Dawn Rowe, Ph.D. Project Coordinator National Post-School Outcomes Center

1. Determining Characteristics of Evidence-based Predictors of Post-school Success: A Tool for Districts and Schools Dawn Rowe, Ph.D. Project Coordinator National Post-School Outcomes Center

2. Learning Outcomes • Session will provide participants with: • knowledge and information on linkages between Evidence-based Practices and Evidence-based Predictors of Post-School Success • knowledge of a process to evaluate existing programs (at the student, school, and district level) to determine alignment with researched predictors of post-school success • use of data to inform district planning • an overview of SMART Goals and Action Planning

3. Graduation rate? Dropout rate? Employment rate? Postsecondary education enrollment rate? How many students in the 18-22 year-old program are working 1 year out of high school? How many students enrolled in post-secondary completed a term? Do you know your students’ outcomes?

4. Preparing for an Informed Conversation • How is your State and local district using Secondary Transition Data (i.e., Indicators 1, 2, 13, & 14) for decision-making, accountability, and transition program improvement? • Read your State’s SPP and APR, specifically the sections for Indicators 1, 2, 13, & 14. • Contact your Regional Transition Specialist to get your Secondary Transition Data for use with your district. • Who in your district organizes the data for the State? • Is your school in the data set? How would it compare if it were?

5. PA APR Submitted Feb 2014

6. PA APR Submitted Feb 2014

7. PA APR Submitted Feb 2014

8. PA APR Submitted Feb 2014

9. PA APR Submitted Feb 2014

10. Questions To Ask A Stakeholder Team Using Secondary Transition Data • How does your district’s data compare to other districts? • What patterns can be seen in the data when looking at type of disability, gender, high school exit, and race/ethnicity? • Is there an area/school in the District where youth are engaged at higher rates? What do you think contributes to the higher rates in this area? • What district policies/procedures may be affecting the graduation, dropout, and engagement outcomes for youth with disabilities? • What actions could the school/district take to improve engagement rates?

11. Formula for Successful Action Plans Adapted from Fixen & Blasé (2009)

12. Good Planning: Consider the Logic

13. State 13 District Data-Based Decision Making School • Types of Data • Input • Process • Outcomes • Satisfaction Information Actionable Data • Types of Decisions to Drive Program Improvement • Address students’ needs (e.g., access to transition programs, and skill development) relative to youths’ post-school success • Prioritize student needs to improve post-school success • Set and assess progress toward goals in targeted action plan • Develop targeted action plan for implementation • Identify/reallocate resources in reaction to youths’ post-school success • Enhance processes to improve outcomes • Evaluate effectiveness of targeted action plan • Assess whether student needs are being met

14. Role in District/ School Data-based Decision Making Facilitate and Assist District/School in: • Analyzing and interpreting the data • Prioritizing needs • Establishing S.M.A.R.T. goals • Selecting specific strategies • Making Decisions & Planning Actions • Monitoring and evaluating results

15. Overarching Question For Districts and Stakeholder Groups What can your organization do to increase the likelihood of youth being engaged (i.e., obtaining competitive employment or higher education) after high school?

16. Start with what you know is the best available evidence School, District, & State Level Student Level

17. Transition Practices Research Predictors! Macro Level • Systems • Programs • General practices/ skills Practices! Micro Level • Specific interventions

18. Evidence-based Practices compliment the Predictors From Crosswalk of Predictors and Practices: see handout for more examples

19. Are You Implementing Predictors of Post-school Success? To what extent are your districts implementing predictors of post-school success for students in your district, school building, or classroom? How can you assist districts in determining the level of implementation?

20. Predictor Self-Assessment: What it Looks Like

21. Let’s break it down: Using the Self-Assessment, Assess Your Degree of Implementation Rating Scale from: Predictor Implementation School/District Self-Assessment

22. Let’s break it down: Example Predictor Program Characteristics • Utilize a student driven IEP process to allow students to demonstrate self-awareness, goal setting, problem solving, and self-advocacy. • Collaborate with general education teachers to embed choices into the general curriculum and daily lessons and provide opportunities for students to practice self-determination skills. • Teach students to self-monitor self-determination skills (e.g., accommodations and modifications) and provide opportunities for students to practice the self-monitoring strategy. • **As you work with students, take into consideration the cultural nuances involved in teaching self-determination skills and providing opportunities to develop self-determination to students from CLD backgrounds. Note: See Predictor Self-Assessment hand-out for remaining characteristics

23. Let’s break it down: Types of Evidence • Evidence of Implementation: • What evidence do you have to support your decision regarding what degree you are implementing the predictor characteristic? • No evidence • copies of curricula, copies of training materials, in some IEPs • referenced in school or district procedures and policies, documented in IEPs • Consistent evidence of implementation and impact (e.g., documented in IEPs, program evaluation data, marketing materials) • Other?

