Number 3 OCO FACT SHEET May 2000

Transition Assessment Practices for Students Ages 18-21 with Significant Disabilities

This fact sheet is designed to provide information on transition assessment practices to teachers, families, and other professionals involved in designing or implementing programs in postsecondary settings for students ages 18-21 with significant disabilities. The published materials highlighted in this fact sheet are those recommended by special educators working in the college campus or community programs across the state of Maryland. On-Campus Outreach is not specifically endorsing the products mentioned herein, but reporting their usage and recommendations from the teachers we support.

Think About the Phases in the Assessment Process When You Design the Program.
When developing or revising your assessment procedures, it might be most helpful to think about the assessment process in three phases. These phases are:

The most important part of each of these phases is determining what information is needed on the student and how the assessment information will be used to identify vocational, independent living, and community participation goals. There are three user-friendly manuals that contain information specific to the transition assessment process. They are Assess for Success: Handbook on Transition Assessment (1996) by Sitlington, Neubert, Begun, Lombard, and Leconte; Assessment for Transition (1998) by Clark; and Informal Assessments for Transition Planning (2000) by Clark, Patton, and Moulten. All are listed in the reference section of this factsheet.

Phase I: Incoming Assessment Information.
First, you need to determine what type of information you would like to have on each student as he or she enters your program. Some examples of incoming assessment information that high school personnel could be asked to provide on each student include:

• a copy of the student’s IEP
• previous educational assessments
• results of adaptive behavior scales
• results of interest inventories
• results of person-centered planning sessions such as MAP
• summary of inclusive experiences in the school and community
• summary of work experiences, both paid and unpaid
• level of independence in using public transportation or community mobility skills
• information on student’s self-determination skills

This information should be used as a starting point for planning the student’s experiences and instruction in the postsecondary program. It can also be used to start a portfolio for the student in which you can document experiences and growth during his or her final years of public education. If you have difficulty getting this information on students, you should work with relevant personnel in your school system to make sure this information is collected in the future as part of entry requirements for a postsecondary experience.

Some teachers from postsecondary programs have worked with high school personnel so that they can conduct assessment activities before the student moves to a postsecondary setting. Examples of assessment instruments used include the Stretch Competency Tests (CASAS) and the Life Centered Career Education (LCCE). These are described in the next section and information for ordering assessment materials is contained within this fact sheet. Finally, some teachers in postsecondary programs have used person-centered planning approaches such as the McGill Action Planning System (MAPS) to determine instructional needs in employment, independent living, and community participation. See OCO Fact Sheet #8 for an overview of person centered planning approaches for transition aged students.

Phase II: Ongoing Assessments During the Program.
Each student should have a folder or portfolio in which ongoing assessments are collected such as observational data from the community and worksites. If observational data are collected it is also important to determine when and how this assessment information along with more formal measures will be compiled and summarized while the student is in the program.

Many students with disabilities will have completed a standardized interest inventory during their high school years. While the results of interest inventories may be helpful as a starting point in determining students’ preferences and interests, personnel in postsecondary programs have a unique opportunity to assist students in identifying their interests through ongoing work experiences, participation in postsecondary education classes, and participation in community and recreational activities. Generally, teachers and support personnel collect this information on formal or informal observation forms. Using work and community sites also allows teachers to identify the supports needed in activities that the student has expressed an interest or preference.

On job sites, this might mean identifying the amount of support the student needs to perform the job or the type of assistive technology that will enhance job performance. At a recreational facility, it might mean identifying a peer who has an interest in serving as a natural support as the student participates. Remember the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 require school systems to include a statement of needed transition services in students’ IEPs that are based on preferences, interests, and needs. It might be most helpful to compile this information on a quarterly basis, review it with the student, and ultimately, have the student use this information in his IEP meeting.

