Assessment for Transition Planning

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Assessment for Transition Planning
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• Assidere Latin for assess
• Literal translation to sit with

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Einstein

• Not everything that counts can be counted not
  everything that can be counted counts

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Wiggins

• The aim of assessment is to improve performance
  not merely audit it

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Transition Services

• Coordinated set of activities
• Designed within a results-oriented process
• Promotes movement from school to post-school
  activities
• Based on students needs, preferences interests
• Activities instruction, community experience,
  employment adult living, daily living skills,
  functional vocational evaluation.

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Types of Assessments

• Formal
• Informal
• Alternative

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Types of Assessment

• Formal any standardized battery that yields
  targeted information
• Over and above traditional psychoeducational
  testing
• Inability to translate results into useful
  planning info

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Informal Assessments

• Not standardized assessments
• Typically are teacher-made, teacher administered
• Result in information about how a student does in
  a particular context
• Measures performance on curriculum
• Typically still paper and pencil

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Informal Assessment

• Community-based vocational assessment
• Interviews and questionnaires
• Observations
• Ecological inventories
• Situational assessments
• Interest inventories

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Student Profile

• At times it is beneficial to have more detailed
  information concerning a student (I.e., a student
  may have severe challenges requiring more
  supports).
• A Student Profile questionnaire
• Identifies additional info.
• students present level of performance
• his/her learning style
• community connections
• accommodations required in the community

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A student profile questionnaire

• Should be completed using a variety of
  techniques
• Talk with the student
• Observe the student in various environments
• Ask other people in the students life
• Talk with past teachers, supervisors, etc.
• Review past records (in conjunction with above
  only)

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Parent/Guardian Survey

• Use the Parent/Guardian Survey to assist family
  members in preparing for the annual case
  conference
• Recommend that parents discuss the questions with
  the student as they complete the form.
• Distribute the survey at the beginning of the
  school year.
• Support phone calls (as needed) can be made
  throughout the year.
• Ask parents to bring the completed survey to
  their son/daughters annual case conference.

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Situational Assessment

• First step task analysis (what does person need
  to do?)
• Collect information about how student performs on
  task analysis
• Collect information about how person without
  disability does job
• Collect information about other aspects of
  interacting with environment

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Why do we need alternatives to standardized
testing?

• Parent issues
• Few opportunities for involvement
• Information is deficit-focused
• Information is not relevant, hard to understand

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Why do we need alternatives to standardized
testing?

• Student issues
• They dont feel involved
• Testing is done to student, not with
• Motivational factors can influence validity of
  results
• Used to sort, rank, group according to what they
  cant do
• Doesnt give picture of whole person

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Legal issues

• IDEA calls for student involvement in transition
  planning (Based on preferences, interests,
  needs). Best practices call for student-directed
  transition planning.
• IDEA amendments require that we develop
  alternative assessments for those who cannot
  participate in regular assessment programs.

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What are alternative assessments?

• Alternatives to formal tests
• Broad view of student progress across time
• Dynamic
• Uses self-evaluation and continuous feedback
• Provide opportunities to learn and show what is
  learned in ways that make sense.

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What is performance assessment?

• Focus what student can do
• Holistic view
• Measures complex constructs
• Done continuously
• Done with and by student
• Developed by student and others

• Focus on deficits and remediation
• Separate views of measurements
• Measures isolated facts
• Snapshot end of unit, year
• Forced response to narrow questions

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Key points related to performance assessments

• Feedback
• Clear
• Continuous
• Provides exemplars
• Specific and descriptive
• Encourages self-assessment

• Authentic
• Real problems and tasks in context
• Learn simple to complex
• What do professionals do?
• What tasks are key?
• What contexts?