24. Let’s break it down: Example Predictor Definition What is Self-determination? • Self-determination is the ability to make choices, solve problems, set goals, evaluate options, take initiative to reach one’s goals, and accept consequences of one's actions. Rowe, D. A., Alverson, C. Y., Unruh, D., Fowler, C. H., Kellems, R., & Test, D. W. (2013). Operationalizing evidence-based predictors of post-school success: A delphi study. Manuscript accepted for publication Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals.

25. Let’s break it down: Level of Implementation For each program characteristic, consider your evidence, and decide whether it is: • Not currently being implemented • Intermittent implementation • Emerging implementation • Currently being implemented

26. 26 Sample Rating Implementation

27. Let’s Break it Down: Evidence of Implementation

28. Time for Action: Guiding Questions How are you going to answer the questions you have identified throughout this session related to improving the outcomes of youth with disabilities you serve? • How do I improve employment outcomes? • What practices am I currently implementing and how can they be improved? • What EBPs need to be implemented to improve the chance of youth obtaining positive outcomes? • What are the specific action steps we will take between now and our next meeting? • What resources do I need? • Who else needs to assist me?

29. How could you facilitate the conversation? Engage with the state/district/school stakeholder group. As a group: • Refer back to data, what area(s) is in most need of improvement? • Prioritize area(s) of need. • Choose one Predictor based on priority area from the predictor self-assessment. • Rate the implementation status for each of the characteristics listed. • Identify which characteristics are not currently being implemented. • Is this a state, district, or school level action? • Think about if state/district/school has the resources to implement the characteristics and the time it will take to get it up and running. • Of these characteristics, choose one to take action on.

30. Who is responsible for action? Predictor program characteristics require action at different levels (e.g., state, district, school) • For example, when examining the program characteristics of parent involvement, the following characteristics clearly require action at a state/district level: • Provide staff training on culturally competent transition planning (e.g. recognizing and honoring differences such as ethnic, socioeconomic, and values of the family). • Actively engage parents in interagency transition councils.

31. Who is responsible for action? • For example, when examining the program characteristics of parent involvement, the following characteristics clearly require action at a school level: • Provide relevant information about transition planning to parents through a variety of means (e.g., written, face-to-face, community-based trainings such as Autism Society) at each stage of the transition planning process such as transition from middle to high school, age of majority, graduation. • Link parents with support networks (e.g., networking opportunities with other parents, advocacy groups).

32. How to Write an Action Plan • Determine what key people should be involved in planning • Develop an action plan • Steps for remedying the problem should have a direct link to the data analysis. • Any action listed must be specific, observable, and measurable. • Sufficient detail is needed so that it is possible to determine when the action has been implemented • Review your completed action plan • Follow through • 5. Evaluate your efforts

33. Let’s start with - IS Your Goal…

34. 34 Formula for Writing a S.M.A.R.T Goal:

35. To increase the number of student-directed IEPs from 0 to 10 students, by March 2014, the school will teach youth in 2 resource classrooms (i.e., 30 youth) how to lead their own IEP meetings using the Self Advocacy Strategy. SampleS.M.A.R.T. Goal Results focused!! Measurable Attainable Time-bound Specific

36. Action Plan Template

37. 37 Action Plan Template

38. Take this tool back to your state/district/school: • Choose one Predictor (or related “cluster” of predictors) from the predictor self-assessment. • Rate the implementation status for each of the characteristics listed. • Identify which characteristics are not currently being implemented. • Think about if you have the resources to implement the characteristics and the time it will take to get it up and running. • Of these characteristics, choose one to take action on. 38 What’s Next?

39. Remember: It’s a process!!

40. Contacts • Dawn A. Rowe, PhDProject CoordinatorNational Post-School Outcomes CenterUniversity of Oregon541-346-8412drowe3@uoregon.eduwww.psocenter.org • Catherine H. Fowler, PhD Project Coordinator National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) University of North Carolina at Charlotte 704-687-8606 (main number) chfowler@uncc.edu www.nsttac.org Contacts