The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Post-Secondary Transition: A Guide for Students and Parents
Self-advocacy guide for students and parents on the transition process from high school to life after high school.
Introduction
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
What is Transition Planning?
What are Transition Services?
is a results-oriented process focused on improving academic and functional achievement of the student to facilitate the student’s transition to post-school activities. These post-school activities can include post-secondary education (like a college or university), vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, and community participation.
is based on the student’s individual needs, taking into account the student’s strengths, preferences, and interests; and
includes instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives, and, when appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation. (20 U.S.C. Section 1401(34)).
Post-Secondary Transition Plan
Student invite
Invite to outside agencies (as appropriate), with consent of the parent and/or student.
Measurable Postsecondary Goals based on age-appropriate transition assessments related to:
Training or education.
Employment.
Independent living skills (if appropriate).
Description of transition services including any courses of study the student needs.
Post-Secondary Transition Plan Participants
Student Invite
Age-Appropriate Transition Assessments
Keep your interests and goals at the center of transition planning! Encourage consideration of all possible jobs, careers, or positions within your preferences. Identify what you like about your chosen future interests and explore any possibilities within that field.
Post-Secondary Transition Goals
Tips for preparing for the Transition Planning Meeting
Schedule the transition planning meeting separately from an IEP meeting. Scheduling a separate transition meeting will prevent the team from rushing through your annual IEP meeting, giving everyone more time to address your transition needs.
Ask for a copy of the drafted PTP before the meeting. Be sure to look over all parts of the drafted PTP and note anything that’s missing and any concerns or questions you have. Be ready to share your questions and concerns with the team before or during the meeting.
Write down any questions. Writing down all the questions you have about the IEP, PTP, or transition process will help during discussions with the IEP team. A full IEP meeting is not required when seeking general information, but you may always ask to convene an IEP meeting to discuss transition when appropriate.
Ask for the drafted IEP after the meeting so you and/or your parents can review it carefully. Make sure everything that was discussed and agreed to during the meeting is included in the IEP. If there is any missing information, or you have additional concerns, address them with the IEP case manager right away.
Keep copies of all educational records. As a parent/student, you are entitled to all your or your child’s educational records. You can ask for the entire record from the school district. Once you or your child graduate, be sure to ask for the file for your own records.
Use the “WHO-WHAT-WHEN” method to track progress. Prepare a document with the following three sections to bring to the transition planning meeting:
WHO: who is responsible for the initiation of the various transition activities and services?
WHAT: what transition assessments, activities, or services will help you work towards meeting your goals?
WHEN: when is the activity or service expected to start or finish?
Pre-Employment Transition Services
Job Exploration Counseling - Services related to the exploration of your interests and skills for employment. This may include the use of interest inventories, job shadowing, career fairs, or seminars.
Work-Based Learning Experiences - In-school or after-school opportunities that may happen outside the traditional school setting, in an environment with the student’s non-disabled peers, and can include internships, job shadowing, part-time jobs, school-based jobs, informational interviews, and volunteer positions.
Post-Secondary Educational or Higher Education Programs Counseling - Services for providing information about post-secondary education and training programs. These services can help you decide whether to pursue further education and may include auditing college courses, assistive technology assessments, visits to college campuses, visiting campus disability centers, or preparing for college entrance exams.
Workplace Readiness Training - Services to help you build social skills and independent living skills that you will need for employment, including learning interpersonal and communication skills, financial skill-building, and auxiliary aids and services.
Instruction in Self Advocacy - Services focused on learning to ask for what you need, when you need it, to help you learn how to effectively communicate your interests, desires, needs, and rights.
Transition Tip
An important part of the WIOA is that school districts cannot place students in sub-minimum wage work settings before exploring community employment opportunities through DVR.
For more information on Pre-ETS, see the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation's Policy Guide for Pre-Employment Transition Services.
For more information on WIOA and Pre-ETS, see Transition Services and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act.
Outside Agencies and Transition Planning
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
DVR and adult long-term services provide a variety of transition services, including: vocational training; education training; job coaching; assistance in finding employment; funding for job-related training, education, and equipment; vocational counseling; and help with independent living.
Transition Improvement Grant
Each school district has a transition coordinator under the Transition Improvement Grant (TIG). TIG’s website includes all topics related to transition. In addition, various trainings on transition planning are often free and available to anyone interested. You can find more information about the Transition Improvement Grant online.
Course of Study
A course of study is a class or series of classes required for graduation and to meet your post-secondary transition goals, such as eligibility for college admission. You should work with the IEP team to create a course of study at the beginning of 9th grade.
Age of Majority
What is the Age of Majority?
You reach the “age of majority” under the IDEA when you turn 18. This can be a confusing time for families because you are between two systems with different rights and responsibilities.
Once you’ve turned 18, all your educational rights transfer from your parents to you, and you are now responsible for making decisions about your education. This may seem overwhelming for parents and students — but if you’re prepared, it can be an exciting time!
Additionally, your parent may still be a part of the IEP team to support you with educational decision making if you wish- simply invite them to your IEP meeting.
Making Decisions About Your Education
If you would rather have your parent continue to make decisions about your education on your behalf, your family may consider an Educational Decision Making Agreement or a Supported Decision-Making Agreement.
Find the Supported Decision-Making form on the Department of Health Services website.
Parents may also experience outside pressure to explore seeking guardianship over the soon-to-be adult. Guardianship is a highly intrusive form of substituted decision making and DRW encourages each family to consider all other options to support the student as they grow into adulthood, and to only consider guardianship as a last resort. You, like any other student, should feel empowered in making your own choices, decisions, and even mistakes!
To learn more about alternatives to guardianship, see:
Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities toolkit
Department of Public Instruction, Supported Decision-Making: Because Choices Matter
Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Client Rights: Guardianship
Guardianship Support Center website
Wisconsin Bar Association, What You Should Know
Post-Secondary Transition Plan Implementation
Under the IDEA, the school has various requirements for implementing transition services. During transition, the school must continue giving a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), including giving the student the supports and services necessary to make progress on their IEP goals. (34 C.F.R. Section 300.305(e)(3)).
You have the right to review the appropriateness of your transition goals and to monitor progress on those goals. Consider the following questions:
Does your transition plan include measurable goals for necessary post-secondary training, education, employment, and independent living skills?
Are your transition goals based on the results of age-appropriate assessments?
Does your plan include transition services to help you achieve your transition goals?
Does your plan include a course of study appropriate for your transition goals?
Will your transition goals be updated every year?
Were you invited to the IEP meeting when transition services were discussed?
Summary of Performance and Graduation
A summary of performance (SoP) is one of the final steps of the transition process before graduation. The SoP is used to summarize your strengths, disability related needs, and present levels of academic and functional performance. It should include the types of individualized instruction and services you got during school and recommendations for future accommodations you may need after graduation.
The IEP team should develop your summary of performance before you exit special education services from the school district.
Summary
The transition process is critical in making sure students like you learn the skills you need to live and work in your communities, and to make important and complex decisions about your future. Working together with your family, school, and community providers will help you prepare for life after high school!
Transition Resources
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities
Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), Children's Long-Term Support: Transition Planning for Youth
Wrightslaw, Transition, Transition Services, Transition Planning
Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Vocational Rehabilitation for Native Americans (VRNA)
Transition Improvement Grant, WiTransition App
Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (BPDD)
Wisconsin Family Assistance Center for Education, Training, and Support (WI FACETS), Self-Advocacy Resources
Waisman Center, Health Transition Wisconsin: Families & Youth
Independent Living Centers (ILCs)
Disability Rights Wisconsin, Voting Resources
