1 Division of Public Schools (PreK -12) Florida Department of Education Florida Education: The Next Generation DRAFT March 13, 2008 Version 1.0 Building.

1Division of Public Schools (PreK -12) Florida Department of Education

Florida Education: The Next GenerationDRAFT

March 13, 2008Version 1.0

Building Capacity and Restructuring Building Capacity and Restructuring Transition Services in FloridaTransition Services in Florida

Sheila Gritz, Program Specialist Sheila Gritz, Program Specialist Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student ServicesBureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services

Florida Department of EducationFlorida Department of EducationDr. Eric J. Smith, CommissionerDr. Eric J. Smith, Commissioner

Jordan Knab, DirectorJordan Knab, DirectorProject 10: Transition Education NetworkProject 10: Transition Education NetworkUniversity of South Florida St. PetersburgUniversity of South Florida St. Petersburg


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


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


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 EBDSchool-Based

Enterprise/Behavioral Plans

Mental Health

Project 10: Transition Education Network


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


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


State Secondary Transition Interagency Committee

• Conducted Resource Mapping• Structured committee

– Meet twice a year – Includes subcommittees

• Data• Dropout • Employment• Family involvement• Postsecondary education


Using Transition Indicators to Improve What We Do

Post-School Outcomes~Indicator 14~

Postsecondary education and/or training

Employment Independent living

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

Not so good?

Good?

Why? Why Not?Why? Why Not?

Paula Kohler, Welcome to Getting the GIST, February 2008


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


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


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


BEESS

Project 10 SSTIC

State Secondary Transition Infrastructure

State Secondary Transition Interagency

Committee

State support for capacity building


District support for capacity building

Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services

SEA responsibility and oversight


Jordan Knab, Ed.S., Project DirectorUniversity of South Florida St. Petersburg

529 1st Street South, SVB 108St. Petersburg, FL 33701

p (727) 873-4661f (727) 873-4660

www.project10.info



Regional Transition Representatives:

Yellow: Lori Garcia (1) Orange: Patrick Mulvihill (2) Green: Heather Mack (3) Blue: Federico Valadez (4)Pink: Lisa Friedman-Chavez (5)


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


Initiatives

• Capacity Building

• Interagency Collaboration

• Transition Legislation & Policy

• Student Development & Outcomes


Capacity Building

• Regional Transition Representatives• Collaboration with other Projects &

Agencies• Training & Technical Assistance• Product Development• District Mentoring Network • Research-Supported Activities


Interagency Collaboration

• Provide Support to State Transition Steering Committee

• Collaborate in Related State Activities

• Support District Level Interagency Councils


Transition Legislation & Policy

• Ongoing Electronic Communications

– Transition Listserv

– “Transition Wheel”

– Timely Information when Educators Need It and CAN Access It: A-Z Transition Library


Student Development & Outcomes

• Product Review, Revision & Update

• Support Pilot Activities using Best Practices

• Regional Institutes Focused on Transition Indicators


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


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


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


Putting It All Together


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


Model for Extending Transition Research

Effective Transition Practices

Increase Capacity to Implement Effective Transition Practices

Facilitate Implementation of Effective Transition

Practices

Data-Based Decision Making

Professional Development

Policy Analysis and

Change

Technical Assistance

Paula Kohler, Welcome to Getting the GIST, February 2008



More Thoughts on Secondary Transition

• I have made this [letter] longer, because I have not had time to make it shorter.

Blaise Pascal


Contact Information

• Sheila Gritz, Program Specialist for TransitionFlorida Department of EducationBureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services [email protected](850) 245-0478

• Jordan Knab, DirectorProject 10: Transition Education NetworkUniversity of South Florida St. [email protected](727) 873-4661


Florida Education: The Next GenerationDRAFT

March 13, 2008Version 1.0

Questions?Questions?

1 Division of Public Schools (PreK -12) Florida Department of Education Florida Education: The Next Generation DRAFT March 13, 2008 Version 1.0 Building.

Documents

transition information

transition taxonomy

transition research

transition project osep

state board of education

implementation slide

florida sheila gritz

petersburg slide