School personnel participating in the SPDG’s College and Career Readiness (CCaR) Initiative will receive professional learning, coaching, and resources to support them in developing compliant transition components of IEPs and implementing evidence-based transition practices that lead to enhanced post-secondary outcomes for students with disabilities. Professional learning and technical assistance are customized based on district data. Those districts that do not have substantially compliant transition components of IEPs will receive intensive support related to conducting transition assessments and developing effective transition plans. Those districts with compliant IEPs but low graduation rates will receive professional learning and technical assistance that focuses on the implementing evidence-based transition practices. Districts with low performance in compliant IEPs and graduation rates will receive support in each area. Participating schools will collect data using a transition checklist provided by initiative consultants. In addition, improvements in graduation rate data will be tracked over a multi-year period.
A summary of project activities is included below:
Professional Learning: Professional learning opportunities are critical to the success of the College and Career Readiness Initiative. School personnel receive intensive instruction on compliant IEPs and implementation of evidence-based practices through face-to-face sessions and online training sessions. Personnel from the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) will conduct a Transition Institute that focuses on implementation of evidence-based transition practices in September 2013. In addition, consultants from the Transition Coalition at the University of Kansas will be working with initiative lead consultants (Cores) and coaches (CCaRs) to conduct four regional meetings that focus on quality implementation of evidence based-practices in key areas such as community-based instruction, transition assessments, and compliant transition plans that lead to improved outcomes for students. Cores and CCaRs will provide follow-up training, as needed, in participating districts.
Coaching: Initiative coaches (CCaRs) provide on-going training, coaching and resources to personnel from participating districts to support them in implementing transition practices targeted in the College and Career Readiness Initiative. The coaches, which are critical to the success of the initiative, provide monthly training, coaching, and monitoring in participating districts. Coaches also collect initiative outcome data.
Tools and Resources: College and Career Readiness Initiative staff and consultants have identified a variety of nationally developed tools and resources for use in initiative activities including those from the Transition Coalition and the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center. Resources developed through the College and Career Readiness Initiative as well as those developed by national technical assistance providers will be included in the Resources section of this website.
