Next Stop Life: North East Transition Services (NETS)
North East Independent School District, San Antonio, Texas
3736 Perrin-Central, Bldg. 1San Antonio, TX 78217
210.637.4950
Director/Principal: Nancy Neugebauer, [email protected]
North East Transition Services
Age-Appropriate Learning Environments for Adults
18 Through 21
Leaving High School• All students have questions
– What will I do?– What kind of job would be a good one for me?– Is college in my future?– Where will I live?– How will I get to work or school?
NETS: North East Transition Services
It is a Service and Not a School
North East Transition Services (NETS): Mission• Work with students and parents to
develop and support– Employment– Postsecondary Education– Independent Living– Transportation – Socialization– Accessing Community Services
Adult Life Connections• Vocational
– Volunteer Work– Work-based
Learning– Paid Employment
• Community– Adult Services– Community
Facilities and Resources
– Transportation
• Postsecondary Education– Continuing
Ed/Certificates– Training
• Independent Living Skills
What NETS can do:
• Train on using public transportation• Assist in scheduling student activities• Assist in accessing adult services• Monitor job sites and job coach• Collaborate with employers• Assist with career development• Teach skills for community inclusion• Facilitate access to colleges• Assist with job training opportunities
Developing Community-Based Services
Age-appropriate Learning Environments for Students 18
Through 21
NETS: The Idea
• Concerns– 20 year olds on
high school campus with 14 year olds
– Sudden change from bell schedule to non-structured adult life
– Transition services looked too traditional
• Solutions– Find age
appropriate environments
– Design the school day to look like a day in the life of an adult
– Design a non-traditional instructional day which meant non-traditional services
NETS
• Location of instruction– Age-appropriate instructional environments– Work environments– Learning environments– Public transportation– Community sites: restaurants, stores, etc.
NETS• The NETS Building (school)
– Houses staff and records
– Students go only for:• Assessment• Planning meeting with staff• Central meeting location to meet with case managers
LOOKS MORE LIKE AN EMPLOYMENT OFFICE THAN A SCHOOL LOCATION!
NETS• Staffing and Scheduling
– Teachers and job coaches– The role of employers/co-workers– What about nights and weekends?
• Flex time• Rotating weekends
– The schedule board
TrainingMust be:
• On-going• Broad and specific• Related to facilitating postsecondary goals• Involve community services and
networking• Collaborative
Making it WorkTools and Strategies for
Non-Traditional Learning Environments for Students 18 Through 21
Transition Assessment• Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
– Data from the high school years• ESTR (Enderle-Sevenson Transition Rating)• Student/parent surveys• Interest inventories• Data collection in the community
– Employment– Transportation
Assessment Plan MonitoringImplementation
Transition PlanDreamsInterestsPreferencesSupports
Modifications, Accommodations, Services
Progress ReportsDailyWeekly3 Weeks9 Weeks
Objectives
Objectives
Objectives
LessonPlans
ESTER-III
FIECurriculum TestingInterviewsObservations
Graduation
Summaryof
Performance
Post GraduateInterview
Teaching
All goals and objectives are either mastered or linked to a community support system.
Goals
Education
Employment
Independent LivingHome LivingCommunity AccessRec/Leisure
20-30 hours of transition-related activities
ARD/IEP Meeting
YESNo
Success
Results
Graduation
North East Transition School Services
A COORDINATED SET OF ACTIVITIES DESIGNED WITHIN A RESULTS -ORIENTED PROCESS THAT IS FOCUSED ON IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC AND FUNCTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT OF OUR STUDENTS TO FACILITATE THEIR MOVEMENT FROM SCHOOL TO ADULT LIFE
0
5 0
10 0
15 0
2 0 0
2 5 0
3 0 0
J anuary 2007
Graduation
Possible
J anuary 2007 48 61 36 32 12 189
Graduation 52 65 37 34 14 204
Possible 62 90 46 46 28 272
1 2 3 4 5 6
Outcomes for Graduating Class of 2007
Employment Home Living Rec/Leisure Community Post-Sec Ed Total
The Transportation Connection
• Enrolling in public transportation• Who pays for the bus?• Transportation training• The parent/family role• Increasing independence• Ensuring safety
Employment• Work-based learning in high school• Vocational assessment• Making a good job match• Job training• Supported employment• The role of the parent/family
Volunteer Work
• The role of volunteer work in adult life and transition services– Opportunity to help the community– Caution: this does not replace employment
training or paid employment
Agency Partnerships• Alamo Area Council of Government
(AACOG)• Department of Assistive and
Rehabilitative Services (DARS)• Department of Labor/Texas Workforce• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)• Other – including private organizations
Family Issues• The obvious: SSI and employment• When the family wants day habilitation
services and not employment – Information and training for parents– Family to family networking– The final decision for life after public school
belongs to the family.
