AgeAppropriate Transition Assessment for Youth with Disabilities

1
Age-Appropriate Transition Assessment for Youth
with Disabilities

• Gary M. Clark, Ed.D.
• gclark_at_ku.edu
• Virginia Department of Education's Training and
  Technical Assistance Center
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Richmond, VA
• August 24, 2009

2
Part 1

• Overview of Age-Appropriate Transition Assessment

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IDEA 2004 clearly states

• The term transition services means a
  coordinated set of activities for a child with a
  disability that
• is designed to be within a results-oriented
  process that is focused on improving the academic
  and functional achievement of the child with a
  disability to facilitate the childs movement
  from school to postschool activities

4
IDEA 2004 clearly states

• transition services means a set of
• coordinated activities that
• -- is based on the individual childs
• needs, taking into account the childs
• strengths, preferences, and interests.

5
IDEA 2004 clearly states
The IEP for students 16 and older (and younger
when appropriate), must have ..appropriate
measurable postsecondary goals based upon
age-appropriate transition assessments related to
training, education, employment, and, where
appropriate, independent living skills
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What does age-appropriate mean?

• Age-appropriateness in assessment refers to the
  appropriateness of
• the content of the assessment (items, interview
  questions, checklist or rating scale response
  options, etc.),
• the assessment environments used,
• the assessment activities used,
• the materials used, or
• the instructions or format used.

7
IDEA 2004 clearly states
For students graduating or exiting school due to
aging out a local education agency shall
provide the child with a summary of the child's
academic achievement and functional performance,
which shall include recommendations on how to
assist the child in meeting the child's
postsecondary goals
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Hidden in the IDEA 2004 Regulations on Related
Services it even states

• (11) Recreation includes--
• (i) Assessment of leisure function
• (ii) Therapeutic recreation services
• (iii) Recreation programs in schools and
  community agencies and
• (iv) Leisure education

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Assessment Considerations for Age-Appropriate
Assessment

• Do we have a useful framework for appropriate
  planning (based on age, grade, maturity level,
  reading level, auditory comprehension, etc.)?
• Are age-appropriate tools available?
• Are family and students involved?
• Are other school-based personnel involved?
• What works for good planning and compliance?
• What will teachers accept?

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Does IDEA 2004 specify what acceptable
age-appropriate assessment means?

• Although IDEA does not define what
  age-appropriate assessment is or what is
  acceptable under the law, we have to consider
  these factors
• --Recommended professional practice
• --Defensibility under question or challenge

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Recommended Professional Practice

• Practice recommended based on evidence-based data
• Practice recommended based on field reports of
  successful practice (satisfaction)
• Practice recommended based on professional
  publications advocating a practice that adheres
  to logic, theory, research findings, or
  successful program models

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Defensibility

• Defensibility in an IEP meeting, a due process
  hearing, or a law suit.
• Defensibility involves appropriateness of
• assessment content focus
• disability impact on participation in the
  assessment
• age-appropriateness
• language and culture

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What is acceptable to teachers?

• Acceptable usually means that something is
• good for students
• fits the users philosophy or way of doing
  things
• not complicated
• not unreasonably time-consuming
• reasonable in cost for what you get

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Comprehensive Planning Individual Needs
Assessment Starts with the Questions

• What do we need to know for planning?
• Where can we get this information?

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What do we need to know for transition planning?

• Students personal interests and preferences
• Family preferences for student
• Self-determination knowledge and skills
• Cognitive strengths
• Academic strengths

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What do we need to know for transition planning?
(contd.)

• Community participation and community living
  skills
• Vocational skills
• Social skills
• Physical and mental health status
• Student and family support needs

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Part 2

• Overview of Transition Assessment Approaches
  Formal or Commercially Available Instruments

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Where can we get assessment information?

• Formal (standardized) and/or commercially
  available assessments
• Informal (non-standardized)
  assessments

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Clarifying the Difference Between Formal and
Informal Assessment

• Formal or Standardized Assessment refers to
  instruments or approaches that have demonstrated
  validity and reliability data in measuring or
  assessing traits, interests, preferences, skill
  performance, or behavior. Norms may be featured.
• Validity and reliability data are reported in
  correlation coefficients in the manual ranging
  from .00 (no validity, no reliability) to 1.00
  (perfect validity, perfect reliability)

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Clarifying the Difference Between Formal and
Informal Assessment

• Informal or nonstandardized assessment refers to
  instruments, approaches, or activities that are
  not based on any attempt to demonstrate validity
  or reliability, nor would they ever include
  norms.
• Informal assessment is used as a subjective,
  intuitive, or clinical judgment of a selected
  trait, interest, preference, skill performance,
  or behavior.

