Planning for Post Secondary Success Is Embedded in IDEA :
The purpose of IDEA is to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education (FAPE) that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living. (34CFR §300.1(a))
IDEA defines transition services as 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 child's movement from school to postsecondary activities, including postsecondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation.
These transition services are based on the individual child's needs, taking into account the child's strengths, preferences, and interests and include-
1. Instruction;
2. Related services;
3. Community experiences;
4. The development of employment and other postsecondary adult living objectives; and if appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and provision of a functional vocational evaluation.
Signed by Governor Kasich on June 25, 2012, SB 316 requires IEPs beginning at age 14 to include measurable post-secondary goals based on age-appropriate transition assessments related to: training, education, independent living skills and employment in a competitive environment in which workers are integrated regardless of disability.
Planning for Post Secondary Success Is Embedded in
Ohio's current Operating Standards state the IEP must include:
- A Future Planning Statement
- A Statement of Transition Service Needs
- Age-Appropriate Transition Assessment
- Measurable Post-Secondary Goals
- Course of Study
- Transition Services/Activities
- Measurable Annual Goals
The State Performance Plan (SPP) is a federal requirement to evaluate Ohio’s efforts to implement the requirements of IDEA. There are 20 Indicators Ohio must report on to the federal government. Four of those indicators are directly related to transition:
- Indicator 1:Increased Graduation Rates for Children with Disabilities
- Indicator 2: Reduction of Dropouts
- Indicator 13: Increased Quality and Effectiveness of the Transition Components
- Indicator 14: Increased Post-Secondary Success for Children with Disabilities
Ohio utilizes the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center’s Indicator 13 checklist to determine if the transition plan meets all components of the federal law. You can find more information and a copy of the checklist at Indicator 13 Checklist