Michigan Transition Resources
Workshop Sessions

The focus of these workshops is to improve the skills of educators, inform and empower students and families, and foster communication and collaboration with agencies. The most successful workshops include participants from a variety of associations such as parents and agency representatives (Department of Career Development/Rehabilitation Services, Department of Community Health/Mental Health, Centers for Independent Living, etc.).

The content of the modules included in the series is based on the Taxonomy for Transition Programming (Kohler, 1996), a model of effective transition practices developed through a series of studies that examined transition-related research and exemplary transition programs and Transition Requirements, A Guide for States, Districts, Schools, Universities, and Families (O’Leary, Storms, Williams, May 2000). The first workshop in the series, A Transition Perspective of Education, provides an overview of research findings about the post-school outcomes of students, transition-related legislation, and transition models.

The Taxonomy is introduced during the workshop as a model for planning, implementing, and evaluating transition-focused education. The purpose of this workshop is to provide participants with a fundamental understanding of the importance of a transition perspective of education. The other workshops are Interagency Collaboration, Family Involvement, Student-Focused Planning and Development for Transition to Life, and What Families Need to Know About Transition. Each of these workshops highlight discussion and activities to increase participants’ knowledge and skills to implement specific practices, such as developing students’ self-determination skills, including students in their IEP, collaborating with community partners to enhance transition services, working with families, and organizing comprehensive transition service delivery.

Transition Perspective of Education
As a result of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• identify potential outcomes of students with disabilities exiting school
• define transition
• describe transition related legislation
• discuss components of effective transition planning

Family Involvement
As a result of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• discuss the importance of family involvement in the transition process
• define roles of family members
• discuss legislation related to parent involvement
• identify successful trainings and supports for family members

Student Focused Planning for Transition to Life
As a result of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• state legislative requirements for transition
• identify strategies for promoting active student and family involvement in education and transition planning
• discuss the benefits of a “holistic” approach to transition planning
• state information about the IEP transition service requirements of IDEA
• describe the key concepts in the transition planning process
• discuss the design of, and approach to, the process of documenting transition in the IEP
  

Interagency Collaboration
As a result of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• describe the components of effective teams
• describe the components of effective collaboration
• discuss the use of teams in developing a student-focused transition IEP
• identify issues and strategies relevant to planning services and options for youth within their communities
• describe the importance and development of interagency agreements

What Families Need to Know about Transition (developed by parents, for parents)
As a result of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• discuss critical aspects of transition
• describe successful parent tips for planning transition
  
  

To view a complete list of events on the Center for Educational Networking Web site, click here.