Secondary Transition Administrators (CoP) / April 2018
Type: Open Committee
Focus Areas: High Quality Student Evaluations, Skilled Staff, Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)
Upcoming dates or events to share with general membership
Hot Topics
Conversation with MDE – Janet Timbs:
MDE
“Identifying priorities for next school year along with a “format” for meetings/trainings. Having 2 workshops a year will not move us toward better results. I am open to any suggestions!”
–Janet:
- “Seamless Transition”
- Company is Transcend
- 3 sites last year, 2 new sites this year – cross agency teams
- Obligation includes: 3 face to face with all teams together, 2 face to face with individual teams, monthly call, online “homework”
- Goal = build capacity and then take across state
- Janet is co-leading with Bill Colombo from MRS
- application process to be a part of the next cohort is coming in October – could be at ISD level or at district level – must include education and community agencies – most are heavy on MRS / Disability Network – Kent is newest team and they have CMH involved
- Discussion about difficulty in getting collaboration from partners
- Janet sent to Transition Coordinators, MRS leadership sent to counselors
- What prerequisites would be expected? – commitment that all will work together
- Team has to identify minimum of 12 students who will be leaving in a couple of years – going through Discovery Process, looking at Customized Employment
- Intended Outcome is a group of students having employment (competitive / integrated) by the time they leave school
- Similar to Building Your Future with START
- First round – people only had 2 weeks to turn around applications – want to start early this time to allow for time to prepare
- No funding – but it is quality training
- April 12 – 13 Training will “close out” priorities for this year’s grant
- transition assessment
- data analysis
- IEP development
- MDE, BSBP, MRS, MTSA – Denver NTTAC Capacity Team Building Conference – each agency pays for own person to attend will become our Employment First – School to Work Committee (Monthly Group under Lt Governor’s office – NTACT Team under OSE) —someone from MAASE could be a part of this group
- What are priorities for next year? Best practice
- Tennessee Transition – courses online
- University of Indiana – Tuesday Transition Tips
- MAASE collect exemplars of best practices from around the state, vet them, send out to the field
- Practice of the month
- MAASE CoP – collect information and send out to the field
- Catamaran will have a space for best practice and will add to it
- Marcia can share document outlining Employment First in Michigan
- Developmental Disabilities Council – limited connection with education but now starting outreach – work more with adult population
- Student led IEPs and self-determination
- Activities in the transition plan are specially designed instruction
- Still a struggle to get folks to understand the WHY behind transition planning
- Across K-12, all kids (including SWD) there is a frustration with the pressure to get career / college ready
Collaboration with CTE?