JMU - Training / Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) Region 5
T/TAC is an office of the Virginia Department of Education
Secondary Transition
STATE DIRECTED TRANSITION P PROJECT (SDTP)
Region 5 Initiatives/Resources
Discovering College Exploring College Movin' On Up
Region 5 Transition Councils JIVE Program
Resources for Students Resources for Educators
The State Directed Transition Project (SDTP) provides leadership, support, resources, training, and technical assistance for various projects. SDTP provides coordination and training and technical assistance to local school personnel in assessing their IEP process to meet federal and state requirements. SDTP also assists divisions in identifying programs and activities that will help youth reach their post school goals.
NEW!
Workplace Readiness Skills and Activities
Twenty-one workplace readiness skills needed for success in the
workplace were determined by employers in Virginia. The Central
Virginia Transition Council has identified school and home activities
to address these skills for students of all age level.
Click Workplace Readiness Skills and Activities to access these
skills, activities, and additional resources.
STATE DIRECTED TRANSITION PROJECT (SDTP)
"I'm Determined" Improves self determination skills (self advocacy, problem solving, leadership skills) in youth with disabilities. Develops resources for elementary through high school educators. Learn more at:
http://www.jmu.edu/ttac/Self-Determination.shtml
http://www.imdetermined.org
Regional/Local Projects
Support regional and/or local activity including: transition councils, college orientation events, workforce partnerships, employment & postsecondary opportunities for students with low-incidence disabilities.
Transition Matrix/College Guide
Develop and maintain information that maps transition resources for students, families, and service providers with information about searching for, and attending college, as well as being successful in college. Includes links to Virginia colleges and universities.
Transition Events
Facilitates events for enhancing awareness and knowledge about secondary transition including practitioners’ councils and Transition Forum.
Web site:
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/transition_svcs/index.shtml
Current Initiatives/Resources
Discovering College
VDOE Region 5 T/TAC has teamed with three colleges and universities to offer a program for students with disabilities to experience and learn about the college setting. This half day visit pairs high school students with college students who are registered with the Office of Disability Services. The high school students are welcomed with an icebreaker activity, attend a mock college class taught by a college professor, eat lunch with college students, and are provided the opportunity to ask questions and hear from the college students and others about college life.
Some of the high school students report that the best thing was “being in a college class to understand what happens in class,” “talking with college students,” “eating on campus,” and “learning about college life.”
During the 2010-2011 school year, VDOE Region 5 T/TAC will partner with James Madison and Piedmont Virginia Community to provide this program to area high school students. For information click on
Exploring College
VDOE Region 5 T/TAC is offering a new program for middle school students with disabilities to experience and learn about the college setting. This half day visit pairs middle school students with college students who are registered with the Office of Disability Services. The middle school students learn about the importance of self-advocacy through participating in activities, attending a college class, eating lunch in the dining hall, touring campus and asking questions about college life.
During the 2010-2011 school year, VDOE Region 5 T/TAC will partner with James Madison University and Piedmont Virginia Community College to provide this program to area middle school students. For information click on Exploring College Brochure.
Exploring College Brochure
Movin' On Up
This event is designed for rising 8th and 9th graders with disAbilities who have an interest in attending a four year college or university program. The students will spend the day at James Madison University learning about college life from successful college students with disAbilities. Students will learn what self-advocacy skills are necessary to be successful in high school and college, participate in disAbility awareness activities, attend a typical college class, explore a typical college campus, eat in the dining hall, and have the opportunity to ask questions to a panel of successful high school and college students with disAbilities. There will be a parent information session in the morning presented by the Office of Disability Services at James Madison University.
Adults are welcome to return for the high school and college panel.
Pre-registration is required. Information and Registration Form
For more information, contact Sally Chappel at 540.568.8095 or chappesl@jmu.edu.
Region 5 Transition Councils
Central Virginia Transition Council (CVTC)Lynchburg, Bedford, Amherst, Campbell meets 2nd Wednesday every month (except summer) 10:30 a.m. - Merritt Hall, Central Virginia Community College, Lynchburg Contact: Ms. Dottie Narodny, dnarodny@autismva.org, 540.588.4796 or 800.649.8481
Jefferson Area Transition Council (JATC) Albemarle, Charlottesville, Greene, Fluvanna, Nelson, Louisa meets 2nd Monday every month (except summer) 2:00 - 3:30 Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, Charlottesville Contact: Ms. Billie Campbell, bcampbell@tjpdc.org, 434.979.7310, ext. 230
Shenandoah Valley Transition Council (SVTC)Augusta, Staunton, Waynesboro, Bath, Highland meets September, January, and April Contact: Mrs. George Drummond, George.Drummond@drs.virginia.gov 540-332-7700
Area Coordinators of Transition (ACT) Harrisonburg, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Page meets quarterly Contact: Ms. Ellen Biller edbiller@shenandoah.k12.va.us 540-459-6751
JIVE Program
The Jump Into Vocational Exploration (JIVE) program is a collaborative effort between James Madison University (JMU), Rockingham County Public Schools (RCPS), Harrisonburg City Public Schools (HCPS) and VDOE Region 5 T/TAC as a result of Rockingham County and Harrisonburg City Public Schools’ desire to find community short-term assessment sites for students with disabilities, JMU Special Education Program’s desire to place teachers in training as job coaches in real work situations, and T/TAC’s willingness to provide the needed technical assistance.
