Technical Assistance
Secondary Transition

Secondary transition services are intended to help youth with disabilities make the transition from the world of high school to the world of adulthood. Individualized Education Program (IEP) Teams work together to plan and implement academic and non-academic courses and programs of study that help all youth achieve successful post-school outcomes such as postsecondary education and training, employment, and community engagement.

Technical assistance resources include research, articles, tools, templates, technical assistance centers, websites and an overview (PPT) of the four State Performance Plan indicators related to Secondary Transition. (Note: Use of the resources included on this site does not guarantee that the district’s performance or determination status under section 616(d), will improve for the next reporting period.)

Graduation (Indicator 1)

• OSPI’s Secondary Transition Self-study and Systems Analysis– tools and templates – Includes a self-assessment tools to provide a framework for evaluating (a) knowledge, (b) skills, and (c) dispositions related to providing quality transition services for students with disabilities in school programs. These activities will promote planning and continuous improvement to increase post-school outcomes for students.
• OSPI’s Graduation Toolkit – This toolkit is a resource to help educators and families understand Washington State graduation requirements and is periodically updated with new materials and information.
• Increasing School Completion: Learning from Research-Based Practices that Work (PDF) - This brief, from the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition, highlights findings from a 2004 review of 45 prevention and intervention studies addressing dropout or school completion described in professional journals.
• Quality Indicators for Secondary Transition (Q.U.I.S.T., spring 2009, Excel) – Research-based indicators developed by the Center for Change in Transition Services, in conjunction with OSPI, that is designed to assist school districts in assessing transition services for students with disabilities in school programs.
• The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition – NCSET coordinates national resources, offers technical assistance, and disseminates information related to secondary education and transition for youth with disabilities in order to create opportunities for youth to achieve successful futures.

Dropout (Indicator 2)

• OSPI’s Secondary Transition Self-study and Systems Analysis– tools and templates – Includes a self-assessment tools to provide a framework for evaluating (a) knowledge, (b) skills, and (c) dispositions related to providing quality transition services for students with disabilities in school programs. These activities will promote planning and continuous improvement to increase post-school outcomes for students.
• Effective Strategies for Dropout Prevention – The National Dropout Prevention Center has identified 15 effective strategies that have the most positive impact on the dropout rate. These strategies have been implemented successfully at all education levels and environments throughout the nation.
• The National Dropout Prevention Center and the National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities websites – These Centers were specifically established to assist stakeholders in increasing school completion rates for students with disabilities through knowledge synthesis, technical assistance, and dissemination of interventions and practices that work.
• Dropout Prevention Planning Guidebook – A Guide for School District Planning and Self-Assessment (pdf) – The purpose of this guidebook, developed by Reinvesting in Youth (Puget Sound Educational Service District), is to assist users in creating a long-term school district dropout prevention plan. The development of a plan will then lead to the selection of dropout prevention strategies that address the areas of your district’s particular need.
• DO-IT website (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) – DO-IT serves to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in challenging academic programs and careers. It promotes the use of computer and networking technologies to increase independence, productivity, and participation in education and employment.
• Quality Indicators for Secondary Transition (Q.U.I.S.T., spring 2009) – Research-based indicators developed by the Center for Change in Transition Services, in conjunction with OSPI, that is designed to assist school districts in assessing transition services for students with disabilities in school programs.

Transition IEPs (Indicator 13)

• OSPI’s Secondary Transition Self-study and Systems Analysis– tools and templates – Includes a self-assessment tools to provide a framework for evaluating (a) knowledge, (b) skills, and (c) dispositions related to providing quality transition services for students with disabilities in school programs. These activities will promote planning and continuous improvement to increase post-school outcomes for students.
• Indicator 13 Checklist (2010, Excel) – This checklist, developed by OSPI and aligned with the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) checklist, is a tool for reviewing IEPs for compliance with Indicator 13 requirements.
• Indicator 13 Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) – Frequently asked questions related to indicator 13, developed by the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center and approved by OSEP – the federal Office of Special Education Programs on 11/16/06. Sections highlighted in yellow were updated March 2010.
• OSPI’s Evaluation and IEP Technical Assistance Module (revised August 2009) – This training module is designed to provide information, guidance, resources, and examples to help staff implement the compliance requirements of IDEA 2004. A primary focus of the module is on secondary transition IEP components.
• Center for Change in Transition Services website – The goal of CCTS, Washington State’s transition technical assistance center, is to improve post-school outcomes for students with disabilities in Washington State through training, technical assistance, and the collection and analysis of post-school survey data.
• National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center website – NSTTAC is the federal transition technical assistance center whose goals are to: (a) provide information related to Indicator 13 and how to use data to improve transition services; (b) generate knowledge to provide a foundation for improving transition services that enhance post-school outcomes; (c) build capacity of states and local districts to implement effective transition education and services that improve post-school outcomes; and (d) disseminate information to state personnel, practitioners, researchers, parents, and students regarding effective transition education and services that improve post-school outcomes.
• Career Planning Begins with Assessment: A Guide for Professionals Serving Youth with Educational and Career Development Challenges (2005) - This guide, developed by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disabilities, provides an extensive list of formal assessments in four domains (educational, psychological/diagnostic, vocational/career, and medical), including norming procedures, target group, reliability/validity, and costs for each.
• School Transition Services website – School Transition Services, through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), are a team effort that provides support and guidance to students with disabilities as they prepare to move from high school to the work place. Transition teams assist students in identifying career interests and learning what skills and training are needed to prepare for careers in those fields of interest.

Post-school Outcomes (Indicator 14)

• OSPI’s Secondary Transition Self-study and Systems Analysis– tools and templates – Includes a self-assessment tools to provide a framework for evaluating (a) knowledge, (b) skills, and (c) dispositions related to providing quality transition services for students with disabilities in school programs. These activities will promote planning and continuous improvement to increase post-school outcomes for students.
• Center for Change in Transition website – The goal of CCTS, Washington State’s transition technical assistance center, is to improve post-school outcomes for students with disabilities in Washington State through training, technical assistance, and the collection and analysis of post-school survey data.
• National Post-school Outcomes Center website – The NPSO has created a variety of resources to assist state education agencies and their partners in the process of collecting and using post-school outcome data to improve secondary, transition, and post-secondary outcomes for youth with disabilities.
• Quality Indicators for Secondary Transition (Q.U.I.S.T., spring 2009) – Research-based indicators developed by the Center for Change in Transition Services, in conjunction with OSPI, that is designed to assist school districts in assessing transition services for students with disabilities in school programs.
• Transition Toolkit for Systems Improvement – National Standards and Quality Indicators (2005, PDF) – This document, from the National Alliance for Secondary Education and Transition, outlines standards and indicators that can be used to help assure high-quality transition for youth who are moving from a secondary school setting to the adult world.