IL NET an ILRU/NCIL National Training and Technical Assistance Project Expanding the Power of the Independent Living Movement GENERATION D: THE NEXT GENERATION OF IL LEADERSHIP A National Teleconference Participant's Manual April 24, 2002 Contributors to the training materials: Kristin Berg Marketoe Day David Hancox Heather Harris Dellon Lewis John Smith Sarah Triano Julia Washengerger Darrell Lynn Jones Kristy Langbehn Raweewan Buppapong Carri George Richard Petty Dawn Heinsohn (c) 2002 IL NET, an ILRU/NCIL Training and Technical Assistance Project ILRU Program NCIL 2323 S. Shepherd Street 1916 Wilson Boulevard Suite 1000 Suite 209 Houston, Texas 77019 Arlington, Virginia 22201 713-520-0232 (V) 703-525-3406 (V) 713-520-5136 (TTY) 703-525-4153 (TTY) 713-520-5785 (FAX) 703-525-3409 (FAX) ilru@ilru.org 1-877-525-3400 (V/TTY - toll free) http://www.ilru.org ncil@ncil.org http://www.ncil.org Permission is granted for duplication of any portion of this manual, providing that the following credit is given to the project: Developed as part of the IL NET: an ILRU/NCIL National Training and Technical Assistance Project. IL NET is funded through a special provisions cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration, Agreement No. H132B99002. Generation D: The Next Generation of IL Leadership A National Teleconference Participant's Manual Table of Contents Agenda i About the Trainers ii List of Trainers and IL NET Staff v About ILRU viii About NCIL viii About IL NET ix National Center on Secondary Education and Transition Materials 1 Leadership in Transition A 5-part Module of Education and Training for Young Adults with Disabilities 34 Session I: Independent Living Philosophy and Self-Advocacy 37 Session II: Self-Advocacy, Self-Determination and Decision Making Skills 41 Session III: Assertiveness Skills and How to be an Effective Team Member 45 Session IV: Employment 49 Session V: Post-Secondary Education Options and Technology 53 YIELD THE POWER Project 57 Executive Summary 58 Job Postings 66 Application Form 71 GENERATION D: THE NEXT GENERATION OF IL LEADERSHIP Agenda 1. Welcome and Introductions - Darrell Jones 2. Framing the Issue - David Hancox and Dellon Lewis 3. Model Programs - Metropolitan CIL, Inc. - David Hancox 4. Q & A - Access Living - Sarah Triano, Dellon Lewis, Kristin Berg, Marketoe Day, and Heather Harris 5. Q & A 6. Generalized Network and Funding Strategies - David Hancox 7. Q & A 8. National Activities - Julia Washenberger and John Smith 9. Q & A 10. Wrap-up About the Trainers Kristin Berg... is currently working as the Youth Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator for the YIELD THE POWER Project at Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago, assisting youth trainees of the YIELD project in their efforts to expand the capacity of existing local youth programs to integrate youth with disabilities. In this role, she will be supporting youth not only in the implementation of youth led training conferences, but also in the day-to-day processes as trainees enter and participate in mainstream youth agencies. Kristin has an extensive history of disability advocacy. She co -founded the 2000-01 "Disability in the Humanities" Workshop, assisted in teaching the first UW disabilities studies class, "Disability and Communication," and facilitated campus wide panel discussions concerning disability rights. In 1996, Kristin was elected as a student representative to the Faculty-Senate Disability Rights and Recommendations Committee, and in 1997 she was invited to speak at the state wide EEOC "Diversity in the Workplace conference. Marketoe Antoinne Day... is the Youth Leadership & Organizing Coordinator for the YIELD THE POWER Project at Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago where he provides leadership, organizing, advocacy, and independent living skills training to 100 youth with disabilities over the course of two years. He is responsible for working with the Chicago Public Schools and the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) in recruiting participants and the coordination of all aspects of the youth training sessions. He co-founded the Visually Impaired Student Association (VISA), an organization instrumental in ameliorating the adverse learning and living conditions for blind and visually impaired students. Marketoe worked as a public relations and policy intern with the national office of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) in Washington, D.C. Prior to this he collaborated on the design and implementation of a progressive, diversity-based orientation program for matriculating students at The University of Michigan. He is an active member of the National Alliance of Blind Students (NABS) and is the editor of "The Student Advocate," the quarterly publication of NABS. David Hancox... founder and CEO of DAVID HANCOX CONSULTING, currently serves as Executive Director of the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living in St. Paul. David also served as chief lobbyist for the Minnesota Association of Centers for Independent Living (6 years), and for the Association for Supported Living Residences. He has more than 30 years of varied experience in the field of disabilities. For 7 years (1988- 1994) David coordinated the day-to-day operation of Minnesota's Partners in Policymaking project. He contracts his services to government agencies, school districts, corporations and nonprofit organizations as a private consultant focusing on disability issues. David's services are regularly sought as a special consultant, public speaker, evaluator and author. Heather Harris... is a 19 year old young woman who works at Access Living as a Youth Leader/Organizer for the YIELD THE POWER Project. Her duties include assisting in the selection of the Youth Advisory Board for the project, participating in the Youth Advisory Board, providing input from a youth perspective, and much more. Heather is a very hard worker and likes to meet and help people to the best of her ability. Heather attended Alan B. Shepard High School in Palos Heights, IL. She graduated with a 3.7 G.P.A and received her diploma in January of 2001. While she attended Alan B. Shepard High School, she was a member of the Business Professionals of America. She is now enrolled at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, IL, where she is studying Radiologist Technology. Dellon Lewis,... a 20-year old man with a physical disability, is the Youth Leader/Organizer for the YIELD THE POWER Project at Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago. Dellon is a National Honors Society graduate from Jesse Spalding High School located in Chicago. He was selected to participate in the citywide high school mock trial at the Richard M. Daley center in Chicago. Dellon was a participant in a nationwide organization of wheelchair basketball and other extra curricular activities while a student at Spalding High. In 1995, he won first place in the national competition of poetry of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his entry was placed in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in Montgomery, Alabama. He received an award for outstanding advocacy and mentorship at Pyramid Career Institute in 2001, and graduated that year for computer driven customer service. John G. Smith... is a project coordinator for the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the University of Minnesota's Institute on Community Integration. Mr. Smith has a strong professional and personal interest in programs and initiatives directed to the development of self-determination and self-advocacy among persons with disabilities, including transition-aged youth. Among his responsibilities at the Institute on Community Integration is providing technical assistance and support to People First of Minnesota, a state-wide self-advocacy network developed and coordinated by persons who have developmental disabilities. Mr. Smith has also participated in a recently completed evaluation of the Minnesota Self-Determination Project, and several other research and evaluation projects related to learning about the development and exercise of self-determination and self-advocacy among persons with disabilities. Sarah Triano... is a 27 year-old young woman with a non-apparent disability, and one of the leading youth activists in the country. She is a co-founding member of the UIC Disabled Students Union and the National Disabled Students Union (NDSU), and also serves on the Young Activists' Task Force of the American Association of People with Disabilities. Sarah is currently a graduate student at the University of Illinois Chicago pursuing her Doctoral degree in Disability Studies, while also working as the Youth/Education Team Leader and YIELD THE POWER Project Director at Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago. She was one of the original delegates to the first annual California Youth Leadership Forum for High School Students with Disabilities in 1992. She volunteered as a counselor at this Forum from 1993-1998, and was actively involved with the Office of Disability Employment Policy (formerly known as the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities) in the replication of this model youth leadership forum throughout the United States. After participating in the 1998 National Council on Disability's Second Annual Youth Leadership Development Conference in Washington, DC., Sarah contracted with NCD to produce a policy report on the issues facing minority-group members with disabilities in the U.S. entitled, "Lift Every Voice: Modernizing Disability Policies and Programs to Serve a Diverse Nation," which was released on July 26, 1999. Julia Washenberger... is a Community Program Associate for the Youth and Family Participation Technical Assistance Network at the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition located at the Institute on Community Integration. Julia's primary responsibilities are focused on youth leadership and development initiatives through the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition including the development of a youth website and involvement in national conferences with a youth focus. Julia is a person with a disability and has been active in her local Center for Independent Living as both a consumer and an advocate for services to enhance quality of life for persons with disabilities. Trainers Kristin Berg Youth Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator, YIELD THE POWER Project Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago 614 West Roosevelt Road Chicago, IL 60607 312-253-7000 (voice) 312-253-0332 (TTY) 312-253-7001 (FAX) kberg@accessliving.org Marketoe Day Youth Leadership and Organizing Coordinator, YIELD THE POWER Project Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago 614 West Roosevelt Road Chicago, IL 60607 312-253-7000 (voice) 312-253-0332 (TTY) 312-253-7001 (FAX) mday@accessliving.org David Hancox Executive Director Metropolitan Center for Independent Living 1600 University Avenue West, #16 St. Paul, Minnesota 55114 651-646-8342 (voice) 651-603-2001 (TTY) 651-6302006 (FAX) davidh@mcil-mn.org Heather Harris Youth Leader/Organizer, YIELD THE POWER Project Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago 614 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL 60607 312-253-7000 (voice) 312-253-0332 (TTY) 312-253-7001 (FAX) hharris@accessliving.org Dellon Lewis Youth Leader/Organizer, YIELD THE POWER Project Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago 614 West Roosevelt Road Chicago, IL 60607 312-253-7000 (voice) 312-253-0332 (TTY) 312-253-7001 (FAX) dlewis@accessliving.org John Smith Project Coordinator, Research and Training Center on Community Living Institute on Community Integration (UCE) University of Minnesota 6-F Pattee Hall 150 Pillsbury Drive SE Minneapolis, MN 55455 612-624-2008 (voice) 612-624-9344 (FAX) smith144@maroon.tc.umn.edu Sarah Triano Youth and Education Team Leader, YIELD THE POWER Project Director, Co-Founder of the National Disabled Students Union Organization Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago 614 West Roosevelt Road Chicago, IL 60607 312-253-7000 (voice) 312-253-0332 (TTY) 312-253-7001 (FAX) sarah@accessliving.org Julia Washenberger Community Program Associate National Center on Secondary Education and Transition Institute on Community Integration (UCE) University of Minnesota 6-F Pattee Hall 150 Pillsbury Drive SE Minneapolis, MN 55455 612-624-2008 (voice) 612-624-9344 (FAX) washe004@tc.umn.edu IL NET STAFF ILRU Lex Frieden Laurie Gerken Redd Executive Director Administrative Coordinator lfrieden@ilru.org lredd@ilru.org Richard Petty Carri George Program Director Publications Coordinator richard.petty@bcm.tmc.edu cgeorge@ilru.org Laurel Richards Dawn Heinsohn Training Director Materials Production Specialist lrichards@ilru.org heinsohn@ilru.org ILRU Program 2323 S. Shepherd Suite 1000 Houston, TX 77019 713-520-0232 (V) 713-520-5136 (TTY) 713-520-5785 (FAX) ilru@ilru.org http://www.ilru.org NCIL Anne-Marie Hughey Executive Director hughey@ncil.org NCIL 1916 Wilson Boulevard Suite 209 Arlington, VA 22201 703-525-3406 (V) 703-525-4153 (TTY) 703-525-3409 (FAX) 1-877-525-3400 (V/TTY - toll free) ncil@ncil.org http://www.ncil.org Kristy Langbehn Project Logistics Coordinator kristy@ncil.org Darrell Lynn Jones Training Specialist darrell@ncil.org Raweewan Buppapong Project Assistant toony@ncil.org ABOUT ILRU The Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) Program was established in 1977 to serve as a national center for information, training, research, and technical assistance for independent living. In the mid-1980's, it began conducting management training programs for executive directors and middle managers of independent living centers in the U.S. ILRU has developed an extensive set of resource materials on various aspects of independent living, including a comprehensive directory of programs providing independent living services in the U.S. and Canada. ILRU is a program of TIRR, a nationally recognized, free-standing rehabilitation facility for persons with physical disabilities. TIRR is part of TIRR Systems, a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing a continuum of services to individuals with disabilities. Since 1959, TIRR has provided patient care, education, and research to promote the integration of people with physical and cognitive disabilities into all aspects of community living. ABOUT NCIL Founded in 1982, the National Council on Independent Living is a membership organization representing independent living centers and individuals with disabilities. NCIL has been instrumental in efforts to standardize requirements for consumer control in management and delivery of services provided through federally-funded independent living centers. Until 1992, NCIL's efforts to foster consumer control and direction in independent living services through changes