Person-Centered Planning• Why
– Teach parents a problem-solving process– Provide solutions to unanswered questions– Develop a system of support for the family
• When– There are concerns that need a non-traditional strategy– The family has few supports or needs input from someone
other than the school staff• How
– Personalized location: home, church, etc.– Planning membership– Only 1 or 2 school staff present** Personalizing the PCP Process
Ensuring Effectiveness• Transition Planning Matrix
– Is the student ready?– Have we addressed all of the areas of
transition?– Do we have paid and natural supports in
place?– Will the day after graduation bring life to a
halt...OR...have we provided effective transition services?
Transition Planning Matrix
Name Post-School Goal
Agency Connections Transportation Employment Postsecondary
Ed./Training Support Systems
Needed Activities
1. Student 1
Mom wants son to have a job
Live in group home
State Rehab MH/MR SSI TRICARE
Uses Metro Groups Home
Van
DARS: psychological testing shows student not eligible/qualified for competitive employment.
Parent
Job search Mom/student to
schedule metro Help group
home info search
2. Student 2
Wants job in computers
Lives at home Student wants
supervised apartment
Works at car wash Family
Friends
Search for job in computers
Apply to agencies
3. Student 3
Job-Chef Live
independently in an apartment
DARS SSI College
Uses Metro Olive Garden (5 days/week)
Interested in Culinary Arts...touring college 3/29/07
Family Apartment
manager Friends/peers Work
supervisor
Apply to college and ODS office
Investigate apartment options
4. Student 4
Currently attend Day Habilitation
To live in group home
Home & Community Support funding
DB waiver
Family and Day Habilitation will transport
Disabilities indicate that student is not qualified for competitive employment
Enrolled in ARC Independent Living Training
Family Day Hab
Respite provider
Person-Centered Planning
Transition Planning MatrixStetson and Associates, Inc.; Houston, Texas
Monitoring Progress• Transition Planning
Matrix– Used to identify
services completed and service gaps
– Can evaluate gaps for each student
– Can identify systems problems
• Transition Monitoring Chart– Identify the status
within each transition service
– Develop steps needed to improve the transition service to ensure meaningful connections to postsecondary goals
TRANSITION SERVICES PROGRESS CHART Student Name: Student USA
TRANSITION SERVICES CURRENT STATUS CONVERSION ACTIVITIES
TO POST-SCHOOL NEXT STEP ISSUES
Postsecondary Goal: Employment
Student USA will work at a veterinary clinic walking and feeding the animals following graduation from high school.
1. Participated in CBVI at high school; no animal sites
2. Had sacking job at KrogerÕs Grocery last year
3. Is efficient and hard worker
1. Left job at grocery after grandparent died 2. Has difficulty with medication management 3. Motivating student is a challenge 4. Had attendance and punctuality problems at
grocery store prior to grandfatherÕs death 5. Question: What animal related job is in the
community in which student lives? 6. TO DO:
Obtain Churchill task analysis Develop animal related job in community
in which Michelle resides (possibly at 281 Pet Smart or vet clinic)
Work with DARS to provide training and support as a team with NETS
Consider enhancement activity by volunteering at the Humane Society
Postsecondary Goal: Postsecondary Education
Student USA will attend West Community College and take continuing education courses in pet care and pet training.
1. Currently does not participate in postsecondary education
1. Question: What postsecondary training is related to MichelleÕs career goals?
2. TO DO: Check local community college for vet
assistant classes and certifications Consider tours of vet clinics, pet stores,
and interview pet sitters. Enroll in certificate program or a
continuing education course on pet care.
Transition Services Monitoring ChartStetson and Associates, Inc.; Houston, Texas
Lessons Learned
The Things We Would Keep:• Flexible staffing, hours• Consultative services from transition
specialists• Off school campus• Age appropriate environment• Community based environment
Flexibility is Key! • Every year is different. • Every student is different.• Federal and state laws change.• Funding and resources change.• Technology and research improves
services.
– Stay informed and be flexible.
Contact InformationNorth East Transition Services
3736 Perrin-Central, Bldg. 1San Antonio, TX 78217
210.637.4950
Director/Principal: Nancy Neugebauer, [email protected]