Student-Focused Planning

Transition Assessment

Defining Transition Assessment

What’s YOUR Definition? Share with Partner & Enhance/Adapt

Division of Career Development & Transition

Transition assessment is "the ongoing process of collecting data on the individual’s strengths, needs, preferences, and interests as they relate to the demands of current and future working, educational, living, and personal, and social environments. Assessment data serve as the common thread in the transition process and form the basis for defining goals and services to be included in the IEP" (Sitlington, 1996).

How does it compare?

J Mac

Transition Assessment:Where Do You Start?

Guiding Questions

Assessment Plan

Using Data

Assessment Selection

Adapted from: Noonan, P., Morningstar, M., and Clark, G. (2003). Transition Assessment: The Big Picture. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from the University of Kansas, Department of Special Education, Transition Coalition Web site: http://www.transitioncoalition.org

Who can assist with assessment?

Activity: Assessment Planning

• Read either Heather or James

• Identify who can assist with the assessment process

Purpose of Transition Assessment

Facilitating a self-awareness…

for decision-making of critical life choices…

•Identifying students’ strengths, interests and preferences

•Determining post-secondary goals •Developing relevant learning experiences

(instruction) & transition services• Identifying supports (linkages) needed to

accomplish post-secondary goals •Evaluating instruction and supports.

through informing, discussing, and providing transition services by…

Guiding Questions

Assessment Plan

Using Data

Assessment Selection

•What do we know about the student’s strengths, preferences & needs in employment, education, living?

•How can we prepare the student for the future?•What do I already know about the student to

identify his/her postsecondary goals?•What methods and sources will provide the

information I need?•What role will the student play in the assessment

process?•How will the assessment data be collected and

used for transition planning? • Is the student making progress toward his/her

specific postsecondary goals (employment, education, living)?

Sample Questions

Student Transition Questions• What are my interests, skills and strengths

related to employment, education, community living?

• Where do I want to work, live, go to school after high school?

• What courses do I want to take while in high school to graduate and also prepare for my future?

• What do I need to learn to do what I want?• What do I need to improve in order to be

successful in adult life?

Adapted from: Greene & Kochhar-Bryant (2003). Pathways to successful transition for youth with disabilities. Merrill Prentice Hall

Activity: Assessment Planning

• What are the critical questions related to assessment for Heather & James?

Assessment Plan Characteristics:1.Customized to specific types of information

needed2.Appropriate to learning and response

characteristics 3.Use assistive technology & accommodations4.Occur in that influence development,

planning, & implementation of transition planning

5.Include multiple ongoing activities to sample behaviors and skills

6.Must be verified by multiple methods & persons

7.Results stored in user-friendly way8.Occurs over time (multiple years)

Guiding Questions

Assessment Plan

Using Data

Assessment Selection

VA Assessment Planning Summary

Activity: Assessment Planning

• What considerations must you make related to the assessment plan?

Guiding Questions

Assessment Plan

Using Data

Assessment Selection

Information needs for Student-focused Transition Planning

Background Info.

Independent Living Skills

Supports & Accommodations

Learning Styles

Temperament

Aptitudes

Interests

Social Skills

Vocational & Occupational Skills

What to Assess

Adapted From: P. Kohler (2004)

Review of Transition Assessments

IL checklist

Peach State Pathways

Transition Assessment BINGO!1. Temperament 2. Learning Styles3. Independent Living 4. Background info. 5. Aptitudes 6. Interests 7. Social skills 8. Supports & Accommodations 9. Vocational/ Occupational skills

Guiding Questions

Assessment Plan

Using Data

Assessment Selection

• Standardized– Norm-referenced– Criterion-referenced

• Informal– Analysis of background

info.– Interviews– Work samples– Curriculum-based

assessments– Interest Inventories

• Informal (cont)– Observations & situational

assessments– Alternative assessments– Portfolios– Person-centered Planning

• Assessing Environments– E-Jam

– Vocational Integration Index

– Ecological Inventories

– Supports Survey

HOW to AssessCommercially Available Assessments

Online Assessments and Resources

Informal Assessments for Transition Planning

Informal Assessments for Transition Planning:

• Postsecondary Ed and Training

• Independent Living and Community Participation

• Employment and Career Planning

www.proedinc.com

Sample Assessments: Career & Employment

• Standardized• Informal:

– Background Info– Career interests: – Interview: – Work sample: – Curriculum-based– Observation: – Portfolio– Person-centered approach

• Assessing Environment– Ecological Inventory– E-JAM– Supports Survey– Vocational Integration Index

Activity: Assessment Planning

• What are the critical areas of transition for Heather & James?

• What assessment methods would be appropriate?

Results of transition assessments in IEP: Included in present levels of educational performance

Used to identify postsecondary goals (outcomes)

Used to identify needed transition services

Summary of Performance

Monitoring instruction, progress & decisions about changes

Coordinate assessment needs with adult agencies

Summarize and customize results to meet needs of outside agencies

Collaboration is critical! Who can help assess

Guiding Questions

Assessment Plan

Using Data

Assessment Selection

KSDE Transition Planning

Overriding Theme

“A well planned and executed assessment that results in a well-balanced understanding of a student’s performance is one of the most important contributions to generating critical objectives, effective instruction, and meaningful outcomes.”

(Giles & Clark, 2001, pg. 80)