in federal legislation and regulations were coordinated through an extensive network and involvement of volunteers from independent living centers and other organizations around the country. Since 1992, NCIL has had a national office in Arlington, Virginia, just minutes by subway or car from the major centers of government in Washington, D.C. While NCIL continues to rely on the commitment and dedication of volunteers from around the country, the establishment of a national office with staff and other resources has strengthened its capacity to serve as the voice for independent living in matters of critical importance in eliminating discrimination and unequal treatment based on disability. Today, NCIL is a strong voice for independent living in our nation's capital. With your participation, NCIL can deliver the message of independent living to even more people who are charged with the important responsibility of making laws and creating programs designed to assure equal rights for all. ABOUT THE IL NET This training program is sponsored by the IL NET, a collaborative project of the Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) of Houston and the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL). The IL NET is a national training and technical assistance project working to strengthen the independent living movement by supporting Centers for Independent Living (CILs) and Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs). IL NET activities include workshops, national teleconferences, technical assistance, on-line information, training materials, fact sheets, and other resource materials on operating, managing, and evaluating centers and SILCs. The mission of the IL NET is to assist in building strong and effective CILs and SILCs which are led and staffed by people who practice the independent living philosophy. The IL NET operates with these objectives: ? Assist CILs and SILCs in managing effective organizations by providing a continuum of information, training, and technical assistance. ? Assist CILs and SILCs to become strong community advocates/change agents by providing a continuum of information, training, and technical assistance. ? Assist CILs and SILCs to develop strong, consumer-responsive services by providing a continuum of information, training, and technical assistance. National Center on Secondary Education and Transition Materials Reprinted with Permission of the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition University of Minnesota 150 Pillsbury Drive SE Minneapolis, MN 55455 612-624-2097 I. From the "About Us" page of the NCSET Web site: The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition is a collaborative effort between the following organizations: * Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota * National Center for the Study of Postsecondary Educational Supports (NCSPES), a Rehabilitation Research & Training Center (RRTC) within the Center on Disability Studies (CDS) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa * TransCen, Inc. of Rockville, Maryland * Institute for Educational Leadership, Center for Workforce Development, Washington DC * PACER Center of Minnesota * National Association of State Directors of Special Education. Youth with disabilities and their families are engaged at all levels of the project to ensure that they have a strong voice and direct role in setting the direction for the Center. Technical Assistance The Center has established four Technical Assistance Networks to plan and support the delivery of technical assistance and information dissemination on a national level. The technical assistance networks address specific areas of national significance and include the- * Secondary Education Assessment and Curriculum Network * Postschool Outcomes/Results Network * Youth and Parent Participation Network * Systems Linkages and Services Coordination Network The Center will also develop partnerships and tap into the expertise of other researchers, technical assistance providers, and dissemination centers in organizing and providing technical assistance and disseminating information. Audiences The Center responds to the technical assistance and information needs of six major audiences: 1. State-level education reform and systems change initiatives. This includes state improvement grants, school-to-work systems, systems change projects on transition, state standards-based reforms, and other initiatives in the areas of secondary education, workforce development, health, residential services, postsecondary education, mental health, and corrections. 2. Local education agencies and community-based programs. This includes general education, vocational education, special education, vocational rehabilitation, postsecondary education programs, independent living centers, and health. 3. Workforce development agencies and initiatives. This includes one-stop career centers, Youth Councils, school-to-work systems, youth opportunity grants, service learning programs, Social Security Administration (SSA), National School-to-Work Office, Department of Labor, and national employer associations. 4. Youth with disabilities and their families. This includes the national network of Parent Training and Information Centers, and national youth leadership organizations. 5. National network of technical assistance and dissemination providers. This includes researchers, technical assistance providers and disseminators of research-based practices. 6. Federal agencies and national organizations. This includes the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), Office of Adult and Vocational Education (OVAE), Office of Educational Research and Innovation (OERI), Office of Postsecondary Education (OPSE), Department of Labor, Social Security Administration (SSA), Department of Health and Human Services, Presidential Taskforce on the Employment of Adults with Disabilities, and others. Activities The Center will undertake four major interrelated activities: 1. Collaborative management and strategic planning that promotes high levels of communication and coordination of responsibilities among partners and results in a comprehensive strategic plan for technical assistance and dissemination activities. 2. National resource coordination and leadership that builds on our partners' already-established networks to increase the capacity of individuals and organizations to address many of the complex issues surrounding the provision of secondary education and transition services for youth with disabilities and their families. 3. Technical assistance and dissemination based on our collective organizational experiences and the lessons learned from careful evaluation. 4. Evaluation activities that assess state and local technical assistance needs and the Center's impact on achieving its intended results. For more information about the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition, please contact us at (612) 624-2097 or ncset@icimail.coled.umn.edu II. Following is the text from "Our Position," from the NCSET Web site: We have reached a point professionally and ethically where immediate steps must be taken to ensure that youth with disabilities fully access and benefit from the general education curriculum. They must leave our school systems prepared to successfully participate in postsecondary education programs, enter meaningful employment, live independently in our communities, and pursue lifelong learning opportunities (Presidential Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities, 1999; U.S. Department of Education, 1999). Study upon study conducted over the past 15 years has repeatedly documented the limited school and postschool results achieved by youth with disabilities. Low levels of desired academic achievement, high dropout rates, substantial levels of unemployment and underemployment, economic instability and dependence, social isolation, limited access to health care, and low levels of participation in postsecondary education programs are the pervasive findings of these studies. The transition service requirements of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1990 and the IDEA Amendments of 1997 were established for the specific purpose of addressing these and other difficulties that youth with disabilities experience as they attempt to prepare for and make the transition to adult life. Today, the educational system as a whole is influenced by a variety of reform initiatives specifically focused on improving school and postschool results for all youth. For example, IDEA 97 conveys a broader vision of secondary education with an emphasis on the participation and involvement of youth with disabilities in the general education curriculum. Along with this broader vision have come the goals of increasing high school completion rates, engaging in early transition planning to improve postsecondary education participation and employment results, and the recognition that these goals must be accomplished through collaborative partnerships among multiple agencies and systems at all levels-community, state and national (Johnson, Emanuel & Willems, 2000; National Transition Summit, 2000; National Council on Disability 2000; Presidential Task Force, 1999; U.S. Dept. of Education, 1999). We believe that the "next generation" of secondary education and transition services must evolve quickly, and that this must occur through an approach grounded in research and the perspectives of youth and families from all backgrounds. To this end, new knowledge, technical assistance, networking, and dissemination approaches are critically needed to address the magnitude of challenges that remain in ensuring that all youth with disabilities, including those who drop out, youth from diverse, multicultural backgrounds, those with limited English proficiency, young people with severe disabilities, the homeless, and those living in poverty achieve positive school and postschool results. This is the goal of the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition. References Johnson, D. R., Emanuel, E., & Willems, G. (2000). Research summary: Critical challenges facing the future of secondary education and transition services in the United States. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration. National Council on Disability (2000). Transition and postschool outcomes for youth with disabilities: Closing the gaps to postsecondary education and employment. Washington DC: Author. National Transition Summit (June 20 & 21, 2000). Presidential task force on the employment of adults with disabilities. Washington DC. Presidential Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities (1999). Report from the subcommittee on expanding employment opportunities for young people with disabilities to the Presidential Task Force on Employment of Adults with disabilities. Washington, DC: Author. U.S. Department of Education Annual Report (1999). Twenty-first annual report to Congress on the implementation of the individuals with disabilities education act. Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. III. Text from "Goals & Objectives" page of NCSET Web site: The Center's approach is based on the following goals and objectives: 1. Ensure all youth with disabilities, including those with significant needs, have access to the full range of learning experiences in the general education curriculum. * Promote research-based secondary education and transition models that integrate academic, career development, work-based, and community learning. * Increase school retention and completion rates. 2. Empower youth and families to participate at all levels of secondary education and transition. * Actively promote national youth leadership opportunities. * Provide youth and families with the information and skills to strengthen their participation in educational decisions and actions. 3. Strengthen state and local capacity to effectively improve secondary education and transition policies and practices. * Translate research into practice using innovative and targeted technical assistance, training, and information dissemination mechanisms of the Center and its technical assistance networks. 4. Improve collaboration and system linkages at all levels. * Promote cross-agency, cross-program, and cross-disciplinary collaborative models that lead to improved levels of: 1. Service coordination and collaboration. 2. Relationships between general and special education 3. Individualized education plan and transition plans for youth with disabilities IV. Text from "Message from the Director" page of NCSET Web site: David R. Johnson, Director Institute on Community Integration We know from research studies that only 19% of high school graduates with disabilities go on for further education within two years after completing high school. Only 29% of adults with disabilities are participating in the workforce, either full or part time. Youth with disabilities in secondary education have high dropout rates, substantial unemployment and underemployment, low levels of academic achievement, and limited participation in education beyond high school - and we believe this is in large part due to the limited number of opportunities presented that support taking a different path. We want more youth to have outcomes like those of a young man I know named Ben. Ben successfully completed high school, attended community college, and obtained employment within his community. He also has significant disabilities and received special education services during high school. He had parents and teachers who believed in his abilities and supported his plans and goals for himself. We want all young people with disabilities to receive that kind of support and to have successful outcomes that reflect their goals and dreams. Through the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition we will be working with educators and other school staff, community service agency professionals, employers, policymakers, agency administrators, families and youth to better support youth with disabilities to realize their individual potential. To accomplish this, we need to work cooperatively with many national-, state-, and community-level agencies and organizations. Whatever the Center takes on must be done with the support, dedication, and commitment of others. David R. Johnson, Ph.D. Director National Center on Secondary Education and Transition For Immediate Release New National Center to Help Students with Disabilities Achieve Successful Futures Minneapolis, Minnesota - Creating opportunities for youth with disabilities to achieve successful futures is the mission and goal of the newly funded National Center on Secondary Education and Transition. The Center is headquartered at the Institute on Community Integration, a research and training center on disability at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Purpose of The Center The Center is funded by a five-year, $9.5 million