Many teachers in postsecondary programs also use standardized rating forms or instruments to collect assessment data, determine instructional needs, and plan postsecondary goals. Some of the instruments that teachers have found helpful include:

Brigance Diagnostic Life Skills Inventory:
This instrument assesses basic and functional life skills in context of real-world situations. Contains the following sections: transportation, speaking and listening, money and finance, functional writing, food, words on common signs, clothing and labels, health, telephone skills, travel and transportation.

Brigance Diagnostic Employability Inventory:
This instrument assesses skills in the context of job-seeking or employment situations . Contains the following sections: Reading Skills, Speaking and Listening, Career Awareness, Preemployment Writing, Job Seeking Skills and Knowledge, Math Skills and Concepts.

CASAS Tests for Special Populations.
CASAS offers an assessment and curriculum management system for adults with developmental disabilities. The "Stretch Competency Tests" assess life skills competencies in the following transition domains: domestic self-care, domestic home care, vocation, recreation/leisure, and community resources.

Enderle-Severson Transition Rating Scales:
This scale is completed by a teacher or family member. Students are rated on their ability to perform tasks (independently or with adaptations) in five transition areas including: jobs/job training, recreation and leisure, home living, community participation, postsecondary transition/learning opportunities, and social/vocational behavior. Results of the scale are used to develop a transition assessment summary, which includes strengths and needs in each of the five transition areas.

Life Centered Career Education (LCCE) Assessments:
A variety of three assessments which can be used in conjunction with the LCCE curriculum that targets Independent Living Skills, Social-Personal Skills, and Occupational Guidance and Preparation Skills. They include:

LCCE - Student Competency Rating Scale:
A checklist to document which competencies student has achieved in the domains of Independent Living Skills, Social-Personal Skills, and Occupational Guidance and Preparation Skills. This scale can be used throughout a student’s program.

LCCE - Competency Assessment Knowledge Batteries:
This instrument identifies areas of student’s strengths and needs in career/life skills for instructional planning purposes. Student knowledge is measured against the LCCE competency areas (not against the test performance of other students). Two parallel forms, 200 multiple choice items in 3 domains (Independent Living Skills, Social-Personal Skills, and Occupational Guidance and Preparation Skills). Written at 4th grade reading level and requires 2-4 hours to administer (can be given one section at a time, designed to be given up to 8 students at time). Test forms are not reproducible (includes Administration Manual, Technical Report).

LCCE - Competency Assessment Performance Batteries.
A nonstandardized criterion-referenced instrument related to LCCE curriculum. Assessments are performance-based and can be administered individually or to small groups.

Transition Planning Inventory (TPI).
The TPI includes a rating form for students, teachers, and families to fill out. This information is compiled and transferred to a "profile and further assessment recommendations" form. The profile assists in determining needs and goals for the future.

Phase III: Compiling Assessments As Students Exit the Program.

As students get ready to exit a postsecondary program and the public school system, it is important to determine if (a) any additional assessments are needed prior to the student exiting the school system, and (b) how to compile the information in a format that is usable to adult service providers, employers, the student, and his or her family.

If the student will be transitioning to an adult service provider (e.g., Vocational Rehabilitation or Developmental Disabilities), it is important that the student’s psychological report be updated with IQ and adaptive behavior assessments. This information may be important in determining eligibility for adult programs or for identifying needed services. If the student will transition to a postsecondary education or training program, it is also important to update the student’s psychological report (e.g., IQ, needed accommodations) to determine eligibility for support services after the student exits the school system.

Teachers in postsecondary programs should find a way to condense the information that has been collected on their students and pass it on to appropriate personnel so others can continue to plan for postsecondary experiences. For compiling assessment data, we suggest using or modifying the format of an instrument titled Transition Profile by Neubert, Moon, Lowman, and Leconte (1998). This format allows teachers to summarize assessment data including employment history in a four-page document and attach additional assessments. Once you have developed a way to compile and summarize the information a student might need after they left the school system, check with adult service providers, college personnel, or other professionals to make sure the information you included was useful and packaged in an appropriate format.

Here is contact information for the materials that were mentioned in this fact sheet.