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Types of Standardized or Commercially Available
Assessments

• Academic achievement tests
• Intellectual functioning assessment
• Adaptive behavior scales
• Aptitude tests
• Interest inventories
• Personality scales

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Types of Available Assessments (contd.)

• Quality of life scales
• Prevocational/ employability scales
• Vocational skills scales
• Self-determination scales
• Transition planning assessments (preferences,
  interests, and needs)

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Age-appropriate Transition Planning
Assessments--Selected Examples

• AIR Self-Determination Scale, high school
• Ansell-Casey Life Skills Assessment-III, ages
  8-25
• Arcs Self-Determination Scale, Grades 9-12
• BRIGANCE Employability Skills Inventory, Grades
  5-12
• BRIGANCE Life Skills Inventory, Grades 7-12
• Enderle-Severson Transition Rating Scales (ESTR-R
  and ESTR-III), ages 14-21

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Transition Assessment Scales, (contd.)

• LCCE Performance Knowledge Batteries, ages
  12-19 (middle and high school)
• Responsibility and Independence Scale for
  Adolescents, ages 12-19
• Transition Skills Inventory (TSI), high school
• Transition Behavior Scale (2/e) (TBS), Grades
  11-12
• Transition Planning Inventory (TPI), Grades 8-12

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AIR Self-Determination Scale

• Has a parent, teacher and student version
• Web-based and free
• Available online at http//education.ou.edu/zarr
  ow/

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Ansell-Casey Life Skills

• Web-based and free
• English and Spanish versions
• Youth and caregiver forms
• Scored for you
• Can obtain class summaries
• Available from www.caseylifeskills.org

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Arcs Self-Determination Scale

• Adolescent version
• Web-based and free
• Must use the procedural manual to score (see
  www.beachcenter.org/education.../self-determinatio
  n.aspx)
• Available online at http//education.ou.edu/zarr
  ow/ or www.beachcenter.org/.../beach_resource_deta
  il_page.aspx?

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BRIGANCE Life Skills Inventory

• Target population Grades 7-12 Reading grade
  levels, 2-8
• Over 1400 items across subscales of Speaking and
  Listening, Functional Writing, Words on Common
  Signs and Warning Labels, Telephone Skills, Money
  and Finance, Food, Clothing, Health, Travel and
  Transportation
• May be administered individually or in groups,
  oral or written
• Contains supplemental rating scales in the areas
  of speaking skills, listening skills, health
  practices and attitudes, self concept, and auto
  safety

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BRIGANCE Employability Skills Inventory

• Target population, Grades 5-12 requires reading
  or listening comprehension of high school level
  material
• Approximately 1,400 items across six areas
  Career Awareness and Understanding, Job Seeking
  and Knowledge, Reading Skills, Speaking and
  Listening Skills, Pre-employment Writing, and
  Math Skills and Concepts
• Supplemental rating scales provided

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Enderle-Severson Transition Rating Scales

• ESTR-J designed for mild disabilities of any age
• ESTR--III designed for moderate to severe and
  multiple disability groups of any age
• Rating scales format, completed by school and
  parent jointly or separately
• 47 items rated on a two point scale (Yes,
  performs skill independently or consistently No,
  does not perform skills or does not perform
  skills independently or consistently

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Enderle-Severson Transition Rating Scales, contd.

• A worksheet for indicating student preferences
  and interests across the five subscale areas
• Subscales include
• Employment
• Home Living
• Recreation and Leisure
• Community Participation
• Post Secondary Education

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Enderle-Severson Transition Rating Scales, contd.

• Scores provided on each subscale and a Total
  Performance Score (percentage of Yes ratings)
• ESTR-III provides item response options
  indicating Yes, with supports
• No estimation of completion time in manual

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Life-Centered Career Education Competency
Assessment Batteries

• Curriculum-based assessment related to LCCE
  Curriculum, organized into 3 major components
  Occupational Guidance and Preparation,
  Personal-Social, and Daily Living
• Knowledge Battery contains 200 multiple-choice
  items covering 20 of the 22 LCCE competency areas
• Performance Battery contains 105 open-ended or
  actual performance tasks related to 21 of the 22
  LCCE competency areas

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Life-Centered Career Education Competency
Assessment Batteries, contd.

