National Leadership Summit on Improving Results

In response to the need to improve secondary education and postschool outcomes for youth with disabilities, NCSET hosted, in September 2003, its first National Leadership Summit on Improving Results for Youth. More than 250 state agency leaders, policymakers, and professionals representing general education, special education, career and technical education, workforce development, vocational rehabilitation, and other agencies participated. Parents and youth with disabilities also participated on several of the state teams. Teams representing 42 States and other entities, including the Pacific Rim territories, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Bureau of Indian Affairs, attended. The purpose of the two-day event was to build state capacity to develop more results-driven state systems so that youth with disabilities achieve more desirable postschool outcomes. The Summit format was built around the work of state teams rather than individuals which allowed states to harness and channel the collective expertise of a diverse team of stakeholders within each state.

Throughout the Summit, each state leadership team met in facilitated dialogue sessions to complete a strategic action plan that identified policies and practices to help improve access to and success in postsecondary education, workforce preparation, and employment for youth with disabilities. More specifically, states worked to expand or complement their current state improvement plans to address areas of significant need for change and improvement. Several strategies were put into place to achieve this goal and to collect further data on secondary education and transition challenges for states.

The National Leadership Summit participants also benefited from plenary sessions featuring:

• Opening keynote address,"Improving Results: Living It" by author/advocate Jonathan Mooney
• Welcome remarks and charge for the day from Dr. Robert Pasternack, Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education
• Distinguished expert address: "Sharing National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 Data" by Dr. Mary Wagner, principal investigator for the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2, which is sponsored by the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education
• Youth panel discussion: "Youth Success in Achieving Results: Stories from Youth", moderated by Dr. Richard Horne of the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor

See also:

• NCSET Holds National Leadership Summit - Despite Hurricane Isabel, Institute on Community Integration staff newsletter lead article

• A Review of the National Leadership Summit on Improving Results for Youth, NCSET Teleconference Transcript

Findings & Outcomes   •  Agenda   •  Session Notes   •  Presenter Bios

Presentations   •  State Contacts   •  Partners   •  Related Sites   •  Photos

This activity was supported in part by the U. S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (Cooperative Agreement No. H326J000005). The contents of this Web site and the views expressed during this activity do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U. S. Department of Education, nor does the mention of other organizations imply endorsement by those organizations or the U.S. Government.

The National Leadership Summit Web page is part of the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET) Web site. For more information, please contact NCSET:

National Center on Secondary Education and Transition
Institute on Community Integration
College of Education and Human Development
University of Minnesota
6 Pattee Hall, 150 Pillsbury Drive SE
Minneapolis MN 55455
612-624-2097
ncset@umn.edu
http://www.ncset.org/

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