award from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. The Center will bring together agencies, programs, and individuals from across a wide variety of disciplines to ensure that youth with disabilities leave high school prepared to successfully: * participate in post-secondary education * enter meaningful employment * live independently in the community The Center is a valuable resource for anyone wanting information and resources related to young adults with disabilities and their families. The Center provides information and resources in the following areas: * Middle and high school education, transition services, post-secondary education, training, and employment * Research, best practice models, and work being done by state and national organizations to support youth with disabilities and their families. * Established networks that can assist state and local programs and organizations as they consider improvements in secondary education and transition services. The Center is specifically intended to be a resource for: * Those working in the areas of secondary education and transition, as well as youth-related and youth-serving agencies services at the state and local levels. * Youth with disabilities and their families * Other organizations and agencies working to address the needs of transition-age youth and young adults with and without disabilities. Partnerships with Other Organizations The Center and its work is the product of a partnership between six national organizations. These organizations include: * The Institute on Community Integration (ICI), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. A federally funded research, training, and education Institute focused on disability. * The National Center on the Study of Post-secondary Education Supports at the University of Hawaii - Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii. A federally funded research center that is identifying new strategies to improve participation of youth with disabilities in post-secondary education programs. * TransCen, Inc., Rockville, Maryland. A national employment and training organization for young adults with disabilities. * The Institute for Educational Leadership, Center for Workforce Development, Washington, D.C.. A national organization linking education and the workplace. * The PACER Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota. A nationally recognized organization that promotes and assists families to advocate on behalf of their children with disabilities. * The National Association of State Directors of Special Education, Washington, D.C.. A national organization representing State Directors of Special Education in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. For further information on the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition visit The Center web site at www.ici.umn.edu/ncset or contact The Center at: The Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota Room 6 Pattee Hall, 150 Pillsbury Dr SE, Minneapolis MN 55455 (612) 624-2097 • ncset@ici.mail.coled.umn.edu For Immediate Release New National Center to Help Students with Disabilities Achieve Successful Futures Minneapolis, Minnesota - Creating opportunities for youth with disabilities to achieve successful futures is the mission and goal of the newly funded National Center on Secondary Education and Transition. The Center is headquartered at the Institute on Community Integration, a research and training center on disability at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. The Center is a five-year, $9.5 million technical assistance and information dissemination center funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. The Center will work with a wide range of national, state, and local agencies and organizations to ensure that youth with disabilities: * leave high school prepared to successfully participate in post-secondary education * enter meaningful employment * live independently within their communities The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition is a partnership involving six national organizations. In addition to the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota, the National Center's partners include: * The National Center on the Study of Post-secondary Education Supports at the University of Hawaii - Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii. A federally funded research center that is identifying new strategies to improve participation of youth with disabilities in post-secondary education programs. * TransCen, Inc., Rockville, Maryland. A national employment and training organization for young adults with disabilities. * The Institute for Educational Leadership, Center for Workforce Development, Washington, D.C.. A national organization linking education and the workplace. * The PACER Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota. A nationally recognized organization that promotes and assists families to advocate on behalf of their children with disabilities. * The National Association of State Directors of Special Education, Washington, D.C.. A national organization representing State Directors of Special Education in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. "Today, many more students with disabilities are accessing a general education curriculum and developing the skills necessary to access post-secondary education and meaningful employment following graduation," says David R. Johnson, Director of the National Center. "We know from recent studies," says Johnson, "that many young people with disabilities continue to experience significant difficulties in attempting to achieve these goals following high school." Various national studies report that only 19% of high school graduates with disabilities go on for further education within two years after high school and only 29% of adults with disabilities are in the workforce full- or part-time. Studies have also noted that students with disabilities experience drop-out rates that are much higher than general education students. This often results in substantial unemployment and under-employment, low levels of academic achievement, and limited participation in education beyond high school. The Center will be working with educators and other school staff, employers, youth, and their families to address these and other concerns. For further information on the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition visit The Center website at www.ici.umn.edu/ncset or contact The Center at: The Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota Room 6 Pattee Hall, 150 Pillsbury Dr SE, Minneapolis MN 55455 (612) 624-2097 • ncset@ici.mail.coled.umn.edu YOU ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT.... "Profiles of Leadership" The Youth and Family Participation Technical Assistance Network at the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET) is seeking stories - or "profiles" - that include useful information about a wide variety of youth, young adults, and adults with disabilities and their leadership experiences. The purpose of collecting these profiles is to share this information with young adults with disabilities across the country, as well as professionals working with young adults and their families, to promote development of more leadership activities and experiences. Each profile will contain one individual's ideas about leadership, the qualities they believe make good leaders, and experiences that have positively affected their lives. Profiles will be collected and featured on the NCSET website. To ensure that the information collected is useful to youth, the Youth and Family Participation Technical Assistance Network interviewed youth about their interests. The overwhelming response was that they want to hear from 'leaders' who have encountered barriers to accessing services, had challenges with family issues, and those who have struggled with acceptance of their own disability or that of their friends and peers. Youth want to hear from others who have "made it" and that have moved on to successful futures. Sharing these profiles is a promising start to achieve this goal. What is the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition? The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET) is a newly funded Center headquartered at the University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration. The Institute is a research and training facility on disability issues across the life span. The Center is comprised of six national organizations currently involved in a wide range of efforts focused on the secondary education and transition of youth with disabilities. How can profiles be submitted? There are several different ways to submit a profile. * Self-Nomination * Nomination by a family member, friend, or professional * Contacting the National Center with a request to contact a potential nominee For self-nomination or nomination by others, you may access the profile nomination form on the website at http://ici.umn.edu/ncset. All of the steps to complete a profile are provided. If you would prefer to have the Center contact an individual, please call Julia Washenberger at 612/624-2008 or email at washe004@umn.edu. We are seeking profiles of leaders from a variety of backgrounds and ages. Areas of leadership include but are not limited to: * Community Involvement * Diversity and Culture * Systems Change * Independent Living Individuals being profiled must identify which of the following age categories is applicable to them: * Youth Leader: Ages 14-21 * Young Adult Leader: Ages 22-30 * Adult Leader: Ages 30 and up Those contributing a profile must also have an identified disability as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Once selected, a profile will be reviewed for content and the nominee will be contacted to provide written consent to post this information on the Web. Conclusion Mentors and examples of others who have navigated a path to success and overcome obstacles are essential in promoting successful outcomes for youth. Sharing a successful profile may be the critical step that encourages other youth to become active leaders - not only to enhance their lives - but also to enhance the lives of others. "Next Year I'll Graduate! Persistence, Pride, and Postsecondary Success By Julia Washenberger Next year I will graduate from college. The college experience for me has meant much more than just attending classes and receiving my grades. It has given me a sense of accomplishment growing out of something that, in the past, I had viewed as negative: my learning disability assessment. I have now learned that the assessment was my tool to remove the "blocks" that I had with learning in high school. Now, I am free to do anything that I choose. I have learned that if I apply myself and work very hard I can accomplish more than I ever thought possible. And, I can help others learn more about people with disabilities, and for that I am grateful, I am happy, and I am proud of who I am and will become. I was born with a birth defect called Spina Bifida and have a condition called hydrocephalus. On occasion I can become very sensitive to lights, sounds, and other things that can impair my learning environment. At age 18 I was finally diagnosed with a learning disability. This assessment result gave me the verification and justification I needed to explain what my family and I had known for many years. With this assessment I was able to learn what accommodations I would need for my specific learning style. I went through a curriculum entitled "Become Your Own Expert" by Winnelle Carpenter. Through this I also learned what my rights were in accommodations, and what I would do if the accommodations I needed were not provided within the college setting. And, I learned those things that I could do to accommodate for myself: I could ask for feedback from my instructors on class projects and whether I was on "the right track in accomplishing them. I also learned that my new best friend would become "Post-it" notes to remind me of important things I had to remember. I began my postsecondary education directly after high school at a local community college where a majority of my high school classmates were attending. My case manager from Transition Plus services, which helps connect young people to transition-related resources in the community, helped me to make the connections , such as financial assistance from the Division of Rehabilitation Services, that enabled me to soar into my first experiences in a college setting. I progressed through a year of community college and became so excited about learning! I was excelling in my classes and receiving accommodations and actually learning something that was sticking with me! I was very well connected with the Office for Students with Disabilities, and each semester when planning courses became necessary, I met with staff there who helped guide me and choose the right courses. During this time, though, I wanted to live independently in my own apartment. I knew that I needed education for employment in order to do that, and so decided to go to a technical college. I completed my technical college diploma program within the General Secretary area, and once I became settled in an employment setting I was able to work towards the education that I had always wanted ˆ a Bachelor‚s degree. I am now pursuing my individually-de-signed B.A. at a state university; my degree is focusing on organizational communication and community leadership. In hindsight, there are many things that I wish I had done differently, as well as those that I am really glad that I did in the beginning. In the adult educational system, there is not a coordinated system of information and resource sharing, and I've really found that I've been on my own in making the postsecondary transition work for me. The most important connection I have made has been with the Office for Students with Disabilities at each of the colleges I've attended. At the very beginning I learned that I had to make contact with them they would not seek me out to provide services or accommodations, and my parents could not speak to them or to my teachers to say that I needed more support. I had to do it. The most important things I wish I had learned more quickly are how to do career planning to find the career path I have chosen, how to find scholarships to support the education I chose for myself, and what expectations of me would be while in college. Many of these things can be learned by talking with former students and alumni as well as parents of students now in college. I realize that it is taking me a lot longer to achieve my goals than most people, but I respect my abilities, and myself and I am very proud of what I have accomplished so far. My grades are outstanding and I have achieved much more than I ever thought possible. Not every aspect of school has been easy. I have experienced hesitancy within