The document discusses postsecondary goals (PSG) for students with disabilities as required by IDEA. It notes that PSG must be included in IEPs beginning at age 16 and address education/training, employment, and independent living skills. PSG provide direction for the IEP and answer questions about where students will live, work, and learn after high school. Schools are responsible for monitoring PSG progress and outcomes as measured by compliance Indicator 13 and post-school outcomes Indicator 14. The document reviews requirements for developing, monitoring, and updating PSG to ensure they lead to positive postsecondary outcomes.

1. Postsecondary
Goals
Public Schools of North Carolina
Franklin County Schools

2. Postsecondary Goals (PSG)
In this session we will:
•Review IDEA Requirements for PSG
•Identify Purposes of PSG
•Identify Characteristics of PSG
•Identify Methods for developing & monitoring PSG

3. IDEA Requirements
• Beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the
child turns 16, or younger if determined appropriate by the IEP
Team, and updated annually thereafter, the IEP must include:
Appropriate measurable postsecondary goals based upon
age-appropriate transition assessments related to training,
education, employment and, where appropriate,
independent living skills;
[34 CFR 300.320(b) and (c)] [20 U.S.C. 1414 (d)(1)(A)(i)(VIII)]

4. Postsecondary Goals (PSG)
When:
• Beginning at age 16 and updated annually
Required areas:
• Education/Training
• Employment
• Independent Living, where appropriate

5. Transition Assessment Data
Helps establish:
•The student’s vision for their future (postsecondary goals)
•The requirements of the postsecondary location
(education/training, employment, independent living)
•The annual goals needed to help get to that postsecondary
location
•The transition services needed for a successful post-school
transition
•Progress monitoring of the student’s annual goals and long-
term goals for adult life

6. Purposes of Postsecondary Goals
(PSG)
•PSG provide direction for the IEP
•PSG helps identify where the student will be and what they will
do after high school
•PSG goals answer these questions:
• Where will the student live after high school?
• Where will the student work after high school?
• Where will the student learn how to do their work after high
school?

7. Characteristics of PSG
•They address the required areas of education/training,
employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills.
•They are measurable and can be observed or counted.
•They clearly state the expected outcome/activity will occur
after high school.
•They take into consideration where the student hopes to be
approximately a year after graduation.
•There is evidence that the PSG are related to student’s
identified preferences and interests.
•There is evidence that the PSG are based on age appropriate
transition assessments.

8. NSTTAC PSG Helpful Formula
After High School, After Graduation, or After Completion of High
School, the student will (specific behavior) where and how
•Descriptive words must imply that the behavior and the where and
how are after high school
•Education/training goals include words such as “will be enrolled in”
or “will enroll in”, and may include descriptive words “full-time” or
“part-time”
•Employment goals include words such as “will work”, and may include
descriptive words “full-time” or “part-time”
•Independent living goals (where appropriate) include words such as
“will participate” or “will live”

9. Monitoring PSG
• The Indicator 13 checklist (Toolkit Tab 2) and the NSTTAC-
PSG Formula (Toolkit Tab 5) are helpful tools for
developing and reviewing PSG

10. NC Transition Toolkit Access
LiveBinder Access Link:
https://ncdpiecd.inquisiteasp.com/cgi-bin/qwebcorporate.dll?idx=X82FAJ
Password:
2016nctt

11. How are the PSG identified and
developed?
•Where does the student say he/she will work and live
after high school?
•What does the Transition Assessment data indicate are
the student’s preferences, interests, needs, and strengths?
•Does the Transition Assessment data support the student
identified PSG as an appropriate option?
•What are required skills for each PSG?

12. How do you monitor and
annually update PSG?
Discuss the following questions and provide district specific requirements:
•How are you monitoring each PSG for compliance?
•How are you progress monitoring each PSG?
•How are you updating each PSG?
•Do you routinely review the PSG and update, as appropriate, when the
IEP Annual Goals are reviewed to report progress to parents?
• Remember, progress towards annual goals must be reported to parents at
least as often as progress is reported to parents of nondisabled peers.

13. Schools are Responsible for
Outcomes
•Indicator 13: is a compliance indicator that is reported annually in the
State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR)
•Indicator 14: is reported a year after a student leaves school on
whether the student is working or enrolled in higher education
•The Indicator 14 data that NCDPI reports is obtained from the
LEA/Charter in the reporting cycle

14. Indicator 13
Indicator 13:
Percent of youth with IEPs aged 16 and above with an IEP that includes
appropriate measurable postsecondary goals that are annually updated
and based upon an age appropriate transition assessment, transition
services, including courses of study, that will reasonably enable the
student to meet those postsecondary goals, and annual IEP goals
related to the student’s transition services needs. There also must be
evidence that the student was invited to the IEP Team meeting where
transition services are to be discussed and evidence that a
representative of any participating agency was invited to the IEP Team
meeting with the prior consent of the parent or student who has
reached the age of majority.
(20 U.S.C. 1416(a)(3)(B))

15. Indicator 14
Indicator 14:
• Percent of youth who are no longer in secondary school, had IEPs in
effect at the time they left school and were:
• A. Enrolled in higher education within one year of leaving high school.
• B. Enrolled in higher education or competitively employed within one
year of leaving high school.
• C. Enrolled in higher education or in some other postsecondary
education or training program; or competitively employed or in some
other employment within one year of leaving high school.
(20 U.S.C. 1416(a)(3)(B))

16. Education / Training
This means the student is:
•Enrolled in higher education or in some other postsecondary education or
training program within one year of leaving high school.
This includes:
•enrolled on a full-time or part-time basis in a community college (2-year
program) or
•college/university (4-or more year program)
•for at least one complete term, at anytime in the year since leaving high
school.
•Other training programs such as Adult Basic Education, short-term training
programs, Job Corps, WIOA & other vocational and workforce development
programs

17. Employment
This means the student is:
•Competitively employed within one year of leaving high school.
This includes:
•work for pay, at or above the minimum wage in a setting with others
who are nondisabled for a period of 20 hours a week for at least 90
days at any time in the year since leaving high school
•Supported employment: competitive or working towards competitive
work in an integrated setting
•Non-profit, family business, self-employed, or military employment

18. Independent Living Skills
Although this area is not reported as part of the Indicator 14 data, skill
development in this critical area supports the student in the work environment, the
higher education setting, and the community.
The development of Independent Living Skills helps the student function as
independently as possible in daily life activities such as:
–Self-Determination
–Residential Living
–Financial Literacy
–Recreation and Leisure
–Relationships
–Medical and Health Care
–Transportation & Mobility
–Community
–Accessing appropriate adult services

19. Independent Living Skills
Questions to consider:
•How is “if appropriate” determined and documented?
•When is it “not appropriate” to consider Independent
Living Skills?
•What are some challenges/strategies for providing
Independent Living skill instruction for students?

20. IDEA-PSG and Indicator 14
Do you notice a correlation between the IDEA
Postsecondary Goals requirement and the Indicator 14
reporting areas?
Compare IDEA slide #4
and
Indicator 14 slide #16

21. NCDPI Secondary Transition
Beverly Colwell
Consultant for Intellectual Disabilities and Secondary Education
NC-Department of Public Instruction
Phone: 919-807-3307
E-mail: beverly.colwell@dpi.nc.gov
Marie Massengill
Consultant for Policy, Monitoring and Audit Section
NC-Department of Public Instruction
Phone: 910-323-9497
E-mail: marie.massengill@dpi.nc.gov