 IEP
& Transition Planning
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This topic provides information on strategies to support students,
families and professionals to participate in developing a student's
Individual Education Plan (IEP) and transition plan.
Introduction
Transition is about planning for life! It includes planning for
academic and non-academic courses and learning experiences, employment
and related training opportunities, choices about where to live
in the community, and what to do for fun and socialization. One
of the goals of transition is to help youth have an understanding
of their disability and choices to determine their future. One of
the ways transition does this is by connecting youth to teachers
and other caring adults, support services, and experiences that
build skills and help them reach their goals. Transition is based
on family values, priorities, and culture, and is focused on an
individual youth’s interests, preferences, and needs.
Transition services is a term used in the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) that defines a coordinated set of activities
that may address, among others, the assessment, planning process,
and educational and community experiences for youth with disabilities
as they turn age 14. The intent of transition is to create opportunities
for youth with disabilities that result in positive adult outcomes
for life. This may involve:
- raising expectations for youth outcomes
- engaging in the general education curriculum
- assessing for interests, preferences, and needs
- building self-awareness, self-identity, self-esteem, and self-determination
skills
- utilizing the community for supports
- socializing and developing long-term relationships
- being in activities both at school and in the community
- engaging in leadership and involvement in the transition planning
process
The involvement of youth and families are important so that youth
can begin to understand themselves and then identify a team of caring
adults who will support their journey. In our culture the primary
rite of passage for all youth is graduating from high school. The
beginning of adulthood is celebrated at this time with an expectation
that youth will develop an increasing independence and autonomy
and move on to further education, meaningful jobs, finding their
own places to live, and their own friends, companions, and life
in the community.
The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is the document used
to facilitate an individualized planning process during the transition
years (14-21). The IEP must include a youth’s present level
of educational performance and his or her transition service needs,
and measurable annual goals. In addition, the IEP must include any
interagency responsibilities, accommodations or modifications, and
a statement of the special education and related services to be
provided to the youth for the youth to be involved and progress
in the general curriculum. Since the IEP is one of the tools used
to measure compliance with IDEA, comprehensive and ongoing support
is important to teachers and others who are responsible for implementing
the IEP.
NCSET Education Principles
The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET)
is in the process of developing a set of education principles and
indicators that not only will help frame transition, but also will
be applicable to all youth and their future planning. These principles
and indicators are being developed from a broad range of disciplines
and perspectives and will be useful not only for analyzing or evaluating
policies, practices, curricula, and interagency collaboration, but
for developing efforts in these areas and for planning system improvement.
Education principles and indicators developed by NCSET thus far
include:
- Vision and Mission: All youth benefit from
a caring and supportive learning environment that helps them to
reach their highest potential in school, the community, at home,
and in life.
- Leadership and Accountability: All youth benefit
from effective leadership and responsive schools.
- Teaching and Learning: All youth participate
in a variety of learning opportunities that help them to achieve
high academic standards and that reflect the knowledge and skills
needed for full participation in adult life.
- Learning Environment: All youth benefit from
caring and dynamic learning environments within the school setting
and the community at large.
- Partnerships: All youth experience and benefit
from supportive teams made up of caring adults and their peers.
- Youth and Family: All youth and their families
are encouraged and supported to be involved with developing policy,
curricula, and evaluation methods that will raise expectations
and improve the quality of education, as well as individual student
outcomes.
As more information becomes available on these principles, it will
be posted here on the NCSET Web site.
This document was reviewed by the U.S. Department of Education for
consistency with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Amendments of 1997 (IDEA). However, the contents of this document,
and any documents cited herein as being reviewed by the Office of
Special Education Programs (OSEP), do not necessarily reflect the
views or policies of the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S.
Department of Education has not reviewed most of the sources and
Web sites cited in this document, so it does not provide any assurances
regarding their consistency with the IDEA. In addition, the cited
sources and Web sites do not necessarily reflect the views or policies
of the U.S. Department of Education, nor does mention of other organizations
imply endorsement by those organizations or the U.S. Government.
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