my instructors and classmates to accept a learning disability as a valid thing; dealing with a physical disability has been much easier than explaining a learning disability that others cannot see. I have struggled with self-imposed barriers as well as structural and life experiences that make it very difficult to concentrate on my studies. But, I have a determination to reach the goals that I have set for myself, and I have promised those who have supported me a big celebration when I reach those goals! Julia Washenberger is a Program Associate with the Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and a graduate of Metropolitan State University, Twin Cities. She may be reached at 612/624-2008 or by e-mail at washe004@tc.umn.edu. This article is reprinted with permission from Impact: Feature Issue on Postsecondary Education Supports for Students with Disabilities, (Spring 2000), vol. 13(1), published by the Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. National Center on Secondary Education and Transition Creating Opportunities for Youth With Disabilities to Achieve Successful Futures Draft January 2001 Discussion Paper Current Challenges Facing the Future of Secondary Education and Transition Services for Youth with Disabilities in the United States This paper is intended to promote discussion among professionals, policymakers, employers, parents, and individuals with disabilities concerning the current and future challenges facing secondary education and transition services nationally. The issues identified and discussed should not, however, be viewed as inclusive of the full range of possible challenges that need to be addressed. This paper: (a) presents findings from research that identifies key issues influencing the implementation of the federal transition requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997 and policies at the state and local levels; (b) examines the impact and implications of recent general education reform initiatives on secondary education and transition services; and (c) presents the major policy, system and other challenges that the Center must begin to address immediately. These challenges have broad implications for special education and its relation-ship with general education and a wide range of community agencies and organizations responsible for supporting youth with disabilities as they make the transition from high school to postsecondary education, employment, independent living options, lifelong learning, and other aspects of adult life. National Perspective on Transition and Youth with Disabilities Since the mid-1980s, the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), has stressed the importance of improving transition services nationally. The federal government has assumed a crucial role in stimulating state and local efforts to improve transition services through a variety of policy, interagency, systems change, model demonstration, and research efforts. Specific language on transition was included in the IDEA of 1990, and again in the IDEA Amendments of 1997. From this federal legislation, regulations were established requiring state and local education agencies specifically to address the school and post-school transition service needs of students with disabilities. These needs would be met through coordinated planning among special education and parents and students, general education, and community service agencies. Much of the rationale for establishing these new provisions was based on the recognition that many young adults with disabilities were exiting high school unprepared for adult life. Follow-up studies conducted on former special education students during the past two decades have consistently documented the limited outcomes achieved by young adults with disabilities as they leave school and attempt to access employment, postsecondary education programs, and adult community services (DeStefano & Wagner, 1991; Halpern, 1990; Hasazi, Gordon, & Roe, 1985; Johnson, McGrew, Bloomberg, Bruininks, & Lin, 1997; Wagner, 1993). Predominant themes emerging from the findings of these and other studies included lower than desired academic achievement levels; high dropout rates; substantial levels of unemployment and underemployment; economic instability, dependence, and social isolation; and low levels of participation in postsecondary education and training programs. The transition services requirements of the IDEA of 1990 and the IDEA Amendments of 1997 were established for the specific purpose of addressing these and other difficulties that youth with disabilities experience as they attempt to prepare for and make the transition to adult life. For nearly two decades, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has sponsored transition research, demonstration, and training initiatives that have resulted in a knowledge-base of essential and promising approaches and strategies for the delivery of transition services for students with disabilities. Advances and innovations in interagency cooperation, access to postsecondary education and training, supported employment, transition planning, student and parental involvement in school and post-school decision making, development of adult living skills, self determination and self advocacy, and the like, are all valued examples of previous and current efforts. These varied approaches and strategies serve as the foundation upon which state and local education agencies, in partnership with community service agencies, parents, and students have based the development of their transition programs and services. Emergent Policy Influences on the Provision of Secondary Education and Transition Services Since the mid-1980s, the efficacy of public education programs has been challenged by policymakers, business leaders, professionals, and the general public. Whether the impetus for reform comes from a perception of "falling behind" our international counterparts (as asserted in A Nation at Risk), not producing youth prepared for the labor market (as in the SCANS report), or "falling short" of providing equitable opportunities to all U.S. children (as in The Forgotten Half ), the consensus seems to be that there are serious things wrong with public education, that the problems are systemic rather than programmatic, and that nothing short of major structural change will fix these problems (Cobb & Johnson, 1997; Thurlow & Johnson, 2000). While these concerns initially focused on improving general education, there are now efforts to closely align special programs with emerging general education reforms (e.g., Testing, Teaching and Learning, Elmore & Rothman, 1999; Educating One and All, McDonnell, McLaughlin, & Morison, 1997). Special education programs have been influenced by several recent federal and state education reforms, including the School to Work Opportunities Act of 1994, Goals 2000: Educate America Act of 1994, and the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994, all of which have promoted comprehensive strategies for improving public school programs for all students, including those from diverse, multicultural backgrounds and situations of poverty. These reforms stress high academic and occupational standards; promote the use of state and local standards-based accountability systems; point to the need to improve teaching through comprehensive professional development programs; and call for broad-based partnerships between schools, employers, postsecondary institutions, parents, and others With the reauthorization of IDEA, significant new requirements were put into place to ensure students greater access to the general education curriculum and assessment systems. IDEA 97 also expanded previous transition requirements by requiring that the individualized education program (IEP) include, at age 14 or earlier, a statement of transition service needs that focus on the student's courses of study (such as participation in advanced-placement courses or vocational education programs). The IEP must also include, beginning at age 16 or younger, a statement of needed transition services and interagency responsibilities or any needed linkages. The current challenge is to integrate and align these transition requirements with other IDEA 97 requirements that give students with disabilities greater access to the general education curriculum and assessment systems. Several recent studies indicate that the implementation of transition service requirements has been too slow, with many states failing to achieve minimal levels of compliance (Hasazi, Furney, & DeStefano, 1999; Johnson & Sharpe, 2000; National Council on Disability, 2000). Areas of greatest noncompliance include having appropriate participants in IEP meetings, providing adequate notice of meetings, and providing a statement of needed services in students' IEPs. These problems have been complicated further by state and local standards-based assessment systems that either fail to include students with disabilities or provide inadequate accommodations that support their participation. Students with disabilities also have trouble in meeting graduation requirements, and concerns are mounting about the relationship between students' academic experiences and the formulation of post-school transition plans that address how students will access postsecondary education, employment, and community living opportunities (Guy, Hyeonsook, Lee, & Thurlow, 1999; Johnson, Sharpe, & Stodden, 2000; Policy Information Clearinghouse, 1997; Stodden & Dowrick, 2000). Limited levels of service coordination and collaboration among schools and community service agencies create difficulties for students with disabilities and families in achieving post-school results. Strategies are desperately needed to help state and local education agencies and community service agencies address the transition service requirements as students access the general curriculum and meet state standards and graduation requirements. Current and Future Challenges Impacting Secondary Education and Transition Services Challenge 1: Ensure students with disabilities access to the full range of secondary education curricular options and learning experiences. IDEA 97 provides many students with disabilities new opportunities to participate in and benefit from a wide array of general education courses and learning experiences. A major goal of accessing the general education curriculum is to prepare students to earn a diploma and help prepare them for adult life (Policy Information Clearinghouse, 1997; U.S. Dept. of Education, 1999). Although the general education curriculum contains both academic (e.g., math, science) and nonacademic (e.g., career education, arts, citizenship) domains, student performance is assessed primarily in academics. As a result, it is not uncommon for portions of the general curriculum as well as transition goals to receive limited or no attention (Hasazi et al., 1999; Warren, 1997). There also may result a narrowing of curriculum and instruction to focus on content assessed in state or local tests and limits on the range of program options for students, due to intensified efforts to concentrate on areas of weakness identified by testing (Education Commission of the States, 1998; Lane, Park, & Stone, 1998; Nelson, 1999; Thurlow & Johnson, 2000). Efforts must be undertaken to ensure that students with disabilities, remain on a full "curriculum" track, with learning expectations that guide the instruction of general education students. IEP teams must work to ensure that high expectations are maintained and students are afforded opportunities to develop skills through a wide range of curriculum options, including vocational education, service learning, community work experience, and adult living skills (Hasazi et al., 1999; Johnson, et al., 2000). Access to the general education curriculum requires more than common standards, the integration of academic and applied learning, and universal design. It also depends on other factors, such as the knowledge and skill levels of educators, appropriate instructional materials and strategies (Boudah, Schumaker, & Deshler, 1997; Carnine, 1995; Kameenui & Carnine, 1994; Tralli, Colombo, Deshler, & Schumaker, 1999), use of accommodations during instruction and testing (Elliott & Thurlow, 2000; Thurlow et al. 1998; Thurlow, House, Scott & Ysseldyke, 2000), and collaboration between general education and special education personnel in designing educational programs for students with disabilities (Knight, 1998; Lenz & Scanlon, 1998 There is a critical need to develop assessment, curriculum, and instructional strategies that are relevant to all students (including those who dropout and have significant learning needs), allowing them to successfully achieve state and local standards, as well as to develop other essential adult life skills through vocational education, training in adult living skills, community participation, and others. Strategies such as "universal design" offer another approach to ensuring that students with disabilities access the full range of learning opportunities in the secondary education curriculum (Jorgensen, 1997; Orkis & McLane, 1998; Rose & Meyer, 1996). Secondary education and transition models are also needed that integrate academic, career, work-based, service learning, and other learning experiences. Such models must be created to address the needs of all students, including those with disabilities and other at-risk characteristics. Students' IEPs must focus on the broadest range of curricula and programs that support students with disabilities in successfully achieving state academic and related standards, as well as developing essential adult-life skills. In addition to the academic focus of the general education curriculum, several additional high school curricular options include: * Community-Based Work Experience: This type of program offers structured, part-time, paid and unpaid opportunities in which students can participate and earn high-school credit. * Vocational Education: Programs of vocational education include vocational courses, paid work experiences, participation in student organizations, and other learning experiences. Increasingly efforts are underway to integrate academic learning with vocational education programs. * Dropout Reentry Programs: These programs are designed for students who have dropped out of school and want to return and complete their high school diploma. These programs typically emphasize a strong base of classroom, as well as experiential, learning, including paid work experiences. * Independent Living Skills Programs: Programs specifically designed to help students to develop daily living skills necessary for living independently in the community. Such programs can be coordinated with local centers for independent living. * Tech Prep Programs: The tech-prep educational path combines math, science, and communication with a strong technical core. Beginning