• Completion time for each complete battery is
  2.5-4 hours
• Knowledge Battery is standardized with norms
• Designed for grades 7-12, students with mild
  cognitive disabilities, moderate-severe learning
  disabilities, and mild-moderate behavior
  disorders

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Responsibility and Independence Scale for
Adolescents

• Ages 12-20, mild disabilities or students at risk
• Subscales Domestic Skills, Money Management,
  Citizenship, Personal Planning, Transportation
  Skills, Career Development, Self-Management,
  Social Maturity, and Social Communication
• Scaled scores and percentile ranks based on norm
  groups
• Administration time, 30-45 minutes

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Transition Behavior Scale (2nd ed.)

• Designed for any disability group, ages 14
  through postsecondary age mild to severe levels
  of disability
• Two versions (Student self-report version and
  School version completed by one or more teachers
• Subscales include Work-Related Behaviors,
  Interpersonal Relations, Social/Community
  Expectations

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Transition Behavior Scales (2nd ed.), contd.

• 6-point rating scale
• Estimated completion time is 15-20 minutes
• Scores in percentile ranks are based on national
  norms

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Transition Planning Inventory(Updated and
Computer Versions)

• Designed for any disability group, grades 8-12
  mild to moderate levels of disability
• Updated Version (print version) is complemented
  by the Computer Version
• 9 subscales include Employment, Further Education
  and Training, Daily Living, Leisure, Community
  Participation, Health, Self- Determination,
  Communication, and Inter- personal Relationships

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Transition Planning Inventory (UV and CV) contd.

• 46 items repeated with adjusted language across
  three forms Student, Home, and School
• Items reflect knowledge or skills competencies
  that are rated on a scale of 0-5 as to the extent
  of agreement or disagreement with the competency
  statements for a student.
• Student form has 15 open-ended items eliciting
  open expression of interests, preferences, and
  goals in a variety of areas.

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Transition Planning Inventory (UV and CV) contd.

• There is a brief section in the Student and Home
  forms requesting preferences and interests
  related to likely or preferred post school
  settings (employment, postsecondary education and
  training, and living arrangements).
• A Profile and Further Recommendations form
  accompanies the three respondent forms to serve
  as a summary/comparison document for agreement
  across raters and to identify gaps or
  discrepancies in the information obtained.

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Transition Planning Inventory (UV and CV) contd.

• Administration of either version of the TPI may
  be self-administration, guided self-administration
  , or oral administration.
• The Administration and Resource Guide provides
• --Guide to administration options
• --Interpretation guidelines and case studies
• --Appendices with special resources, including
  blackline masters of items and their
  descriptions, translations of the TPI in Spanish,
  Chinese, Japanese Korean, a modified version of
  the TPI for students with severe
  cognitive/communication problems, and a set of
  over 500 sample IEP goals keyed to the 46 items

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Transition Planning Inventory (UV and CV) contd.

• Computer Version presents items one per screen
  and users may print out a Profile form showing
  each item scores across raters with mean scores
  for each item and/or a form showing the rank
  order of items by the means across raters.
• TPI kits are accompanied by two supplements
  Informal Assessments for Transition Planning
• Case Studies in Assessment for Transition
  Planning

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Transition Skills Inventory

• Curriculum-based assessment embedded in NEXT
  S.T.E.P. Student Transition and Educational
  Planning
• Self-evaluation tool for planning, with parallel
  forms completed by a teacher and
  parent/guardian/advocate
• 76 items over four major areas Personal Life,
  Jobs, Education and Training, and Independent
  Living

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Part 3

• Overview of Transition Assessment Approaches
  Informal Activities and Instrument Types

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Types of Non-standardized or Informal Assessments

• Interviews and surveys
• Behavioral observation
• Situational assessments
• Rating scales
• Curriculum-based assessments
• Person-centered planning procedures
• Environmental or ecological assessments
• Medical appraisals

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Interviews

• A structured interview is more than just two
  people talking. It is structured question-asking
  for a predetermined purpose. It does allow for
  probing unanticipated responses or for
  clarification.
• An unstructured interview may be planned,
  partially planned, or completely spontaneous.
  Although it is usually conversational, it is
  still an opportunity for purposeful
  question-asking.

