Improve Transition Planning and Services for Students with Disabilities

Goal: All students in Texas should plan for their future. For students with disabilities, transition planning and services are important and necessary to prepare them for a successful life after high school.

Problem: Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) law acknowledges the importance of such planning and requires that school districts prepare students with disabilities for further education, employment and independent living. However, in Texas, many Independent School Districts (ISDs) fail to offer meaningful transition planning and services (including real work experiences) that lead to successful post school outcomes. Without these services, often students end up in sheltered workshops or sitting at home watching TV for the rest of their life. Many end up jobless. They will continue to need the full array of government benefits and will not have the opportunity to be a contributing member of society.

Recommendation: Texas Education Agency (TEA) must ensure appropriate transition information, planning and services including real work experiences are provided to all students with disabilities beginning by age 14.

Specific Recommendations for Change: The Disability Policy Consortium (DPC) recommends that the Texas Legislature require:

• The Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) develop and local independent school districts (ISDs) distribute a Texas-specific, comprehensive transition and employment manual to students with disabilities who are 14 years and older, as well as their families. This manual should be updated biennially and be placed on the TEA web site and appropriate HHSC agencies web sites. The manual should include: transition services and the transition process; definition of supported employment/employment services; Supplemental Security Income (SSI)/Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) and social security work incentives; community services for people with disabilities including Medicaid and Medicaid waivers and non-Medicaid long-term services and supports; employment and supported employment programs administered by HHSC agencies, Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), and local ISDs; accessing post-secondary educational programs and services; informed consent of the parent/guardian or adult; rights at the age of majority and guardianship/alternatives to guardianship; contacts for all relevant agencies; and student and parent/guardian rights, self-advocacy, person-directed planning, and self-determination.
• Each ISD or Special Education co-op to designate a transition specialist with working knowledge of the content of the manual.
• Transition planning to begin by age 14 for students with disabilities.
• TEA and local ISDs to ensure appropriate agency representatives are invited to The Admission, Review and Dismissal Process (ARD) meetings and documentation of attendance and participation of these representatives at a minimum of one meeting that is scheduled at a time that is determined to be most appropriate for the individual student.
• TEA, local ISDs and Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) to offer information sessions to support students and their families in the transition planning process.
• TEA to develop data indicators for agency participation in ARD meetings and the resulting provision of employment/supported employment services to students. TEA should require ISDs to document and report the above information annually to TEA for public dissemination.
• Funding to:
  • Increase the availability of school sponsored employment/supported employment services.
  • Increase the number of employment transition specialists.
  • Provide training and on site technical assistance for school personnel and families on transition/employment/ supported employment services and person-directed planning.
  • Offer incentives/grants to ISDs to utilize person-directed planning and promote self-advocacy and self-determination.

Background: Federal IDEA law requires that school districts provide transition planning and services for students with disabilities beginning at age 16 or younger if determined appropriate. Information and data about compliance with transition requirements is inconsistent throughout Texas.

• Schools do not provide effective transition planning due to lack of expertise/skill, resources, quality standards, and accountability;
• Schools do not provide sufficient information to youth and families about transition planning;
• Texas does not have a uniform statewide system to enhance coordination with appropriate state and local agencies;
• Schools do not have sufficient information on employment and work incentive programs and services;
• Schools do not consistently provide supported employment opportunities to students with disabilities and their families while they are still in school;
• Schools are not required to begin transition planning until age 16 which results in insufficient time to put supports in place that allows for an effective transition experience; and
• The Texas Education Agency (TEA) does not have sufficient follow-up data to measure post school outcomes for students with disabilities to improve the quality of existing programs.

Justification: Transition planning is important to the community and to people with disabilities and their families because good transition planning results in the person with a disability being prepared to live and work in their community and to be a contributing member of society. Many people with disabilities will need ongoing support to live and work in the community but they may not need all of the government benefits or services that someone who did not receive transition planning would need. They will have the opportunity to plan their future and achieve their dreams to participate in their community as a tax paying citizen and consumer. They will have the opportunity to achieve what we all want for ourselves and our families—a happy and fulfilled life. Without appropriate transition planning and services people with disabilities will be dependent on society instead of contributing to society.