Improving Transition Outcomes for Youth

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Improving Transition Outcomes for
Youth Lafayette, LA January 28, 2009
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Session Purpose

• Explore how transition indicators fit together
• Learn about Federal requirements (post-school
  outcomes)
• Learn how Louisiana and other states collect and
  use post-school outcome data
• Use data to guide improvement

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• A national technical assistance dissemination
  center funded by the U.S. Department of Education
  Office of Special Education Programs.

• Our Mission
• Help State Education Agencies
• develop practical, yet rigorous
• data collection systems to describe the
• further education and competitive employment
  experiences
• of youth with disabilities as they transition
  from high school to adult life.

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IDEA Purpose

• To ensure that all children with
• disabilities have available to them a free
• appropriate public education that emphasizes
• special education and related services
• designed to meet their unique needs and
• prepare them for further education, employment,
  and independent living

IDEA Regulations 300.1(a)
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Transition
starts at when children are very young and
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continues throughout life
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Critical Relationships

• Quality IEPs

Staying in School
Positive post-school outcomes
Graduating
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• Under IDEA, States are required to submit a
  State Performance Plan Annual Progress Report
  (SPP/APR)

Louisianas SPP/APR is located at
http//www.doe.state.la.us/lde/eia/2115.html
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SPP/APR Accountability Mechanism
and a Blue Print for Improvement
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Federal SPP/APR Requirements

• States plan and performance are based
• on 20 Part B indicators
• 4 specific to secondary transition
• 1. of youth who graduate
• 2. of youth who drop out
• 13. of youth with transition components in the
  IEP
• 14. of youth who achieve post-school outcomes

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Indicator 1

• Percent of youth with IEPs graduating
• from high school with a regular diploma

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Indicator 2

• Percent of youth with IEPs who drop out
• of high school

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Indicator 13Percent of youth aged 16 and above
with an IEP that includes coordinated,
measurable, annual IEP goals and transition
services that will reasonably enable the child
to meet the post-secondary goals
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Indicator 14

• Percent of youth who had IEPs, are no longer in
  secondary school and who have been
• competitively employed
• enrolled in some type of postsecondary school,
• or both
• within one year of leaving
• high school.

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External Impacts to Educational systems
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Where special education resides
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(No Transcript)
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Special Education Services
How do you know the special education services
you provide contribute toward achieving the IDEA
Purpose?
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A starting point
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Strategies
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Intermediate Outcomes
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(No Transcript)
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Exiting the Educational System
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This is a work in progress.
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From SPP/APR results, can we say

• Can we use these data to help us know if we have
  we prepared our students for
• Further education, employment and independent
  living?
• 34 CFR 300.1(a)

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Indicator 14

• Percent of youth who had IEPs, are no longer in
  secondary school and who have been
• competitively employed
• enrolled in some type of postsecondary school,
• or both
• within one year of leaving
• high school.

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Collecting Post-School Data

• What data are collected?
• Who are data collected on?
• How are data collected?
• When are data collected?
• Who collects the data?

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What data are collected?

• In-School
• Contact information (41 States)
• Demographic characteristics (26 State)
• Postsecondary goals (16 States)
• Transition experiences (10 States)
• Special Education Placement (9 States)
• Post-School
• Employment (60 States)
• Postsecondary school/training (60 States)
• Independent living/housing (10 States)

February 2008 SPP (FFY 2006) Reports
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In Louisiana

• Competitive Employment (VR definition)
• work in the competitive labor market
• performed on a full or part time basis
• in an integrated setting
• for which an individual is compensated at or
  above the minimum wage
• not less than wage and benefit level for work
  performed by individuals who are not disabled
• Full and part time
• Postsecondary school (defined)
• University or college (4 year), Community or
  Technical College (2 year), Vocational or
  Technical School (2 year)
• Full and part time
• (Source LADE Part B SPP for FFY 2006, Indicator
  14)

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Who are data collected on?

• Those with IEPs who leave high school
• With diplomas
• With certificates, modified diplomas
• By aging out
• By leaving early /dropping outs

Challenge finding early leavers
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How are data collected?