in eleventh grade, tech prep education is a four-year sequence of study that continues into at least two years of postsecondary vocational/technical education. * Service Learning Opportunities: These programs combine experiential education and curricular goals to help students develop skills and knowledge concerning community service/human service career options. Students earn high school credits for graduation in these programs. * Postsecondary Education Options: These programs, offered in several states, allow students, typically in the eleventh and twelfth grades, to take classes at public or private postsecondary institutions, under the guidance of their high school teachers/counselors. Challenge 2: Make high school graduation decisions based on meaningful indicators of students' learning and skills and clarify the implications of different diploma options for students with disabilities Requirements that states set for graduation can range from Carnegie unit requirements (a certain number of class credits earned in specific areas), successfully passing a competency test, high school exit exams, and/or a series of benchmark exams (Thurlow, Ysseldyke, & Anderson, 1995). States may also require almost any combination of these. Diversity in graduation requirements is complicated further by an increasingly diverse set of possible diploma options. In addition the standard high school diploma, options include special education diplomas, certificates of completion, occupational diplomas, and others. Many states have gone all out to improve the passing rates of students with disabilities on state exit exams and in meeting other requirements for graduation. Strategies have included grade-level retention, specialized tutoring and instruction during the school day and after school, and weekend and summer tutoring programs. While these may be viewed as appropriate interventions and strategies, there is little research evidence to suggest that this is the case. Persuasive evidence indicates, for ex-ample, that repeating a grade does not improve the overall achievement of students with disabilities (Allington & McGill-Franzen, 1992; Holmes, 1989). A second concern arises for students who become frustrated at repeated failures on state graduation tests and drop out of school. Dropping out of school is one of the most serious and pervasive problems facing special education programs nationally, yet very little data are presently available on dropout rates among youth with disabilities. The last study of the secondary school experiences of students with disabilities that was man-dated by the US Congress found that approximately 36% exited school by dropping out (Wagner, Newman, D'Amico, Jay, Butler-Naylin, Marder, & Cox, 1991). No studies to date have been conducted to examine the relationship between "high-stakes" assessment practices and related graduation requirements on dropout rates for students with disabilities. There is a critical need to better understand the implications of state graduation requirements, considering the potential negative outcomes students experience when they fail to meet state standards for graduation. There are several challenges that must be addressed in relation to state graduation requirements and the granting of alternative diplomas for students with disabilities. Several of these include the need to: * Promote the use of alternate assessments to support graduation decisions. In addition to meeting state course requirements and/or passing exit examinations, other relevant, multiple sources of information and documentation of student knowledge and skills should be used in making graduation decisions and the granting of diploma options. While alternate assessments are being used by some states as a way for some students to show that they have met graduation requirements, these really don't provide the multiple sources of information needed. Other possible sources might include authentic or performances based assessments, portfolios, or other documentation. * Clarify the implications of developing and granting alternative diploma options for students with disabilities. The question here is whether receiving less than a standard high school diploma may limit a student's access to future postsecondary education and employment opportunities. Currently, most states offer and grant alternative diplomas in addition to the standard high school diploma (Guy, Shin, Lee, & Thurlow, 1999). State and local education agencies need to thoroughly discuss the "meaning" and "rigor" of these alternative diplomas with, at a minimum, postsecondary education program representatives and employers. Consensus must be reached on their use for postsecondary education admissions and in making hiring decisions. * Clarify the implications of different diploma options for continued special education services. It is important for parents and educators to know that if a student graduates from high school with a standard high school diploma, the student is no longer entitled to special education services unless a state or district has a policy about continued services under such circumstances. Most states, however, do not have such policies. Special education and general education teachers should carefully work with students and families to consider what it actually means to receive a high school diploma. In some cases, it may be advisable to delay formal receipt of a standard high school diploma until the conditions (goals and objectives) of the student's IEP have been fully met, including all transition service requirements outlined in IDEA 1997. Challenge 3: Ensure students access to and full participation in postsecondary education, employment, and independent living opportunities Young adults with disabilities still face significant difficulties in securing jobs, accessing postsecondary education, living independently, and fully participating in their communities. With the passage of recent federal legislation (PL 101-336 & PL 105-17) has come an expanding social awareness of accessibility and disability issues surrounding youth with disabilities seeking access to postsecondary education, life long learning and employment (Benz, Doren & Yovanoff, 1998; Stodden, 1998). The number of youth in postsecondary schools reporting a disability has increased dramatically, climbing from 2.6% in 1978, to 9.2% in 1994, to nearly 19% in 1996 (Blackorby & Wagner, 1996; Gajar, 1992, 1998; Wagner & Blackorby, 1996). Since 1990 there has been a 90% increase in the number of colleges/universities, community colleges and vocational technical centers offering opportunities for persons with disabilities to continue their education (Pierangelo & Crane, 1997). Despite this increase in available services, the enrollment of people with disabilities in postsecondary education programs is still 50% lower than the general population. These gaps in educational attainment persist into adult employment (Benz et al., 1998; Blackorby & Wagner, 1996; Gilson, 1996), and are greater with less educational attainment (U.S. Bureau of Census, 1996). Only 15.6% of persons with disabilities with less than a high school diploma participate in today's labor force; the rate doubles to 30.2% for those who have completed high school, triples to 45.1% for those with some postsecondary education, and climbs to 50.3% for disabled persons with at least four years of college (Reskin & Roos, 1990; Yelin & Katz, 1994a, 1994b). The National Center for the Study of Postsecondary Educational Supports (NCSPES), a Rehabilitation, Research and Training Center funded at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, has conducted an extensive program of research focused upon the access, participation, and success of youth with disabilities in postsecondary education and subsequent employment. Phase I of the Strategic Program of Research included: (1) a review and systhesis of the literature regarding students with disabilities in postsecondary education, resulting in an annotated, searchable database of several hundred documents and more than 17 review papers; (2) a national survey of educational support provisions in postsecondary settings (NCSPES, 2000a); (3) a series of national focus groups of students with disabilities in postsecondary education (NCSPES, 2000b); and (4) a number of student-focused case descriptions sharing experiences in postsecondary education. Phase I findings were further synthesized with the input of professionals and consumers (students with disabilities) at a National Research Forum held in Honolulu, Hawaii (Proceedings Summary Report, March 2000), and the National Transition Summit on Young People with Disabilities held in Washington, DC (Summary Report, June 2000). In an effort to move research-based knowledge to practice, NCSPES sought to frame issues concerning students with disabilities and postsecondary education within the following four areas of intervention: * Process and content of preparation received by students with disabilities in lower education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Findings indicate that students need to understand themselves and their disability in relation to needed services and supports, with the ability to describe and advocate for those needs in different postschool educational and employment settings (NCSPES, 2000a). * Manner in which services and supports are made available and provided to students with disabilities in postsecondary programs. Findings indicate the need for models of support provision that are personally responsive, flexible, and individualized, as well as coordinated with instruction and integrated with the overall life support needs of the student (NCSPES, 2000b; Stodden & Dowrick, 2000a). * Coordination and management of educational supports and services with the many other services and supports required by most students with disabilities in postsecondary education. Most students with disabilities have a range of health, human service, transportation, and fiscal needs beyond the educational supports typically provided in postsecondary programs. A significant number of students with disabilities in postsecondary education require case management assistance or the skills, knowledge, and time to manage their own services and supports (NCSPES, 2000a; Stodden & Dowrick, 2000b). * Transition or transfer of educational supports from postsecondary settings to subsequent employment settings. Many students with disabilities completing postsecondary education have difficulty finding subsequent employment in their profession of preparation. Most postsecondary institutions do not facilitate or provide assistance with the transfer of supports to the workplace (NCSPES, 2000a; USA Today, June 2000). Another pressing challenge today is the participation of youth with disabilities in state and local work force development initiatives, such as the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998. WIA services for youth include: (1) establishment of local youth councils, (2) Youth Opportunity Grants that promote employment and training, (3) comprehensive career development services based on individualized assessment and planning, (4) youth connections and access to the one-stop career center system, and (5) performance accountability focused on employment. Strategies must be developed to ensure that youth with disabilities are included in WIA programs. It is well understood that preparation for the transition from high school to postsecondary education, employment, and independent living must begin early, or at least by age 14. It is at this age that students' IEP teams must engage in discussions regarding the types of course work students will need, at a minimum, to be able to enroll in postsecondary education programs, the types of learning options and experiences students will need to develop basic work skills for employment, as well as skills needed for independent living. Specific levels of accommodations and supports a student will need to participate in these post-school environments must also be identified. Prior to the student's graduation from high school, it is the responsibility of the student's IEP team to identify and engage the responsible agencies, re-sources, and accommodations required for the student to successfully achieve positive adult life outcomes. All agencies responsible must: * Ensure that community service agency participation systematically occurs in the development of post-school transition plans. Strategies such as formalizing agency responsibilities through inter-agency agreements or memorandums of understanding, and formalizing follow-up procedures and actions when agencies are unable to attend should be considered. * Engage in integrated service planning. The IEP should be coordinated with the individualized service plans required under other federal and state programs (Title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title XIX of the Social Security Act [Medicaid], Title XVI of the Social Security Act [Supplemental Security Income], and other federal programs). * Provide information to parents on essential health and income maintenance programs. Information on the SSI program, including information on basic program eligibility, 18-year old benefit redeterminations, appeals processes, and use of the SSI work incentives in promoting employment outcomes must be readily accessible to professionals, parents, and students with disabilities. Special education personnel must play a major role in making such information available and assisting parents and students in accessing needed benefits. * Promote collaborative employer engagement. Increased secondary and postsecondary work-based learning opportunities, and ultimately jobs, are predicated on available and willing employers. Vehicles are needed, such as intermediary linking entities that convene and connect schools, service agencies and employers so as to maximize the important learning adjuncts that workplaces represent. Given multiple youth initiatives that typically exist in communities, it is expedient to engage employers through collaborative efforts that minimize the distinction between categories of youth. * Establish partnerships with workforce development entities. The participation of youth and young adults with disabilities, family members, and special education and rehabilitation professionals in state and local workforce development initiatives should be promoted. This is critically important to ensure that initiatives such as the Workforce Investment Act's youth employment programs are fully accessible to individuals with disabilities as they pursue postsecondary education and employment opportunities. Challenge 4: Support student and family participation The importance of student participation has been reinforced by emerging practices in public schools emphasizing the core values of self-determination, personal choice, and shared responsibility. OSEP has played a major role