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Strategies for an Interviewer

• Come prepared with a set of questions on a form
  or some notes for targeting questions for a
  structured interview.
• Be flexible. Follow up on specific questions,
  getting clarification as needed return to list
  of questions.
• Conduct interview in person, if possible.

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Strategies for an Interviewer

• Make the purpose of any structured interview
  clear.
• Provide the person a copy of the questions before
  the interview, if possible, especially if some
  require recall of specific facts or events.

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Strategies for an Interviewer

• Write down enough information during the
  interview so you can remember the persons
  responses. Complete notes later. Use tape
  recorder only with permission.
• Avoid leading the person to answer a certain way
  or inserting personal biases.
• Allow sufficient response time to permit person
  to respond fully.

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A survey or questionnaire is structured
question-asking in a written format. It assumes
sufficient reading and writing ability to respond
to survey questions.
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Survey Development Strategies

• Have a clear purpose in mind for the survey.
• Develop a pool of questions.
• Revise questions to make sure they are clear,
  direct, and simple to read.
• Provide limited writing response formats when
  possible (i.e., Yes/No, Sometimes).

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Survey Development Strategies

• Have two or more colleagues read the draft and
  critique it for clarity and intent.
• Revise the draft as needed and try it out with
  8-10 persons from the intended survey population
  .
• Revise as necessary and prepare the final version.

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Behavior Observations

• You can observe an awful lot just by watching.
• Yogi Berra
• Bartlett, 1994, P. 754

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Behavior observations as an informal approach may
be highly subjective, but can be useful when
behaviors are documented and verified as reliable.
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Strategies for Developing Systematic Behavioral
Observation Protocols

• Behaviors must be observed and recorded by one or
  more observers.
• Behaviors observed must be measurable (frequency,
  duration, or intensity).
• Behaviors must be precisely defined as discrete
  behaviors.

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Strategies for Developing Behavioral Observation
Protocols, contd.

• Select a measurement system (e.g., event
  recording, duration recording, or interval
  recording).
• Decide when and where the observation(s) will
  take place, how many observations will be done,
  and who will act as observer(s).

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Strategies for Developing Behavioral Observation
Protocols, contd.

• Select a data-recording system (e.g., narrative,
  tally sheet forms, timing sheet forms,
  audio/video recording, wrist counters,
  stopwatches, etc.).
• Select a data-reporting system (charts or graphs).

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Situational assessment is the arrangement of
conditions or the use of existing conditions to
assess desired behaviors.
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Strategies for Conducting Situational Assessments

• Consider using situational assessment to collect
  data on a variety of behaviors (learning,
  working, social, or leisure environment).
• Develop the situational environment to strive for
  authentic assessment.
• Make it more motivating for students than tests,
  surveys, interviews, etc.

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Strategies for Conducting Situational
Assessments, contd.

• 3. Make it ongoing for a period of time to
  increase reliability of assessment data.
• Plan situations carefully and monitor the
  situational environments frequently.

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Strategies for Conducting Situational
Assessments, contd.

• 5. Try to minimize time involvement for student
  and staff.
• 6. Remember that the presence of an observer or
  evaluator in the situational assessment can
  change the environment.

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Rating scales try to quantify performance,
behaviors, characteristics, beliefs, attitudes,
or opinions that indicate some level or degree of
assessment in relation to a formal rubric or
predetermined standard.
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Strategies for Developing Rating Scales

• Develop items that contain objective, behavioral
  statements that do not reflect value judgments,
  outdated priorities, or gender or cultural bias.
• 2. Keep items unidimensional (avoid multiple
  behaviors, characteristics, etc.)
• 3. Ensure clear and logical distinctions in the
  rank ordering of the levels within the scaling
  for the items.
• 4. Maintain the same scaling format for all
  items, if possible.

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Strategies for Developing Rating Scales, contd.

• 5. Use a scale with at least four points on it.
• 6. Evaluate a newly developed scale by having two
  or more colleagues review it for clarity and
  agreement of item content and scaling.
• Pilot the scale on at least 10 students.

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Curriculum-based assessment attempts to measure
educational attainment based on student progress
in the local school curriculum or a single
teachers instructional program. It is
criterion-referenced rather than norm-referenced.
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Curriculum-Based Assessment

• Advantages
• CBA permits direct assessment of instruction from
  a specific curriculum
• Assessment activities may be individualized or
  used with groups.
• Results have immediate relevance for instruction
  and determining modifications of instruction
  and/or accommodations.