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Person-Centered Planning

• For some students, dreaming about the future is
  something they cant do alone

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Goal of Person-Centered Planning

• To create a plan for a positive, possible future
  for those individuals who, without such a plan,
  would fall through the cracks of the adult
  service world.
• Example Personal Futures Planning, PATH, MAPS,
  Circles of Support, Group Action Planning,
  Lifestyles Essential Planning

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Features of Person-Centered Planning

• Held at the convenience of the individual and
  her/his significant others
• Focus is on the positive

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• Individual decides who will be at the table
• Individual directs process and participates as a
  team member

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• Information and action plan displayed in a way
  that is easily understood by all (may include
  maps, pictures, graphics, colors)
• Process is FUN and welcoming

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MAPS One type of PCP process

• What is Michelles history?
• Who is Michelle?
• What are Michelles dreams?
• What are Michelles fears?

• What are Michelles needs?
• What are Michelles strengths?
• What would an ideal day be like for Michelle
  (after high school)?

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Transition Assessment should provide

• Clearer information about progress toward goals
• Clearer information for employers about student
  abilities
• Clearer information for student to use to make
  informed choices

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Transition Assessment Model

• Modified from Hughes Carters Informal
  Transition Assessment Model
• pp. 54-57
• Table 5.1 outlines the 8 steps that are part of
  the process

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Transition Assessment Model

• Step 1. Determine the purpose of the assessment
• What do you know about the student, what
  information is still missing/unknown
• Beside the student, assessment should include
  information about the setting(s), interactions,
  people, changing demands, etc.

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Transition Assessment Model

• Step 2. Identify relevant behaviors and
  environments
• These should be directly related to the purpose
  of the assessment
• Behaviors should be assessed within the
  environments in which they are expected to be
  performed.
• If behavior is performed in multiple
  environments, then the behavior should be
  assessed in multiple environments.

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Transition Assessment Model

• Step 3. Verify Steps 1 and 2
• Verify selections with students and important
  others.
• It is essential that decisions made about
  assessment, instruction, and planning represent
  the priorities and values of students and their
  families (p. 56)

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Transition Assessment Model

• Step 4. Choose appropriate assessment procedures
• The decision to use a particular assessment
  procedure should be based on the purpose of the
  assessment, the behaviors and environments of
  concern, and input from the student and important
  others.

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Transition Assessment Model

• Step 5. Modify procedures as needed
• You may need to modify an appropriate assessment
  procedure based upon the needs of the student and
  the characteristics of relevant environments.

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Transition Assessment Model

• Step 6. Conduct the Assessment
• After selecting the appropriate assessment method
  and modifying it if necessary, the next step is
  to use it to gather information.
• In conducting the assessment, it is important to
  continually check that we are focusing on the
  established purpose for the assessment and the
  chosen behaviors and environments of interest.
• In conducting assessments in community settings,
  it is important that the procedures are
  nonintrusive and nonstigmatizing to students.

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Transition Assessment Model

• Step 7 Use Assessment Findings to Identify
  transition goals and objectives
• Assessment is not an end to itself.
• The function of transition assessment is to
  gather information that will inform and guide
  instruction, planning, and the provision of
  supports.
• Must be able to communicate results in a way that
  everyone can understand.

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Transition Assessment Model

• Step 7. (continued)
• Consider the information gathered on both the
  student and the current and future environments
  in which he or she will participate
• Student abilities are compared to those necessary
  in the environment
• Discrepancy between student abilities and
  necessary abilities should be targeted as
  potential goals and objectives

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Transition Assessment Model

• Step 8. Develop Curricular Plans to Achieve
  Goals
• Identify relevant educational experiences within
  which a students goals and objectives can be
  addressed.
• Educational experiences should occur in inclusive
  environments, including general education
  classrooms and activities, service learning
  experiences, community-based instruction, job
  training.

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Vocational Assessment

• A systematic, ongoing process designed to help
  students and their parents understand a young
  persons vocational preferences and potential.

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The assessment should provide information about

• Career development background
• Interests
• Aptitudes
• Special needs
• Learning styles
• Self-concept

• Work habits and behaviors
• Personal and social skills
• Values and attitudes towards work
• Work tolerance