Productive Pathways

1
Productive Pathways

• Students with disabilities
• Carmel Cooper
• A/Deputy Principal
• Red Hill Special School
• Senior Schooling Conference 2009

2
First things first

• Disability Services Support Unit, Annette
  Coupland, Ann Howlett Ph 3240 9333
• www.learningplace.com.au/en/dssulc/transition
• Contacts Carmel Cooper ccoop1_at_eq.edu.au
• Ph 3291 9333
• Discussion lists transition_at_discussions.eq.edu.a
  u

3
What are productive pathways and successful
futures?

• According to Halpern (1993) ..
• Being engaged in employment, on-going learning
  /or training
• Living in and participating in your local
  community in a way similar to same age peers
• Having active social networks with family and
  friends
• are parameters of a quality of life for school
  leavers with disability.

4
What are the educational implications?

• The parameters of a quality of life should inform
  the framework of the final years of schooling.
• Senior phase of learning delivers this framework
  through a transition focused education.

5
Transition focused education ..

• Directed towards the future.
• Academic, career, extracurricular instruction.
• Delivered through a variety of approaches.
• Depends on the local context and individual
  student needs.
• Represents a shift in education to a focus on
  skill development, exploring options and
  self-determination. Kohler Field (2003)

6
Important to note

• We are not talking about a homogeneous group of
  students with disabilities.
• Range of options University, work, training,
  community programs, social networking etc.
• Complex process with many factors.
• Not easy and cannot be done alone.

7
Are people with disability achieving these
quality of life indicators?

• Qld study (2006)
• 25 of school leavers with disability had
  part-time work.
• 59 of school leavers undertook community based
  activities for 5 hours or less / week.
• 10 of school leavers spent no time outside the
  family home.

• OECD 2003 Australia 13/19 on rate of
  employment.
• lowest of 16 countries on of people on
  disability benefits in paid work.
• HREOC (2005) people with disability under
  represented in employment and VET.

8
Worth considering

• Research indicates a number of practices
  strategies that result in improved transition
  outcomes.
• Student involvement in developing their own post
  school goals (Deci Ryan, 1991).
• VET Work Experience (Hasazi, Gordon Roe,
  1995).
• Family involvement in the transition process
  the development of post school service
  relationships.
• Formal collaborative partnerships between school
  post school services (Kohler Field, 2003).
• A systemic transition philosophy vision
  (Aspel, Bettis, Test Wood, 1998).

9
Recent Qld developments...

• Qld research Quality outcomes sought to
  examine and identify quality teaching and
  learning practices that have a positive impact on
  students transition.
• International literature search which identified
  5 key transition categories that predict efficacy
  of educational practices linked to successful
  transition pathways. These 5 categories are based
  on Kohlers Taxonomy for Transition Programming
  (Kohler 1996).
• Undertook Qld wide research with schools, parents
  agencies.
• Informed the development of 6 Professional
  Development modules Contemporary Practices
  Students with Disabilities, School to Post-School
  Transition.

10
Kohlers Taxonomy 5 categories associated with
quality transition programs.
11
1. Student Focused Planning

• Student focused planning develops skills in
  self-determination.
• Self-determination models of instruction assume
  that people with disability have a right to
  control their lives and futures.
• Involves the student in self-directed goal
  setting.

12
Self-determination

• Is a combination of skills, knowledge beliefs
  that enable a person to engage in goal directed,
  self-regulated, autonomous behaviour (Field,
  Martin, Miller, Ward Wehmeyer, 1998).
• A process of skill development that develops
  understanding of ones strengths, capabilities as
  well as limitations.
• Enables greater control responsibility over
  life.

13
Self determined model of instruction involves 3
steps -

• Setting goals .
• Taking action.
• Adjusting goal or Plan.
• Module 2, Figure 2.2 P.7

14
2. Student Development- what students are taught

• Relates to curriculum, individual goals and skill
  development to achieve those goals.
• Expanding student skill sets linked to post
  school pathways.
• Focuses on instruction inside and outside of
  school.
• Engagement in relevant, meaningful and goal
  directed curriculum, experiences, activities and
  training.
• NB Teaching the skills that get you hired as
  well as the skills that get you fired.

15
What skills?

• Advocacy, career education, job skills, physical
  and mental health management, employability
  skills, leisure and recreation skills, consumer
  and citizenship skills.
• Taught inside and outside of school.
• Requires direct instruction and support to ensure
  skill acquisition. (Clark et al 1994)

16
3. Family Involvement

• Involvement of parents in the transition process
  is a key factor in improving student outcomes.
• Many parents report that their views on
  transition were not listened to or valued (Defur,
  Todd-Allen Getzell, 2001).
• Qld Quality Outcomes research found high levels
  of implementation of a range of family
  involvement practices.

17
What are these quality practices?

• Establishing relationships.
• Sharing transition education aims.
• Involving families in planning.
• Families leading decision making process.
• Negotiating school and family roles.
• Presenting options to families.
• Family friendly practices time / location.

18

• Family empowerment training increased mediation
  parent meeting participation.
• Person-centred planning training led to higher
  levels of family satisfaction with transition
  meetings.
• Families developed self-determination skills in
  their sons and daughters.
• Participated in interagency teams.
• Developed natural supports.
• Module 4 pp 4-5

19
Key indicators of success

• Quality of school family relationship
  communication, collaboration, connection, caring
  and celebration.
• Concept of equal power awareness from both
  families and school.
• Quality, accurate timely information.
• Sensitivity to cultural needs.

20
4. Interagency Collaboration

• Strong collaboration between schools, community
  service providers, employers post secondary
  education training.
• Formal agreements, collaborative funding
  staffing, clear roles and responsibilities
  between schools and post school sector enhances
  curriculum, program development service
  delivery. (Kohler Field 2003)

21
5. Program StructureWhat is it?

• Organisational framework that supports
  facilitates the efficient effective delivery of
  transition services (Kohler 1996a 1996 b).

22
Program Structure elements

• A statement of program philosophy.
• A strategic plan.
• Program policies.
• Curriculum.
• Human resource development activities.
• Resource allocation.
• Program Evaluation.

23
Where to from here?

• These 5 quality practice indicators have embedded
  teaching skills that are required in order to
  facilitate the develop of skills in students.
• How can we develop these further?
• NB Teachers as learners or (Tony Ryan)