Florida Education: The Next Generation DRAFT

1. Florida Education: The Next GenerationDRAFT March 13, 2008 Version 1.0 Building Capacity and Restructuring Transition Services in Florida Sheila Gritz, Program Specialist Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services Florida Department of Education Dr. Eric J. Smith, Commissioner Jordan Knab, Director Project 10: Transition Education Network University of South Florida St. Petersburg

2. Topics Addressed • Restructuring transition in Florida • Building a statewide network • Conducting a statewide needs assessment • Impacting secondary transition indicators • Website clearinghouse • Effective communication • Interagency collaboration and planning through statewide committee

3. BEESS Secondary Transition • Legal responsibility for secondary transition under IDEA • Responsibility for State Performance Plan (SPP) and the Annual Performance Report (APR) indicators • Development of and guidance on State Board of Education rules, policies, and procedures related to students with disabilities • Oversight • Program Specialist for Transition - technical assistance and support to districts • Discretionary projects • State Secondary Transition Interagency Committee, formerly Transition Steering Committee

4. Reconfiguring Transition Services • CDT: Career Development and Transition Project, UF • Interagency Collaboration, Project CONNECT • Training and TA • Products • TIP: Transition to Independence Project, USF Tampa • Focus on EBD • School-Based Enterprise/Behavioral Plans • Mental Health Project 10: Transition Education Network

5. Restructuring Interagency Collaboration • Previously advisory to the University of Florida Career Development and Transition project • OSEP grant required formation of Transition Steering Committee • Goal to structure state level team of all stakeholders • Requested support from NSTTAC, Paula Kohler to assist in restructuring TSC • Grounded in Transition Taxonomy and Model for Extending Transition Research

6. State Secondary Transition Interagency Committee • Role – to share transition information and to facilitate collaboration and use of resources • Stakeholders • education, • agencies, • community-based organizations, • students with disabilities, • family members/caregivers

7. State Secondary Transition Interagency Committee • Conducted Resource Mapping • Structured committee • Meet twice a year • Includes subcommittees • Data • Dropout • Employment • Family involvement • Postsecondary education

8. Using Transition Indicators to Improve What We Do • Post-School Outcomes • ~Indicator 14~ • Postsecondary education and/or training • Employment • Independent living Not so good? Good? Why? Why Not? • Dropping Out • ~Indicator 2~ • Why? • Appropriate programs? • Address student and family needs? • Graduation • ~Indicator 1~ • Expectations and standards? • Various pathways available? • Linkage to post-school environments? • What’s the Quality of Our IEPs? • ~Indicator 13~ • Measurable post-school and annual goals • Transition-related assessments • Course of study, services, and activities • Coordination of services Paula Kohler, Welcome to Getting the GIST, February 2008

9. GIST Development • Preliminary conceptualization August/September 2007 • Presentation at Administrators’ Management Meeting September 2007 • Workgroup members identified • Contracted with Dr. Paula Kohler, National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center, to facilitate initial development and workgroup meetings • Workgroup meetings held February, May, July, August 2008 • Presentation at Administrators’ Management Meeting September 2008 • Final workgroup meeting held February 2009

10. GIST Conceptual Framework • Three-phased conceptual mapping process (The Concept System) for GIST Model • Identify, structure, rate and evaluate characteristics • Final conceptualization includes characteristics and priority ratings • Content detail and structures move from conceptualization to implementation

11. Content Workgroups • Fundamental Principles • Core Beliefs, Vision, and Mission • Designing, Implementing ,and Sustaining • Design and Development • Implementation and Sustainability • Features and Tools • Features that Promote Accessibility and Flexibility • Tools to Facilitate Use and Application of Information • Users and Content • Target Audience and Intended Users • Content

12. State Secondary Transition Infrastructure Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services SEA responsibility and oversight BEESS Project 10 SSTIC State Secondary Transition Interagency Committee State support for capacity building Project 10: Transition Education Network District support for capacity building

13. Jordan Knab, Ed.S., Project Director University of South Florida St. Petersburg 529 1st Street South, SVB 108 St. Petersburg, FL 33701 p (727) 873-4661 f (727) 873-4660 www.project10.info

14. Project 10: Transition Education Network • Regional Transition Representatives: • Yellow: Lori Garcia (1) • Orange: Patrick Mulvihill (2) • Green: Heather Mack (3) • Blue: Federico Valadez (4) • Pink: Lisa Friedman-Chavez (5)

15. ESE Classroom • District Level Transition • Directed Hiring Practices Initiative (HPI) • Agency Experience: APD, VR, Mental Health • District Training with Partners in Transition • Postsecondary Education, Community College & University Staff Experience

16. Initiatives Capacity Building Interagency Collaboration Transition Legislation & Policy Student Development & Outcomes

17. Capacity Building Regional Transition Representatives Collaboration with other Projects & Agencies Training & Technical Assistance Product Development District Mentoring Network Research-Supported Activities

18. Interagency Collaboration Provide Support to State Transition Steering Committee Collaborate in Related State Activities Support District Level Interagency Councils

19. Transition Legislation & Policy Ongoing Electronic Communications Transition Listserv “Transition Wheel” Timely Information when Educators Need It and CAN Access It: A-Z Transition Library

20. Student Development & Outcomes Product Review, Revision & Update Support Pilot Activities using Best Practices Regional Institutes Focused on Transition Indicators

21. Currently, of 67 school districts… • 65 Project 10 School District Transition Needs Assessments • 59 Transition Needs Assessment Follow Ups • 55 Districts have written plans for training and technical assistance

22. Information Collected • Strengths • Challenges • Technical Assistance/Training Needs • Health Care • Professional Development Opportunities • National Technical Assistance • Florida Agencies and Programs • Florida Discretionary Projects and Resources • Florida Department of Education

23. Putting It All Together Results are shown on the Florida Map… • Strengths are in green • Challenges are in red • Technical Assistance/Training Needs & Resources are in blue

24. Putting It All Together

25. Currently… • Professional Development Trainings specific to District Needs Assessment • Most requested areas of training/technical assistance include: • Transition Assessment • School Based Enterprise • Measurable Postsecondary Goals • 18 to 22 year old programs

26. Model for Extending Transition Research Effective Transition Practices Increase Capacity to Implement Effective Transition Practices Facilitate Implementation of Effective Transition Practices Technical Assistance Data-Based Decision Making Professional Development Policy Analysis and Change Paula Kohler, Welcome to Getting the GIST, February 2008

28. More Thoughts on Secondary Transition • I have made this [letter] longer, because I have not had time to make it shorter. Blaise Pascal

29. Contact Information • Sheila Gritz, Program Specialist for Transition Florida Department of Education Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services Sheila.Gritz@fldoe.org (850) 245-0478 • Jordan Knab, Director Project 10: Transition Education Network University of South Florida St. Petersburg jknab@mail.usf.edu (727) 873-4661

30. Florida Education: The Next GenerationDRAFT March 13, 2008 Version 1.0 Questions?