Transition Goals

[mykids]

Any one have experience with transition goals? My understanding is that an IEP meeting has to be offered and take place within the year that the student turns 16 to talk about transition goals. Do these goals get incorporated into existing educational goals such as a reading or math goal? OR are they separate goals all together?
What should all of this look like?

[michellea]

In my state (MA) the age for transition is 14. At the IEP meeting that covers the span for which the student is turning 14, transition is addressed. This means that most 13 year olds (eighth grade) are affected by transition and the state mandates that they are invited to the meeting and that the team discuss transition and write a transition goal(s).

Sometimes existing educational goals may have transition objectives embedded in them. For instance, to address my son's weak writing, he has a writing goal. His last IEP (he is a senior) states that the goal is for him to score high enough on the writing acuplacer to be eligible for a standard, credit English course at a 4 year college. The objectives address the areas he was weak on the last time he took the test. His transition goal specifically addresses the steps he needs to take for college -which is where he wants to transition. IE - college visits, college applications, internships etc.

I would check with your state DOE to find out if there is a specific transition form - there is one here in Massachusetts. This will help to clarify for you. Good luck!

[bros]

Transition in NJ is 14, I believe.

But I never had any transition goals in my IEP.

Or any goals that actually matched my disabilities, so yeah.

[empeg1]

In CA a transition plan has to be part of the IEP the year the student turns 16. And, a transition plan is written separate from the goals of the IEP.

[mykids]

Interesting empeg1, I checked with our DOE and the person I spoke to said the existing goals automatically become transitional goals. Maybe she or I miss understood or was distracted, Because we were also discussing other concerns which were in violation. Something I will have to come back to, he is not yet 16 but will be soon.

[healthy11]

I know IDEA says age 16, but a concern expressed by parents is that if you wait until age 16, it may be too late. For example, if a student is thinking of attending college, there are often specific course requirements that should be taken, such as a minimum of 3 years of math including algebra and geometry, etc. For high school students who is placed in remedial classes as a Freshman, or towards a "certificate of completion" rather than a full diploma, it may be too late by the time he/she is age 16, to make changes that would allow the student to meet the goals.

Here's a current overview of transition planning for high school students in my state: www.isbe.net/spec-ed/ppt/summary-of-performance0512.pdf