The purpose of the JIVE Program is to create a secondary transition education program where RCPS and HCPS students with disabilities are provided with a variety of situational assessments enhancing their ability to make choices, and develop independence, educational, career, and interpersonal skills. JIVE also provides an authentic learning and teaching environment for JMU graduate students preparing to work in the field of special education and related services as they assess RCPS and HCPS students on the JMU campus. In addition, this program helps the JMU community better understand and appreciate persons with disabilities.
Goals of the JIVE program are to: enhance JMU/RCPS/HCPS/VDOE TTAC partnership, create a collaborative program between a four-year institution and a public school that provides situational assessment sites for high school students with disabilities, provide a vocational/transition experience for JMU pre-service teachers, provide community-based work assessment experiences for high school students with disabilities who have completed school-based work-study programs, and provide high school students with disabilities opportunities for short-term situational job assessment.
Benefits for JIVE students are to: receive job assessment and work place exposure beneficial to decision making about future employment in a community environment, enhance social and interpersonal skills through interaction with college students, and increase abilities to function independently in work, community, and social environments.
Benefits for JIVE job coaches are to: provide JMU students enrolled in special education related courses experiences regarding mentoring, supervising, assessing, and job coaching individuals with disabilities, provides experience working in field of interest, and provide on-campus practicum experiences.
Benefits for Rockingham County and Harrisonburg City Public Schools are to: provide situational assessments for high school students with disabilities, provide a scope and sequence for gaining multiple vocational experiences in preparation for competitive employment, and provide an unbiased assessment from external evaluators.
Benefits for James Madison University are to: provide the JMU community with positive exposure and appreciation for individuals with disabilities, provide on-campus practicum experiences for students enrolled in related fields, and expose JMU employers to potential employees.
Resources for Students
The Youthhood http://www.youthhood.org/ Hello! Hey, we're glad you made it. This site is a place for you, your friends, and other teens. It's a welcoming community for all youth and a place where all youth belong. We want you to be here. This is your place, your space. Here you can start thinking about what you want to do with the rest of your life. This Web site was built to help you plan for the future. What will you do after high school? Will you work? Go to college? Live in a place of your own? By using this Web site, you can plan for your future right now!
National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ NCWD/Youth is your source for information about employment and youth with disabilities. Our partners — experts in disability, education, employment, and workforce development — strive to ensure you will be provided with the highest quality, most relevant information available.
College Guide for Students with Disabilities http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/transition_svcs/outcomes_project/college_guide.pdf
Know How Virginia www.knowhowvirginia.org/ Know how Virginia.org is the place to discover your career.
Virginia Career View http://www.vaview.org/ Welcome to Virginia Career VIEW; your main source for career and education information within the state of Virginia . DREAM IT, PLAN IT, DO IT™
Virginia Education Wizard www.vawizard.org Let the wizard help you choose a career, get the information you need to pursue your career, find the college that is right for you, pay for college, transfer from a community college to a university, and get answers to questions about your future.
The Jefferson Area Transition Council has created a resource for students with disabilities, their families and school and agency personnel. Funded through a grant with the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD), the Transition Council has created a web site to ease navigation of the complex array of adult services available for people with disabilities. The Life After High School web site, www.LifeAfterHS.org, provides detailed information on an array of services, including career planning and preparation, housing, transportation, community life, and financial planning and benefits.
Resources for Educators
The Career Assessment Manual, designed in collaboration with Virginia Department of Education and Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services, is available from the T/TAC library, and was developed as a resource for those serving students and consumers with disabilities who are preparing to transition to or within the adult world. School and vocational rehabilitation counselors often look for free or inexpensive assessments to use to help support the decisions made in the transition process. The tools in this manual can be used to help with transition planning by facilitating transition discussions or by assisting students and consumers with making decisions about their future. The instruments are not designed to be used exclusive of other assessment means, but are to be used as one of many assessments to help with making decisions. They are only a sampling of assessments that are available for purchase; they are neither endorsed nor promoted by the managers of this manual. The manual also includes a section relating to free or low-cost career planning and interest assessments that are available on-line.
The links below provide information related to the each of the assessments that are in the manual. In order to view the actual assessment one would need to request the manual from the T/TAC library.- Introduction/Table of Contents
- Assessment Information
- Free or Low-Cost Career Planning and Interest Testing Web sites
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Assessment Transition Packet was designed to assist those individuals who might need a structured, coordinated effort that involves collecting data on students' strengths, preferences, and interests related to their postsecondary goals. The matrix is a sampling of different assessments that may be used to define those goals.
VDOE T/TAC
Contact:
Sally Chappel
chappesl@jmu.edu
Statewide Self-determination Coordinator:
John McNaught
mcnaugjt@jmu.edu
Publisher:
TTAC
For Information Contact:
Loretta Ennis
James Madison University
Blue Ridge Hall, 248, MSC 9002
Phone: (540) 568-6746
Fax: (540) 568-6726
Last Modified: 2/1/2012
Privacy Statement