics and Community Integration (11
  skills)
• Use of Natural Supports (8 skills)

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Community Access Skills Summary (CASS)

• Focuses on consumers functioning in the
  community, emphasizing personal safety.
• It covers 23 skills divided into three sections
• Personal Safety and Public Interaction (9
  skills)
• Using Streets and Public Buildings (8 skills)
• Personal and Community Hazards (6 skills)

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Independent Living Skills Summary (ILSS)

• Currently in development

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What Does Power Do?

• More accurately assesses some consumers with
  developmental disabilities
• Evaluates skills targeted in consumer annual
  plans
• Prepares consumers for adult service options
• Equates performance levels to CASAS scale scores
• Reports scores on one scale score continuum for
  all learners in agency

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accessmaterials
standards
life skills/transition focus
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Power Enhances Consumer Outcomes

• Standards for curriculum reflect functional life
  skills
• Observation based on standardized performance
  levels
• Assessment results inform instruction, annual
  plans and transition options
• Data collection and reporting document consumer
  and program accountability
• Reports provide employability information used by
  vocational rehabilitation and other adult service
  agencies

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Trainer Competencies

• Worked in the field for 16 years
• Involved with POWER for 4 years
• State and Nationally Certified Trainer for POWER

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In-State Trainings

• September 2002 Statewide IT - 60 instructors
• October 2002 3 Statewide Follow-up Trainings -
  65 instructors
• January 2003 Sheltered Workshop Follow-up
  Training Northeast Iowa - 9 instructors
• January 2004 East Central Iowa Follow-up
  training, problem solving - 18 instructors

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Out-of-State Training

• April 2002 NAASLN Conference in Milwaukee
• June 2002 POWER IT at CASAS Summer Institute
  25 instructors
• June 2003 POWER IT at CASAS Summer Institute
  20 instructors
• June 2003 Using the Curriculum at CASAS Summer
  Institute 10 instructors

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Out-of-State Training (cont.)

• July 2003 Connecticut IT 20 instructors
• March 2004 NAASLN Conference in Tampa 8
  instructors
• June 2004 POWER IT at CASAS Summer Institute
  22 instructors
• June 2004 Using the Curriculum at CASAS Summer
  Institute - 15

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Results

• Statewide implementation of POWER in Iowa.
• Consistent data collection and reporting for all
  populations in our community colleges.
• Out-of-state training has opened the door for
  sharing of promising practices between states.