Transition

1. The Future of Transition:
It’s all About Quality Now!
MCEC 75th Annual Conference
March 5, 2014
June Gothberg, Ph.D., Director
Maria Peak, Coordinator
Michigan Transition Projects, MDE-OSE

2. Transition Structure in Michigan
Michigan Department of Education, Office
of Special Education
Michigan Transition Projects
June Gothberg, Director
Graduation and
Transition Education, Services, and
Dropout Prevention
Post-school Outcomes
Leisa Gallagher, Coordinator
Maria Peak, Coordinator

3. Major Projects
Graduation and Dropout Transition Education,
Prevention
Services, and
Post-school Outcomes

4. OSEP’s Near Future Direction
De-emphasizing compliance, emphasizing quality, outcomes,
and results
• SPP/APR - Moving away from individual indicator reporting
• New Indicator B17/C11 Statewide Systemic Improvement
Plan

5. Our Near Future Direction
• Changes in B13
• Still must look at compliance
• Piloting a rubric to emphasize quality transition planning
and student engagement
• Gathering input around the state to identify transition needs
• Piloting BackStory – a data dashboard and student
engagement app
• RTSL statewide scale up

6. RTSL Statewide Scale Up

7. Transition Community Conversations
Selection Criteria:
• Volunteers solicited
• Core team selected a sample from volunteers representing
broad context of locals in Michigan:
 Rural, suburban, urban
 Upper and lower peninsula
 Socio-economic status

8. The State of Michigan Transition
• 2011-2013
• Michigan Transition Outcomes Project (MI-TOP)
• Transition-focused Community Conversations in local districts
across the state
• Teams included:
• ISD Transition Coordinator
• Other ISD staff
• Teachers
• Administrators
• CTE
• Community College Representatives
• Community Business Representatives
• Other Community Partners
• Parents

9. Transition Community Conversations
Logistics:
• Held between April 2011 and March 2013
• 13 intermediate school districts (ISDs) representing 564 local
school districts
• Time allowed for conversations varied from 2 to 3.5 hours
based on availability of participants

10. Transition Community Conversations
Guided Questions:
• Are schools preparing students to belong and succeed in
their community?
• Is the community prepared to support students in their
community once they leave school?
• How do we know?

11. Your Turn
Take a few minutes with your neighbor and jot down your
thoughts and examples for your local community
Guided Questions:
• Are schools preparing students to belong and succeed in
their community?
• Is the community prepared to support students in their
community once they leave school?
• How do we know?

12. Share Out

13. Reported Strengths

14. Reported Strengths
Taxonomy Area and Practice
Interagency Collaboration
Revenue sharing with Michigan Rehabilitation Services
Interagency collaboration happening
Strong relationship between schools and business
Agencies provided/supported in-school programs
Agency provided non-school programs
Strong relationship between schools and agencies
Program Structures
Community-based programming
Innovative exemplary programs (DELTA, SAID, Career Forward, WBL)
Accessing grant funding
Successful stand-alone programs
f
Percent
10
8
6
6
6
5
76.92
61.54
46.15
46.15
46.15
38.46
10
8
6
6
76.92
61.54
46.15
46.15
Note. Percentage of community conversations in which the practice was identified as a strength.

15. Reported Needs

16. Reported Needs
Taxonomy Area and Practice
Interagency Collaboration
Collaboration needed to address mental health needs
Need specific services (training, job coach, transportation, time)
Need to increase collaboration with community agencies
Need to define transition roles between school and agencies
Need more consistent services
Program Structures
Data collection and use
Policy to better align academic and transition requirements
Increase transition programs for all students
Clarity in use of diploma, personal curriculum, and certificates
Transportation
Programs for specific populations (ASD, LD, Transient, Dropout)
Increase evidence-based knowledge and practice
f
Percent
8
7
6
5
5
61.54
53.85
46.15
38.46
38.46
12
9
8
8
7
6
5
92.31
69.23
61.54
61.54
53.85
46.15
38.46
Note. Percentage of community conversations in which the practice was identified as a needs.

17. Family Community Conversations
• February 2014
• Michigan Transition Outcomes Project (MI-TOP) assisted ISD
Transition Coordinators to run their own community
conversations
• Transition-focused Community Conversations with families

18. Family Community Conversations
Logistics:
• Completed within two weeks in February 2014
• 6 communities totally 9 conversations
• 44 family member involved
• Transition Coordinators were provided:
• Guidance on how to choose family member
• Suggestions on determining additional listeners

19. Family Community Conversations
Five questions:
• What was your involvement in your child’s education and transition
planning?
• How were you informed about academic expectations and progress?
• How were you informed about things you could do at home to
support your child’s education?
• Was family involvement encouraged? If so, how?
• What training opportunities and resources have been offered?
Final Question:
Do you believe schools are doing what is necessary to engage parents?

20. Your Turn
Take a few minutes with your neighbor and jot down your thoughts on
what you think families of transition-aged students with disabilities in
your community would say:
Five questions:
• What was your involvement in your child’s education and transition
planning?
• How were you informed about academic expectations and progress?
• How were you informed about things you could do at home to support
your child’s education?
• Was family involvement encouraged? If so, how?
• What training opportunities and resources have been offered?
Final Question:
Do you believe schools are doing what is necessary to engage parents?

21. Share Out

22. Ah-has
• Parents need transition guidance earlier (elementary, middle school)
• Parents need correct information
• Personal curriculum
• Consequences of non-diploma track
• Michigan Merit Curriculum
• Parents learn most from other parents
• Parents are doing a lot outside of the school environment to support
their child
• Tutoring
• Homework assistance
• Providing social opportunities
• Access to a Transition Coordinator had a positive impact for
information and guidance on the transition process
• Elementary school was hard, Middle School was horrible and once
connected with a supportive adult – High School was pretty good.
• Parents received information and saw growth in their child when
they entered Transition Specific Programs

23. Using Data for Transition Planning

26. The Future of Transition:
It’s all About Quality Now!
MCEC 75th Annual Conference
March 5, 2014
June Gothberg, Ph.D., Director
Maria Peak, Coordinator
Michigan Transition Projects, MDE-OSE