in advancing a wide range of self-determination strategies through sponsored research and demonstration projects. The IDEA 1997 regulations are explicit and require that all special education students age 14 and older are to be invited to their IEP meetings when transition is being discussed. Recent studies have shown that many students are attending their IEP meetings (Hasazi et al., 1999; Johnson & Sharpe, 2000). There remains, however, a significant number who are not involved. This raises obvious concerns as to whether these students are not being extended opportunities for involvement, or are simply choosing not to attend. It is difficult, however, to imagine conditions under which students would not attend their IEP meetings other than by personal choice. Questions must also be raised as to how well prepared these young people feel to participate in and ultimately lead discussions concerning their goals. Parent participation in IEP meetings has been required since the inception of the EHA of 1975. A large part of the discussion in the literature centers around the role of parents as participants in the development of their child's IEP. IDEA 1990 and the 1997 Amendments have also required that state and local education agencies notify parents and encourage their participation when the purpose of the meeting is the consideration of transition services. While existing policies have strongly encouraged the participation of parents, it is less clear how successful these strategies have been in creating "meaningful" and "valued" roles for parents. Because of the critical role that parents play in assisting their children in making the transition from school to adult life, additional attention must be given to establishing strategies and methods needed to actively engage them in discussions and decisions concerning school and post-school options. To improve student and parent participation, there is a need to: * Support students in the development of decision-making, communication, and self-advocacy skills necessary to assume a leadership role in their transition/IEP meetings. Strategies may include offering classes specifically designed to enhance decision-making, efforts to promote self-determination and goal-setting throughout the curriculum, and sending information home to assist parents in preparing their child for participation. Students' goals for self-determination must also be clearly stated within IEPs. Resources should also be committed to large-scale technical assistance and dissemination efforts to ensure that elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide have ready access to relevant information, curricula, and strategies to promote self-determination. * Increase the participation of parents, especially parents from diverse cultural backgrounds and those living in poverty. Research has shown that parent participation in IEPs has generally been passive, principally due to parents' lack for information and training or due to barriers posed by the attitudes and practices of education professionals. It is readily acknowledged that the participation of parents from diverse multicultural and economic backgrounds has been difficult to achieve. Efforts to date to systematically address this have been minimal. Additional outreach and training strategies must be developed and put into place to ensure broader levels of participation among these parents. * Ensure that each Parent Training and Information center (PTI) has the information and capacity to support parents and students in the IEP and transition planning process. These PTIs represent a national network of organizations charged with the responsibility of providing parents information and support in relation to their child's participation in special education. PTIs must be viewed, in part, as a logical and important network for sharing information on the transition service requirements of IDEA 1997. In addition, parents also need information on the juvenile justice systems, appropriate strategies and programs for serving youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities, information on community service programs and their availability, and many other issues. Challenge 5: Improve collaboration and system linkages at all levels The effective use of interagency collaboration and cooperation to address transition needs of youths with disabilities has been difficult to achieve due to widely varying factors, including: (1) lack of shared information on students across agencies, making it virtually impossible to develop integrated service plans that support individuals in achieving school and post-school results (Johnson et al, 2000); (2) lack of follow-up data on program recipients that could be used to improve service effectiveness (Johnson, McGrew, Bloomberg, Bruininks, & Lin, 1997; Stodden & Boone, 1987); (3) lack of adequate attention in IEPs to health insurance, transportation, and other aspects of adult living; (4) lack of systematic transition planning with those agencies that would assume responsibility for post-school service needs (Hasazi et al., 1999; Johnson & Sharpe, 2000); (5) ineffectual interagency agreements (Guy & Schriner, 1997); (6) difficulties in anticipating needed postschool services; (7) inability to define the role of parents and students in decision-making and planning for transition (Furney & Salembier, 1999; Hanline & Halvorsen, 1989); and (8) inefficient and ineffective management practices for establishing interagency teams (Johnson et al., 1987). Despite these problems, interagency collaboration and coordination of services must continue as a major strategy in addressing the needs of youths with disabilities. A wide range of collaborative approaches and models have been part of the ongoing effort to improve transition services and post-school outcomes for youth with disabilities and families for more than two decades. For example, the coordination of services across federal, state, and local agencies is one of the most importance objectives of federal transition policy. Collaboration has also been a central theme in supporting students' access to the general education curriculum. Broad levels of collaboration between general education and special education have been stimulated through recent research and demonstration projects funded by OSEP. Collaboration has also been promoted as a means to achieving more efficient services through interagency resource pooling and cost-sharing, cross-agency training and staff development initiatives, coordinated service planning, and other methods. To improve collaboration at all levels to support the transition of youth with disabilities from school to adult life, there is a need to: * Promote general education and special education collaboration. This would include collaborative models of student assessment, IEP and transition planning, and instruction between general education and special education to promote positive school and post-school outcomes. * Establish cross-agency evaluation and accountability systems. This would include evaluations of school and post-school employment, independent living, and related outcomes of former special education students. * Develop innovative interagency financing strategies. Fiscal disincentives should be removed and waiver options provided to promote cost-sharing and resource-pooling among agencies in making available needed transition services and supports for students with disabilities. * Promote collaborative staff development programs. Approaches such as cross-training, train-the-trainer, team-building, and others involving collaborative relationships between state and local agencies, institutions of higher education, parent centers, and consumer and advocacy organizations must be promoted. References Allington, R., & McGill-Franzen, A. (1992). Does high stakes testing improve school effectiveness? Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 20(2), 179- 190. Benz, M., Doren, B., & Yovanoff, P. (1998). Crossing the great divide: Predicting productive engagement for young women with disabilities. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 62(1), 3-16. Blackorby, J., & Wagner, M. (1996). 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(2000). Improving test performance of students with disabilities in state and district assessments. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Elmore, R. F., & Rothman, R. (1999). Testing teaching and learning: A guide for states and school districts. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Furney, K. S., & Salembier, G. (1999). A review of the literature on parent and student participation in the IEP and transition planning process. Burlington VT: University of Vermont. Gajar, A. (1992). University-based models for students with learning disabilities: The Pennsylvania State University in Mode. In F. R. Rusch, L. DeStefano, J.G. Chadsey-Rusch, L. A. Phelps, & E. Szymanski (Eds.), Transition from school to adult life: Models, linkages, and policy. Sycamore, IL: Sycamore Publishing Company. Gajar, A. (1998). Postsecondary education. In F. R. Rusch & J. G. Chadsey-Rusch, (Eds.), Beyond high school: Transition from school to work. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company. Gilson, S. F. (1996). 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Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration. Johnson, D. R., McGrew, K., Bloomberg, L., Bruininks, R. H., & Lin, H. C. (1997). Policy research brief: A national perspective on the postschool outcomes and community adjustment of individuals with severe disabilities. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration. Johnson, D. R., & Sharpe, M. N. (in press). Analysis of local education agency efforts to implement the transition service requirements of IDEA of 1990. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration. Johnson, D. R., Sharpe, M., & Stodden, R. (2000). The transition to postsecondary education for students with disabilities. IMPACT. Minneapolis MN: Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota. Johnson, D. R., Bruininks, R. H., & Thurlow, M. L. (1987). Meeting the challenge of transition service planning through improved interagency cooperation. Exceptional Children, 53(6), 522-530. Jorgensen, C. (July 1997). Curriculum and its impact on inclusion and the achievement of students with disabili-ties. Issue Brief 2(2). Pittsburgh, PA: Allegheny University of the Health Sciences, Consortium on Inclusive School Practices. Kameenui, E., & Carnine, D. (Eds) (1994). Educational tasks for diverse learners. Columbus OH: Merrill Publishing. Knight, J. (1998). Do schools have learning disabilities? Focus on Exceptional Children, 30(9), 1-14. Lane, S., Park, C. S., & Stone, C. (1998). A framework for evaluating the consequences of assessment programs. Educational Measurement, 17(2), 24-28. Lenz, B. K., & Scanlon, D. (1998). SMARTER Teaching: Developing accommodations to reduce cognitive barriers to learning for individuals with learning disabilities. Perspectives, 24(3), 16-19. McDonnell, L. M., McLaughlin, M. J., & Morison, P. (Eds.). (1997). Educating one & all: Students with disabilities and standards-based reform. 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Technical Report: Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students with Disabilities: Focus Group Discussions on Supports and Barriers to Life-long Learning. National Center for the Study of Postsecondary Educational Supports (NCSPES), Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Hawaii at Manoa. NCSPES (2000b). Technical Report: National Survey of Educational Support Provision to Students with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education Settings. National Center for the Study of Postsecondary Educational Supports (NCSPES), Honolulu, Hawaii: University of Hawaii at Manoa. Orkis, R., & McLane, K. (1998). A curriculum every student can use: Design principles for student access. Reston, VA: ERIC/OSEP Special Project, Council for Exceptional Children. Pierangelo, R., & Crane, R. (1997). Complete guide to special education transition services. West Nyack, NY: The Center for Applied Research in Education. Policy Information Clearinghouse (1997). Students with disabilities and high school graduation policies. Policy Update 5 (6). Alexandria, VA: National Association of State Boards of Education. Reskin, B., & Roos, P. (1990). Job queues. Gender queues. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press. Rose, D., & Meyer A. (1996). Expanding the literacy toolbox (Literacy Research Paper 11). New York: Scholastic. SCANS (June 1991). What work requires of schools: A SCANS report for America 2000. Washington, DC: Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, U.S. Department of Labor. Stodden, R. A., & Boone, R. (1987). Assessing transition services for handicapped youth: A cooperative interagency approach. Exceptional Children, 53(6), 537-545. Stodden, R.A. & Dowrick, P. (2000a) The present and future of postsecondary education for adults with disabilities. IMPACT, 13 (1), 4-5. Minneapolis MN: Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota. Stodden, R.A. & Dowrick, P.W.(2000b). Postsecondary education and employment of adults with disabilities. American Rehabilitation, 24(3). Thomas, Karen (June 2000). Disabled youths seek power over eduction. USA Today, Arlington, VA.; June 22, 2000, 10.D. Thurlow, M. L., Elliott, J. L., & Ysseldyke, J. E. (1998). Testing students with disabilities: Practical strategies for complying with district and state requirements. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Thurlow, M. L., House, A., Boys, C., Scott, D., & Ysseldyke, J. E. (2000). 1999 state assessment policies for students with disabilities: Participation and accommodations. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes. Thurlow, M. L., & Johnson, D. R. (2000). High stakes testing for students with disabilities. Journal of Teacher Education, 51(4), 289-298. Thurlow, M., Ysseldyke, J., & Anderson, A. (1995). High school graduation requirements: What's happening for students with disabilities? Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes. Tralli, R., Colombo, B., Deshler, D. D., & Schumaker, J.B. (1999). The strategic intervention model: A model for supported inclusion at the secondary level. In S. Graham, K. R. Harris, & M. Pressley (Series Eds.) & D. D. Deshler, J. Schumaker, K. R. Harris, & S. Graham (Vol. Eds.) Advances in teaching and learning: Vol. 2 Teaching every adolescent every day: Learning in diverse middle & high school classrooms, (pp. 250-280) Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books. U.S. Department of Education. (1999). FY 2000 budget report: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services [On-line], Appendix Table 2g. Available: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/Budget00/ BudgetSumm/apndx-2g.html Wagner, M. (1993). The transition experiences of young people with disabilities: Implications for policy and programs. Menlo Park CA: SRI International. Wagner, M., & Blackorby, J. (1996). Transition from high school to work or college: How special education students fare. The Future of Children: Special Education for Students with Disabilities, 6(1) 103-120. Wagner, M., Newman, L., D'Amico, R., Jay, E. D., Butler-Nalin, P., Marder, C. & Cox, R. (1991). Youth with disabilities: How are they doing? The first comprehensive report from the national longitudinal transition study of special education students. SRI International (Contract 300-87-0054). Washington, DC: US. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. Warren, S. (April 1997). Building school-based capacity to sustain change in special education practices. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association, San Diego, CA. Yelin, E., & Katz P. (1994a). Labor force trends of persons with and without disabilities. Monthly Labor Review, 117, 36-42. The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition is a partnership of the Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota; RRTC/National Center on the Study of Postsecondary Education Supports, University of Hawaii; TransCen, Inc.; PACER Center of Minnesota; Institute for Educational Leader-ship, Center for Workforce Development; National Association of State Directors of Special Education; and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. This paper is based, in part, on a synthesis of research funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to the National Transition Network at the University of Minnesota (H158M50001) and prepared by the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition for Youth with Disabilities (H326J000005). The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Minnesota or their funding sources. For further information contact: David R. Johnson, Project Director National Center on Secondary Education and Transition University of Minnesota 102 Pattee Hall 150 Pillsbury Drive SE Minneapolis, MN 55455 612-624-2097 (phone) 612-624-8279 (fax) johns006@tc.umn.edu Leadership in Transition A 5-Part Module of Education and Training for Young Adults with Disabilities LEADERSHIP IN TRANSITION A 5-PART MODULE OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR YOUNG ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES Developed by The Metropolitan Center for Independent Living 1600 University Avenue, West, Suite 16 St. Paul, Minnesota 55104 651-646-8342 651-646-2001 TTY 651-603-2006 Fax Developed and Prepared by: David Hancox, Executive Director Review and Edit by: Paula Grodecki, Transition Manager Production Support by: Karina Wohlfeil, Communication and Support The following materials were develop with federal funding via a Statewide Improvement Grant (SIG) from the US Department of Education, and administered by the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning. LEADERSHIP IN TRANSITION SESSION 1 --Independent Living Philosophy and Self-Advocacy This module will acquaint the participants with the IL philosophy and provide insight and competency to aid in developing self-advocacy skills. SESSION 2 --Self-Advocacy, Self-Determination and Decision Making Skills This module will provide specific skill building exercises to enable participants to develop the skills described. SESSION 3 --Assertiveness Skills and How to Be An Effective Team Member This module will combine earlier lessons with new competencies in personal assertiveness, and will focus on the student's role in the IEP meeting. SESSION 4 --Employment This session will acquaint participants with different employment options, and with the rehab services system to assist in preparing for and locating successful employment opportunities. SESSION 5 --Post-Secondary Education Options and Technology This module will allow students to gain new knowledge and awareness of post secondary options available to them, and how technology can be used to enhance their personal and employment opportunities. LEADERSHIP IN TRANSITION SESSION I-Independent Living Philosophy and Self-Advocacy Metropolitan Center for Independent Living 1600 University Avenue, West, Suite 16 St. Paul, Minnesota 55104 651-646-8342 HOUR TOPIC PRESENTER 1 Goals of Training CIL Staff * Review competencies * Review expectations * Review ground rules 2-3 IL Philosophy CIL Staff * History of IL Movement * Composition of IL Services * Relation to Self-Advocacy * Role of Consumer Self-Advocacy Break 4 Definition of Disability CIL Staff * ADA/IDEA * Relevance to participants Session I Competencies/Expectations: 1. Students will be able to describe the Independent Living movement, it correlation to the Rehab Services role, and its variance from the Rehab Services philosophy. 2. Students will be able to describe the protections provided them as employees and citizens by the ADA/IDEA. Methodologies: 1. Lecture/group discussion 2. Video presentation Materials: 1. Handout materials related to the independent living philosophy and history. 2. Handout materials related to IDEA/ADA. 3. Overhead material to be used as a teaching aid. 4. Video material related to the IL movement. Resources: 1. Overhead projector and screen 2. White board/flip chart 3. Video and monitor. Session I: Facilitator's Discussion Guide Sheet Hour 1 Using an overhead and transparency, verbally review the ground rules with the participants. You may encourage their comments to ensure understanding. Using an overhead and transparency, verbally review the competencies to be covered in each of the sessions. You may encourage questions and comments to ensure understanding. Using a flip chart or white board, encourage participants to share their expectations of what they hope to gain individually from participating in Leadership in Transition. Record their responses on the flip chart or white board; creating a list that is visible to all participants. Hour 2-3 View the video, "Wheels in Motion", to provide a historical look at the origination of the IL movement, and to show examples of the services provided by a CIL. Using staff from the CIL, provide discussion and information about the services specific to their local CIL. You may use staff from the various disciplines to provide this information. These presentations should include a clear description of the role of consumers in the operation and management of the CIL. Hour 4 Using an overhead and transparencies, provide basic, introductory information about the ADA and IDEA, their historical context, intention, and the impacts of each since implementation. Participants should be engaged in discussion to describe ways in which the ADA has relevance in their lives. The hour will also be used to conduct an evaluation. Session 1: ATTACHMENTS Overhead originals Center for Independent Living Civil Rights Era: Fair Housing Act Civil Rights Act of 1964 Enactment of ADA Scope of Coverage Disability Rights Law Definition of Disability Essential Job Function Reasonable Accommodation Video Cassette: Wheels in Motion Handouts The Movement for Independent Living: A Brief History Myths About Advocacy Student Rights/Student Responsibilities Development of The Independent Living Philosophy Watch Your Language Evaluation Form LEADERSHIP IN TRANSITION SESSION 2-Self-Advocacy, Self-Determination and Decision Making Skills Metropolitan Center for Independent Living 1600 University Avenue, West, Suite 16 St. Paul, Minnesota 55114 651-646-8342 HOUR TOPIC PRESENTER 1 Defining Self-Advocacy TBA (Consumer) * Discuss and define self-advocacy & CIL Staff * Present and discuss examples 2 Decision making skills TBA * Components of effective decision making * Present "case" examples * Role play decision making skills Break 3 Defining Self-Determination TBA * What is "self-determination" * Present and discuss examples 4 Role Play Activities CIL Staff * Review self-advocacy * Review Decision-making * Review Self-determination Session 2 Competencies/Expectations: 1. Students will be able to define self-determination, and provide examples with a personal reference. 2. Students will identify and demonstrate effective decision-making strategies and self-advocacy skills. Methodologies: 1. Lecture/group discussion 2. Role play activities Materials: 1. Handouts related to steps to effective decision making processes. 2. Handouts related to assertiveness vs. aggressiveness in self-advocacy. 3. Overheads to be used for discussion purposes. 4. Written role-play scenarios. Resources: 1. Overhead and projector 2. White board/flipchart Session 2: Facilitator's Discussion Guide Sheet Hour 1 Allow participants to view video, "Tools For Change: Self-Advocacy: Freedom, Equality and Justice for All." After viewing process the video with participants by asking them to identify highlights, important points, or elements of the video that left a strong impression on them. (You may wish to develop a specific list of questions for the group to respond to.) Using a white board or flip chart, ask participants to define "self-advocacy". Record the responses on the flip chart or white board so that all participants can see the responses. Discuss the responses and how they might be relevant to the participants. Hour 2 Using handouts and overheads as a guide, discuss the importance of the elements of decision-making. Ask the participants to provide personal examples of good and bad decisions in their lives, and dissect these examples to examine for the presence or absence of those "elements of decision making." Use one or two of the provided scenarios to role a decision making experience. Hour 3 Using handouts and overheads, Hour 4 Use one or two of the scenarios provided to review the topics using role-play activities. The hour will also be used to conduct an evaluation. Session 2: ATTACHEMENTS Video Cassette: Tools for Change: Self Advocacy: Freedom, Equality and Justice for All Handouts: Senarios1-5 Tools For Change (Both Sets) Evaluation Form LEADERSHIP IN TRANSITION SESSION 3-Assertiveness Skills and How to Be An Effective Team Member Metropolitan Center for Independent Living 1600 University Avenue, West, Suite 16 St. Paul, Minnesota 55114 651-646-8342 HOUR TOPIC PRESENTER 1-2 Assertiveness Skills TBA * Defining Assertiveness * Assertiveness vs. Aggressiveness * Present and Review examples Role Play Assertiveness Scenarios Break 3 "Team" Meetings TBA/Transition * Different Team Meetings (IEP, IHP) staff * Role and function of Team Meetings * Team members role and function * Consumer/student role 4 Role Play Team Meetings TBA/Transition Staff Session 3 Competencies/Expectations: 1. Students will, through assertiveness skill enhancement, be enable to participate more fully in their personal IEP/Transition Plan process. 2. Students will be able to describe the role of the IEP and its importance in the transition process. 3. Students will effectively role-play an IEP experience. Methodologies: 1. Lecture and group discussion 2. Role play activities Materials: 1. Handouts related to the difference between assertiveness and aggressiveness when representing oneself in an IEP/Transition team meeting. 2. Overhead materials to aid in discussion. Resources: 1. Overhead projector/screen 2. Whiteboard/flipchart Session 3: Facilitator's Discussion Guide Sheet Hour 1-2 Using the white board or flip chart, ask participants to define assertiveness, and record their responses. You may wish to ask them to provide examples from their personal experiences. After doing so, ask them to define aggressiveness, again with examples from their personal experiences. While they are providing these examples, you should interject comments design to draw distinction between the two. The Facilitator should also be prepared to provide examples of contrast between assertiveness and aggressiveness, in the absence of suggestions or examples from participants. You may wish to provide brief role-play examples as well. Using handouts, review the differences between assertiveness and aggressiveness, and the consumer's "Bill of Assertiveness Rights." Hour 3-4 Facilitator should begin this time by having the participants fill out the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument @. This is a simple tool to allow the participants to determine a general idea of their conflict resolution "personality." For example, if a participant scores high in any one particular area, he or she may want to explore ways to find more balance in their negotiation skills. And, keep in mind, these negotiation skills can be used as they attempt to better represent themselves in IEP (or similar) meetings, in employment situations, disputes with friends, etc... Facilitator should use overheads and handouts to review the steps of how to be an effective advocate and get what you need from team meetings. This would include defining the role of the "chair", and the consumer's role in the team meeting. Facilitate the role-play of a team meeting. You may use the Group Problem Solving Exercise on the handout "How to Be An Effective Advocate". Each participant should be assigned a different role to play in the team meeting (i.e. consumer, parent, school personnel, case manager, advocate, etc...) The group should be assigned a topic (single topic) to prepare to discuss, and should be given time to prepare briefly for their role. The Facilitator and colleagues should be readily available to assist the participants, and to answer their questions about their role and ways to present their positions. The facilitator may also wish to review the IEP related handouts. The hour will also be used to conduct an evaluation. Session 3: ATTACHEMENTS Handouts How To Be An Effective Advocate Bill of Assertiveness Rights Assertiveness is ...Assertiveness Is Not Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument and Score Sheet Tips for Effective Negotiation Approaches to Conflict What Is An IEP The Dignity of Risk IEP Comfort and Success Evaluation Form LEADERSHIP IN TRANSITION SESSION 4--Employment Metropolitan Center for Independent Living 1600 University Avenue, West, Suite 16 St. Paul, Minnesota 55114 651-646-8342 HOUR TOPIC PRESENTER 1 Employment CIL Staff * Goals of participants * Where to look for employment * Identify employment skills 2 Rehab Services Rehab Sers. Staff * Identify services available * Describe how to access * Appropriate expectations Break 3, 4 Rehab Services (cont.) Rehab Sers. Staff * One stop shop * Workforce Development Centers * Tour * * It is my hope that all or the majority of this day might be spent at a metro area workforce development center. This would provide the students with "hands on" experience with the center, and will alleviate any apprehensions they may have about approaching the center or rehab staff about services and opportunities. The hour will also be used to conduct an evaluation. Session 4 Competencies/Expectations: 1. Students will be able to identify various forms of employment available to them (i.e. sheltered employment, supported employment, competitive employment) 2. Students will recognize and be able to describe other "tools" to be used as part of the Rehab Services experience (i.e. ERWI's, PASS plans, IL Plans, etc....). 