Background
The Supported Transition model represents data collected data from 21 students, and in 12 focus groups of family members, teachers and support staff in four school districts or transition cooperatives in Minnesota. The districts and transition cooperatives were urban, suburban, or rural. Focus groups and interviews were transcribed verbatim. Then, data were coded by identifying themes in experiences. Themes were organized to make recommendations for delivering transition services, which have been organized in the circular graphic.
Transition is Centered Around Students’ Dreams and Goals for Transition Beyond High School
Findings from this study suggest that students’ dreams and goals are not consistently centered in current transition practices. In response, the Supported Transition model positions students’ dreams and goals as a central organizing principle for effective transition planning. At the center of the Supported Transition model are students’ dreams and goals in the areas of living arrangements, community involvement, employment, and/or post-secondary education and training. In effective transition programs, students’ dreams and goals in these areas are the basis for types of experiences and learning opportunities for students in transition. The Supported Transition model envisions a program that can be adaptive and individualized to student support needs when barriers to effective transition (first ring of the circle) are overcome and the characteristics of effective transition programs are in place (second ring of the circle). The different types of supports cab also help students develop dreams and goals for their future, which leads to particular plans and experiences in each of the three stakeholder areas (students, families, teachers & support staff). Schools used different methods to identify and plan with students (and families) to make and attain transition related goals, such as self-directed transition and student-centered transition.
Characteristics of Effective Transition Programs
Positioned around students’ dreams and goals, the model identifies key themes that are characteristic of effective transition programs among each stakeholder group (students, families, teachers & support staff). Well-trained teachers and support staff, and well informed and involved families were important to well supported students who experience supportive environments and learning that applies to their life and goals for the future.
Well-Supported Students
- Practical and real life learning. Students articulated that lessons and learning experiences were directly related to skills they needed and wanted for adult life. Students learned to budget, shop for groceries, make meals, learn job skills, discuss news, and more.
- Smaller, supportive, comfortable environment for learning. Students valued relationships with teachers and peers. Smaller, supportive, comfortable learning environments gave them greater access to teachers and support staff.
- Increase social confidence and communication. Students developed relationships with teachers and peers. They had opportunities to develop skills and practice communication in small peer groups, and receive feedback.
- Flexible pace with low pressure. Individualized learning allowed students a flexible pace with lower pressure, compared to high school and other grades in school (no bells, no strict schedules, students felt less overwhelmed with the pace).
- More enjoyment and motivation. Some students enjoy coming to school for the first time, shifting their attitude toward education. “I never thought I would enjoy school. Now I really enjoy coming.”
- More individualized learning, which might mean less academic focus and focusing on other skills for adult living. Students worked on different goals related to adult living. Some students worked on academic skills, like reading and math, sometimes in different ways. Others focused on different skills and spent less time on academics skills.
Well-Trained and Supported Teachers & Support Staff
- Job shadowing experienced colleagues for new teachers and support staff. Given that teachers and support staff generally have only a little experience with supporting transition-aged students prior to working in a transition programs, teachers and support staff emphasized the importance of job shadowing and learning from other more experienced colleagues to gain familiarity with the job.
- Team-based support and role clarity. Teachers and support staff worked in teams to learn from one another, and to support more complicated cases. They also appreciated job role clarity to effectively support students and to help teams function effectively.
- Robust curricula and collaborative services. Teachers and support staff appreciated lesson plans and curricula to address different student needs, and sharing these resources with others.
- Collaboration across service systems aligned to support students’ transition goals. Different service systems are involved and needed to support students’ transition goals, including case management, community-based services, vocational rehabilitation, post-secondary, and others. Understanding the roles and supports, and aligning professionals around students’ goals are needed in transition services.
- Uphold high expectations for students. Teachers and support staff need to hold high expectations for student potential and celebrate their successes. Avoid “busywork,” ensuring that even small tasks contributed to student growth and learning. Empower students with responsibility (e.g., leadership roles to build confidence and independence), step back so students practice with support, but learn self-reliance over time.
- Setting adult norms to empower students. Many transition age students are over age 18, which brings additional responsibilities for some students, while working with guardians and supported decision making is needed with other students. Families are sometimes involved and need an integral role, but the role may differ than when the student was in high school and younger.
Well-informed and involved families
- Consistent and trustworthy relationships with practitioners. Families appreciated long term relationships with practitioners, building trust and working as a team to support their child to next steps in adult life.