• From extant (existing) data (1 State)
• Survey of former student or family
• Phone survey (27 States)
• Mail survey (1 State)
• Combination (22 State)
• By conducting a census or sample

Challenge Contacting leavers 1-year out of
school
February 2008 SPP (FFY 2006) Reports
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More about how data are collected

• Census all leavers contacted
• 36 states
• Sampling a sample of leavers contacted
• 22 states
• Every district once within the 6 year period
• Yearly all districts of more than 50,000 students
• Representative sample
• disability
• race
• gender
• age

February 2008 SPP (FFY 2006) Reports
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When are data collected?

• In-School (44 States)
• During last year of attendance
• Keep contact information current
• Post-School (60 States)
• Within 1 year of leaving school (April through
  September)
• Competitive employment postsecondary
  school/training

February 2008 SPP (FFY 2006) Reports
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Who collects the data?

• SEA or LEA staff (27 States)
• Teachers support staff
• Administrators
• Outside Contractor (14 States)
• University
• Survey Center

February 2008 SPP (FFY 2006) Reports
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In Louisiana

• Exit survey (Post-School Transition Survey)
• Census - all leavers
• LEA staff collect (transition coordinators)
• Phone and mail surveys one year out
• April - September

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Indicator 14 Calculation(Known as Engagement
Rate)

• NUMERATOR
• Unduplicated sum of
• competitively employed (CE)
• enrolled in postsecondary school (PSS)
• both CE and PSS

• DENOMINATOR
• of respondents to survey/interview
• (always provide s)

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Results of States' Efforts

• Engagement rates ranged from
• 36 to 94.10 (Median 73.75)
• 3 States respondents were
• representative for all subgroups
• Disability, race, age, gender, method of exit
• Response rates ranged from 6 - 100
• (Mean Median 52)

February 2008 SPP (FFY 2006) Reports
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• Engagement rates ranged from
• 36 to 94.10 (Median 73.75)
• 3 States respondents were
• representative for all subgroups
• Disability, race, age, gender, method of exit
• Response rates ranged from 6 - 100
• (Mean Median 52)

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February 2008 SPP (FFY 2006) Reports
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Louisiana Data

• Response Rate
• Representative
• Targets
• Engagement Rate

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Overcoming the Challenges

• Challenge finding early leavers
• Accurate sources of contact information
• A system to identify leavers at the prior to
  their exit
• Challenge contacting leavers 1-year out of
  school
• Multiple sources of contact information
• Youth and families prepared to respond to the
  survey

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One of many NPSO resources
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Student Flyer
Available at www.psocenter.org
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Parent Informational Flyer
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Critical Interrelationships for Achieving PSO
Staying in School

• Quality IEPs

Positive post-school outcomes
Graduating
Kohler, NSTTAC
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Louisiana Transition Indicator Data Improving
Outcomes
Post-School Outcomes Indicator 14 2006-07
38.3 2007-08 83
Okay?
Not Okay?
Why or Why Not?

• Dropout Rate
• Indicator 2
• 2004-05 26.27
• 2005-06 22.99
• 2006-07 30
• 2007-08 30

• Graduation Rate
• Indicator 1
• 2004-05 17.42
• 2005-06 13.46
• 2006-07 17.7
• 2007-08 15.3

• Quality of Our IEPs
• Indicator 13
• (100)
• 2005-06 31
• 2006-07 76
• 2007-08 66

Dr. Paula Kohler (2006) NSTTAC Data Source LADE
Part B SPP for FFY 2006 and email communication
with Keita Rone, Jan. 2009, Indicator 14
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Improving Post-School Outcomes

• Engage youth (and families) in transition
  planning
• Help students set attainable employment and
  postsecondary school/training goals
• Use age appropriate transition assessments
• Prepare youth (and families) for their future
• Teach self-determination self advocacy skills
• Provide opportunities for students to practice
  these skills
• Self-Directed IEPs
• Keep youth in school
• Build relationships with youth
• Set high expectations and provide support
• Make content meaningful and relevant
  (Covington-Smith, 2008)

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Transition
starts when children are very young and
continues throughout life.
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From SPP/APR results, can we say

• Have prepared our students for
• Further education, employment and independent
  living?
• 34 CFR 300.1(a)

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Jane Falls jafalls_at_uoregon.edu 541-346-0354
http//www.psocenter.org