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Curriculum-Based Assessment

• Disadvantages
• It is difficult to develop valid and reliable
  curriculum assessments.
• CBA within the general education curriculum may
  or may not be appropriate and useful.
• Creating partnerships for CBA with general
  educators may be difficult.

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Person-centered planning is a group process
beginning with structured question-asking that
provides immediate planning implications. It is
flexible in question-asking and clarifying
responses.
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Strategies for Conducting Person-Centered Planning

• Make and keep the focus of the group on the one
  person for whom planning is needed.
• Have a structure but make the process flexible
  and dynamic.
• Make sure the facilitator is not only comfortable
  with the PCP process, but skilled.

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Strategies for Conducting Person-Centered
Planning, contd.

• 4. Be alert to different assessment perceptions
  of group members and use reliability checks on
  summative information.
• Use a colleague to record information that
  emerges from the group so the facilitator can
  concentrate on keeping the group focused.
• Involve the student and family as much as
  possible in both the assessment and the planning
  components.

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Environmental assessments focus on the setting(s)
in which a student is expected to perform and
identify the specific expectations/demands of the
setting for that student.
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Environmental Assessments

• Advantages
• Permit an assessment of a variety of
  environmental expectations and conditions for an
  individual
• Permit a matching of environmental demands with
  individual preferences, strengths, and needs.

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Environmental Assessments

• Disadvantages
• Time-consuming process
• Require skilled environmental assessment
  personnel
• Require both structured and individual features
  in the assessment protocol

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Medical/Health Appraisals

• Advantages
• Provide health information that could keep
  student from harm as well as help in maintaining
  health and/or preventing problems
• Permit better communication with parents and
  health professionals in IEP planning for health
  monitoring and accommodations
• Inform planning and decision-making process for
  employment, postsecondary education and training,
  and independent living

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Medical/Health Appraisals

• Disadvantages
• May lead to unanticipated medical evaluations for
  families
• May require specialized health professionals to
  administer or interpret some assessments or data
• Health conditions may change, requiring periodic
  appraisals

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Captured text message from audience

• If I die, let me die during Gary Clarks
  workshop because the transition from life to
  death would be so subtle.

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Part 4

• Using Resources in Informal Assessments for
  Transition Planning

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Iowa Transition Assessment Model

• http//www.transitionassessment.northcentralrrc.or
  g/

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Assess for Success A Practitioners Handbook on
Transition Assessment (2nd ed.)

• Sitlington, Neubert, Begun, Lombard, Leconte,
  2007
• Corwin Press

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Bottom Line Reminders for Informal Assessment

• Informal assessments can differ in
  appropriateness. Choose carefully.
• Informal assessments that go into more depth to
  get specific information are more likely to
  provide more reliable results than more general
  informal assessments.
• Get confirmation of data whenever there is any
  question about accuracy or defensibility.

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Conclusion/Wrap Up(Finally!)
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Virginia Assessment Challenges?

• Administrators still may not be fully supportive
  of the concept of transition services, including
  assessment.
• Teachers lack knowledge and understanding of
  assessment for transition planning and tying
  assessment to goals and monitoring criteria.
• Schools still not sure whose responsibility
  transition assessment is.
• Many teachers are not convinced the assessment
  efforts will lead to appropriate services.

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Guiding Principles

• start early
• comprehensive
• balance ideal v. real
• student participation
• family involvement
• diversity considerations
• supports/services

• community-based
• interagency cooperation
• timing
• capacity-building
• ranking of needs
• valuable for every student

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Key Points in Assessment

• Process must look at the whole student, across
  academic and functional achievement, using
  age-appropriate instruments. Indicator 13 in
  state monitoring looks at these basic compliance
  issues.
• Use or develop a system that works for you but is
  in compliance (legally) and defensible
  (educationally and legally).

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Key Points in Assessment, contd.

• Interpret what you obtain from formal and
  informal assessments in light of what the
  student, parent(s), and the school have agreed
  upon for postsecondary outcome goals.
• Resources are available--use them.
• Effective planning comes out of good assessment.

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Overriding Theme

• The more we know about the receiving settings and
  the students competence to deal with these
  settings,
• the more likely we can increase the students
  chances for success.

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Doing quality transition age-appropriate
assessment and planning takes new learning for
everyone.