- Early involvement and sustained communication with practitioners. Effective transition experiences were likely when family members were well-informed and involved early in the transition process and had consistent, trustworthy relationships with professionals, especially around key transition-related decisions such as guardianship, housing, and financial planning. Family members wished for early involvement in the transition process, as they experienced in early intervention services.
- Integrate emotional and social support services. Recognize the emotional toll on families and incorporate emotional support into transition planning services, ensuring parents are not only informed but also feel supported emotionally as they navigate the complex systems affecting their child’s future. For example, create peer learning opportunities for families: parent support groups (in-person, virtual) where parents can exchange information, offer advice, and reduce feelings of isolation.
- Transition toolkits available to support their involvement and planning. Family members wished they had a toolkit based on experiences of family members who supported adults children in transition that would support their own involvement. Some students in transition had a higher level of independence after age 18, but many students relied on family support and involvement in transition.
All of the various supports in this level are likely to lead to positive experiences at the transition program, encouraging students to develop dreams and goals for their future
Barriers Faced by Students, Families, Teachers & Support Staff of Effective Transition
Successful experiences in transition are often hampered when there are barriers to effective transition experienced by each stakeholder group. The outer ring of the model names barriers experienced by each stakeholder group to effective transition, and these get in the way of students working toward their dreams and goals.
Students
- Limited work-based learning opportunities that are aligned with students skills and interests, or that help students build competence in work experiences in areas of interest.
- Limited transportation. Limitations in transportation was evident in rural, suburban, and urban areas. There were more options for types of transportation in suburban and urban areas, including public transportation, but not always in places that would help students to get where they need to go at the appropriate time.
- Limited opportunities to apply academic skills or use them on the job. Sometimes only certain types of work based learning opportunities were available, which limited opportunities to apply academic skills.
Families
- Not involved early enough in the transition process. Families sometimes scrambled to put supports in place for students after transition if they were not involved early enough with the appropriate information. Teachers also articulate difficulties in getting responsive communication with some families about setting up needed support and plans. Families perceived that strong support networks experienced in early intervention lacked structure and empathy in transition which left families feeling more alone and unsure about next steps.
- Concerns about student’s safety. Families were sometimes concerned for their children’s safety at sites outside of the school site or using public transportation.
- Limited knowledge about options. Many families were only supporting one child in transition and did not understand options or decisions that needed to be made. Without support or adequate communication, they sometimes were surprised if deadlines or opportunities passed without their awareness.
- Uncertainty about how to meet goals. Families were sometimes uncertain about how to meet goals their children had if they needed additional support, and needed guidance about options.
The barriers experienced by families are lessened by high-quality Transition programs that provide them, and the students’ particular types of helpful support.
Teachers and Support Staff
Teachers and support staff face unique barriers related to training, resources, and coordination.
- Limited training in transition services and curricula. Teachers and support staff had limited or no training in transition before their current roles to understand transition. Training was needed in strategies and interagency collaboration. Training and defined job roles were helpful when teachers and support staff worked together to support students. Curricula to address students’ goals were limited, and often drawn from curricula used with younger students with teachers/support staff working to make it age appropriate.
- Inadequate resources (curricula, transportation to employment or community, support staff). Supporting students toward their transition goals were limited by needed curricula, transportation, and often the number of competent support staff. Support staff sometimes had to support students and in settings where they were not familiar due to staff shortages. Gaps in independent living readiness were also noted: less structured instruction on daily living skills, such as budgeting, personal care, or navigating housing options.
- Challenges in coordinating with families including responsiveness & timeliness. Planning and consent were sometimes needed from families to support students in working toward their goals, but some families were not responsive in a timely manner.
- Misaligned team in home/ school/ community. Interagency and family collaboration was needed to support students in transition. Sometimes team members were absent or had different ideas for what students need, which resulted in barriers including gaps in skill transfer between school and home, different caregiver expectations, lack of shared strategies and info exchange.
- Limited support and coordination for behavioral challenges. Sometimes students exhibited behavior challenges that stood in the way of meeting their goals. Teachers and support staff needed to be aligned and responsive, but sometimes there was limited support or coordination that would be needed.
- Low expectations. Teachers and/or support staff sometimes exhibited low expectations for student successes toward their goals that stood in the way of progress (e.g., low or fixed expectations for students’ capabilities, inconsistencies in behavior intervention and communication, missed opportunities to reinforce purposeful actions).
These barriers highlight the gap between current transition practices and the conditions needed to effectively support students’ goals and dreams.