This document discusses transition assessments for students with disabilities. It defines transition assessments as an ongoing process that identifies students' postsecondary goals, strengths, preferences, interests and needs. Transition assessments must be conducted starting at age 16 and include measurable postsecondary goals in education, employment and independent living. Both informal and formal assessments are used to gather data from students, families, teachers and other sources to determine needed transition services. This data is documented and updated annually to guide students' transition plans.

1. Transition
Assessments
Public Schools of North Carolina
Franklin County Schools

2. Transition Assessments
In this session we will:
• Identify IDEA Transition Assessment requirements
• Define Transition Assessments
• Identify how Transition Assessment data is gathered, documented, and
updated
• Locate resources for selecting appropriate Transition Assessments

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
ageappropriate 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. Transition Assessment Is…
“an ongoing and coordinated process that begins in the
middle school years and continues until students with
disabilities graduate or exit the school system.
Transition assessment assists students with disabilities
and their families to identify and plan for
postsecondary goals and adult roles.”
Sitlington, Neubert, and Clark 2010 definition

5. Transition Assessment Information
• is critical to the Transition Planning process
• assists in determining the student’s Postsecondary Goals
and their: – Strengths – Preferences – Interests – Needs
• helps identify appropriate instruction, supports, and
services necessary to assist the student in school and post-
school life
• is divided in two categories: Informal and Formal
• is required in North Carolina beginning at age 14, and
updated annually thereafter

6. Informal Transition Assessment
• Informal Transition Assessments are often teacher made and
typically lack a formal norming process and reliability information. They
include interviews or questionnaires, interest and/or skill inventories,
situational assessments, rating scales, direct observations, anecdotal
records, curriculum based assessments, preference assessments,
transition planning inventories, and other documentation.

7. Formal Transition Assessments
• Formal Transition Assessments are standardized assessments that
include their norming process, reliability and validity information, and
recommended uses. They include adaptive behavior instruments,
independent living assessments, general & specific aptitude tests,
interest & career development measures, intelligence & achievement
tests, on-the-job and training evaluations, self-determination
measures, personality or preference tests.

8. Transition Assessments
Transition Assessments are required in three areas:
• Education/Training
• Employment
• Independent Living, where appropriate

9. Education / Training
Transition Assessment data should provide information to
help answer these questions:
• What additional education/training is required for the student to
reach the postsecondary goal?
• Where is the education/training program offered?
• What social interaction and independent living skills are needed in
the education/training environment?
• What supports will the student need in the education/training
program?

10. Employment
Transition Assessment data should provide information to help answer
these questions:
• What job does the student want?
• What are the requirements of the identified job?
• What are the social interaction requirements and setting associated
with the identified job?
• What supports will be needed to meet the identified job
requirements?

11. Independent Living
Transition Assessment data should provide student specific information in
the following areas, as appropriate:
• Self-Determination
• Residential Living
• Financial Literacy
• Recreation and Leisure
• Relationships
• Medical and Health Care
• Transportation & Mobility
• Community
• Accessing appropriate adult services

12. Gathering Transition
Assessment Data
• Initial Transition Assessment may focus on gathering general
preferences, interests, strengths, and needs information
• As specific Postsecondary Goals are identified, Transition Assessment
may focus on gathering more targeted preferences, interests, strengths,
and needs information
• Best practice is to gather information in the required areas using a
combination of informal and formal transition assessments with input
from a variety of respondents

13. Types of Information Gathered
To ensure an effective transition assessment process, the following
categories of data should be collected:
• Future planning needs and goals
• Self-determination and self-advocacy skills
• Academic strengths and deficits (including learning styles and
behaviors)
• Life skills
• Vocational interests, aptitudes, and abilities (Miller, Lombard, and
Corbey 2007)

14. Other Categories of Assessment
These assessment areas may provide additional planning
information:
• Academic Assessment
• Self-Determination Assessment
• Employment Assessment
• Health Care Assessment
• Community Assessment
Do most of these correlate with the categories in the previous slide?

15. Who Can Provide Transition
Assessment Input?
• Student
• Family Members
• School personnel: General, Special Education, and CTE Teachers,
School Counselor and others, as appropriate
• Related Service Providers
• Support Agency Representatives
• Employers
• Others identified as having knowledge of the student Best practice is
to gather data from a variety of instruments and respondents

16. Documenting Transition
Assessment Data
Transition Assessments assist in determining the student’s
Postsecondary Goals and their:
• Strengths
• Preferences
• Interests
• Needs
This information is then used to identify appropriate instruction,
supports, and services necessary to assist the student in school and
post-school life.

17. Documenting Transition
Assessment Data
• A Transition Assessment Planning Tool is one way of compiling and
identifying implications identified through the use of a variety of
transition assessments
• There is a sample of a Transition Assessment Planning Template in
Tab 3 of the toolkit
How does your LEA or Charter document Transition Assessment data?

18. Updating Transition Assessment
Data
• Requires a review of existing data and a determination of additional
transition assessment information needed to make decisions
identifying appropriate instruction, supports, and services necessary to
assist the student in school and post-school life
How does your LEA or Charter update Transition Assessment data?

19. Transition Assessment Resources
Suggested Activity:
Take some time to review the resources that are located in Toolkit Tab 3

20. NC Transition Toolkit Access
LiveBinder Access Link:
https://ncdpiecd.inquisiteasp.com/cgibin/qwebcorporate.dll?idx=X82FAJ
Password: 2016nctt

21. Transition Assessment Data
Will help establish:
• The student’s vision for their future (postsecondary goals)
• The requirements of the postsecondary location
• The transition services needed for a successful post-school transition
• The annual goals needed to help get to that postsecondary location
• Progress monitoring of the student’s annual goals and long-term
goals for adult life

22. 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