For the past two years Erie 1 BOCES School Support Services was the proud home of the Model Transition Project, a grant funded through New York State’s Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID).  Transition has become a very hot topic in school districts because many of them are up for review in their State Performance Plan Indicators.  The grant, which was intended to be a three year venture, was cut short by one year due to budget cuts across the state and officially ended on November 30, 2009. 

As the grant neared its end, the Transition Specialists covering the grant realized that even though the funding was disintegrating the need for Transition Services was not.  With many school districts still not compliant, a Cooperative Service seemed like the next logical step.

Transition Services touch upon four of New York’s Quality Indicators: percentage of youth graduating with an IEP diploma (Indicator 1); percentage of youth with IEPs dropping out of high school (Indicator 2); percentage of youth age 15 and above with an IEP that includes coordinated, measurable, annual IEP goals and transition services that will reasonably enable the student to meet their post secondary goals (Indicator 13); and percentage of youth who had IEPs, are no longer in secondary school and who have been competitively employed, enrolled in some type of post secondary school, or both, within one year of leaving high school (Indicator 14). 

The new Co-Ser assists classroom teachers and other district staff in analyzing and identifying student transition needs and helping them to design activities to be implemented in the student educational program.  Often times this includes career and learning style assessments.  Transition Assessments can be formal and informal and the outcomes can help to determine a student’s transition needs.  The Transition Specialists also focus on linking students to VESID and other appropriate community agencies where necessary.  The Co-Ser allows us to meet each district’s unique and specific needs.

Professional Development is also a big component of the Co-Ser.  Training for classroom teachers and related school staff on a variety of transition related topics is available and includes topics such as Job Coach training, Self-Determination Training, and College for Students with Disabilities.  We are not limited to these topics and could personalize any transition training to individual needs.

The Transition Specialists are currently working with Cheektowaga Central, Cheektowaga Sloan, Cleveland-Hill, and Depew school districts.  For further information or inquiries please contact Tiffany at 821-7526 or Tonia at 821-7508.