3. Students will be able to describe the various services available through the Vocational Rehabilitation Bureau, how to access these services, and to ensure consumer satisfaction with these services. 4. Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for themselves effectively in the design, development, and implementation of their Rehab Plan with a representative of the Rehab. Services Bureau Methodologies: 1. Lecture/group discussion. 2. Site visit and description of Workforce Development Center. 3. Presentations from Rehab Services Counselors/staff. Materials: 1. Handouts describing the services of the Rehab Services Bureau. 2. Handouts describing the various resources available to the consumer. 3. Listing of all metro area Workforce Centers, along with names of appropriate contact people. Resources: 1. Overhead projector/screen 2. Whiteboard/flipchart. Session 4: Facilitator's Discussion Guide Sheet Hour 1 Generate a group discussion by asking participants to share and discuss their personal employment goals. Using this information, a further discussion can take place with the participants regarding where to look for employment opportunities (i.e. newspapers, employment agencies, personal networks, guidance counselors, etc...). Finally, in this hour the facilitator can also present a brief role-play on interview skills. A discussion of various employment options (i.e. competitive employment, job coaching, supported employment, sheltered employment) should be a part of the first hour discussion to ensure that participants are aware of the opportunities that might eventually be presented to them. Hour 2 Rehab Services staff should be present to provide detailed information about the services available to young adults with disabilities via RSB. They should describe to participants how one acquires a RSB Counselor, what the role of the counselor should be, and the services that they might appropriately expect to receive from RSB. This discussion should also include the role of RSB in interacting with other community-based entities. Hour 3-4 Continuing discussion of the role of RSB by providing specific information on One Stop Shops and Workforce Development Centers. A tour of a WDC and description of the various services available at the site would be appropriate. The hour will also be used to conduct an evaluation. Session 4: ATTACHMENTS Handouts Making Work Pay Evaluation Form * RSB staff will no doubt provide additional handouts. LEADERSHIP IN TRANSITION SESSION 5-Post-Secondary Education Options and Technology Metropolitan Center for Independent Living 1600 University Avenue, West, Suite 16 St. Paul, Minnesota 55114 651-646-8342 HOUR TOPIC PRESENTER 1 Technology Star Project Staff * Employment related technology * How to Access 2 Post Secondary Education Options U of M Staff * Identification of options * Resources available to Post- Secondary education students Break 3 Resources for Post Secondary CFL Staff * IDEA * Others 4 Community Resources CIL Staff Wrap Up and Evaluation CIL Staff Session 5 Competencies/Expectations: 1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of various types of state-of-the-art technologies for people with severe physical disabilities that would be applicable to adapting the work or post secondary environment, and how to access these services. 2. Students will be able to identify various state and nonprofit agencies, and the services they provide relative to transition in post secondary settings, employment, case management, and general community living. Methodologies: 1. Lecture/group discussion 2. Presentations from professionals in post secondary education and case management. 3. Presentation from an individual knowledgeable in searching and identifying community resources. Materials: 1. Handouts describing various types of available technology and contact numbers to access such resources. 2. Handouts detailing disability student services role and responsibilities at post secondary settings. 3. Resource list of metro area disability services resources. Resources: 1. Overhead projector/screen. 2. Whiteboard/flipchart. Session 5: Facilitator Discussion Guide Sheet Hour 1 Invite a member of the STAR project staff to visit with the participants and provide detailed information regarding technology assistance that is available, how to access it for work related use, and the various SSI options available to assist in acquiring the technology (i.e. 1619 a and b; ERWIs, PASS plans, etc...) Hour 2 Invite U of M staff (perhaps from ICI or the Student Services Center) to discuss post secondary options for young adults with disabilities, and the types of accommodations that they should reasonably expect to have available to them. Hour 3 Staff from MN Dept of CFL will be present to discuss resources available for post secondary settings. They should be prepared to discuss post secondary options, how to continue to use the IEP in the post secondary setting, how to secure financial aid, and other pertinent information. Hour 4 IL staff will provide information about community resources that are available to individuals with disabilities, and provide and review a contact sheet listing those resources. The hour will also be used to conduct an evaluation and provide recognition of participant's successful completion of activities. Session 5: ATTACHMENTS Handouts The Americans with Disabilities Act: Questions and Answers A Guide to Disability Rights Law The Americans with Disabilities Act: Your Employment Rights as an Individual with a Disability Checklist for Existing Facilities Evaluation Form YIELD THE POWER Project YIELD THE POWER Project EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Access Living is now in its first year of the innovative and progressive two-year project, YIELD (YOUTH for INTEGRATION through EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP and DISCOVERY) THE POWER. The YIELD project is one of seven U.S. Department of Labor-funded demonstration grants intended to increase the participation of youth with disabilities in mainstream workforce development activities. The YIELD project is specifically designed to create systems change and program improvements that will enable various youth programs to effectively integrate and serve youth with disabilities. The mechanisms to achieve these goals include: (1) leveraging linkages with the 53 Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funded local initiatives that provide employment services to young people throughout the city with an interest in systems change of targeted agencies' policies and program practices; and (2) ensuring that the integration of these existing programs is directed and led by young people with disabilities themselves who have been trained in Independent Living (IL) history and philosophy, demonstrate improved self-advocacy skills, and are prepared for the difficult task of integrating segregated systems. Ensuring the meaningful integration and participation of young adults with disabilities in WIA youth programs requires more than basic compliance with technical, legal requirements related to barrier removal. As the experience with school desegregation in the second half of the twentieth-century taught, it is not enough to simply throw students from one cultural background into an unfamiliar - and often hostile - environment with students from another cultural background and expect them to adjust and succeed accordingly. Reversing the historical trend of segregation, unemployment, and ineffective transition planning for youth with disabilities requires that close attention be paid to issues of accessibility in the broadest sense of the term, which - as the literature indicates - includes cultural accessibility. According to many of the leading researchers in the field of youth development, a strong sense of cultural identity and pride, and a connection with one's heritage and community are two of the main factors that contribute to the success of minority youth in the areas of education and employment. Unlike other minority youth, however, many young people with disabilities do not have the benefit of a generational transfer of disability history and culture through the family structure, a fact which mitigates against the formation of a positive sense of cultural identity and pride. As the political scientist, Harlan Hahn, has noted, "One of the most important problems facing the political struggle of people with disabilities is the necessity of developing a positive sense of identity." Promoting a system-wide increase in the participation of youth with disabilities in existing youth employment-readiness programs, therefore, requires a great deal more in terms of access and cultural understanding than might be expected. Youth with disabilities who have a well-developed sense of cultural identity and pride will be better prepared to participate in existing youth employment development programs, and enter the mainstream work force with the knowledge and skills necessary to become independent and contributing members of the community. Given the high correlation between educational/vocational success and a strong sense of cultural identity, Access Living has responded to this challenge with the creation of an extremely innovative project, the YIELD the Power project, that not only addresses the lack of cultural identification and pride among disabled youth, but also adheres to a fundamental requirement of any successful youth-change effort, the requirement that the program be directed and led by youth with disabilities themselves. In collaboration with the National Council on Independent Living, the Great Lakes ADA Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), and two of the city of Chicago's departments - the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) and the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development (MOWD), YIELD project staff will prepare young people with disabilities to INTEGRATE existing WIA youth employment-readiness programs by: 1. Providing LEADERSHIP and organizing training to one hundred youth with disabilities over the course of two years that includes: (a) information about the disability rights movement and the importance of cross-disability, cross-community organizing, (b) the development of leadership and organizing skills, (c) the opportunity to explore issues related to race, gender, sexuality, sexual orientation, age, class, and disability, and (d) support in gaining a more positive sense of self and disability identity; 2. Empowering YIELD project trainees to EDUCATE existing WIA youth programs through two youth-led Adult Education Conferences, and undertake systems change within those programs through on-going networking, advocacy, and technical assistance; and 3. Promoting DISCOVERY of new information through extensive research and evaluation activities that will provide: (a) input to existing youth programs on policies and best practices, (b) quantitative and qualitative feedback to the Principle Investigator to enhance data collection and program assessment/refinement efforts, and (c) an opportunity for the youth participants to "evaluate the evaluators," and learn to question the role of assessment/evaluation in their lives through extensive use of participatory action research methodology throughout the project. The central role played in the YIELD project by the population directly impacted - youth with disabilities - is what makes this project innovative. The project design recognizes, and directly incorporates, the understanding that the key to making substantive change is getting power into the hands of the people directly affected by a problem so that they can exercise their power to solve that problem. The YIELD project is directed and led by a paid Youth Advisory Board comprised of seven disabled youth, and every member of the project staff is a young adult with a disability under the age of 30 who grew up with their disability. The one hundred youth trainees of the YIELD project, furthermore, will have the opportunity to desegregate, integrate, and participate in existing employment-readiness programs for youth in the Chicago area, thereby gaining extensive self-advocacy skills while also increasing their interest in education, future careers, and community involvement. The trainees will enter these programs knowing what questions to ask, what information and policies to look for, and what barriers presently exist in WIA funded and other youth programs. Ed Roberts, one of founding members of the disability civil rights movement, once said, "We will not tolerate another generation of young people with disabilities going through segregated education, segregated society, being dependent on their parents and public aid. We can make a difference in their future." Through the YIELD the Power Project, Access Living is empowering young people with disabilities to fight the continued "ghettoization" of disabled youth into segregated systems. Youth with disabilities in the YIELD project are the ones making a difference in their own future, the true meaning of IL philosophy and youth-led social change. YIELD THE POWER! JOIN YIELD the Power Project! Youth for Integration through Education, Leadership, and Discovery. (. Learn about the disability rights movement and how it relates to civil rights (. Develop valuable leadership and advocacy skills (. Fulfill service learning requirement for graduation (. Food & accommodations provided! Who? People with disabilities between the ages of 14 and 21. What? Access Living 's Y.I.E.L.D. the Power Project: a 16- week intensive leadership and organizing training. When? Every Saturday for 16 weeks starting March 2nd, 2002. Four 16 week trainings will be held over the course of the next two years. (. March 2, 2002- June 15, 2002 (. August 3, 2002- November 30, 2002 (. January 4, 2003- April 19, 2003 (. May 3, 2003- August 23, 2003 Where? Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago 614 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago IL 60607 What do these people have in common? To the PEOPLE! The Power Organization Not Fit.? PHAT. fight the power... For more information, contact Marketoe Day (312) 253-7000 (voice) (312) 253-0332 (TTY) yieldinfo@accessliving.org or www.yieldthepower.org Find Out yOUR History, The History of Disability Civil Rights Curtis Mayfield: paraplegic Abraham Lincoln: Depression Cher: Learning Dis.ability Ray Charles: blind Helen Keller: blind, deaf Bill Clinton: hearing impairment Tom Cruise: learning dis. Lou Ferrigno: hearing impairment Emily Dickinson: Depression Harriet Tubman: epilepsy Whoopi Goldberg: learning dis. Einstein: learning dis. Frida Kahlo: polio Mary Wells: muscular dystrophy Gabrielle: weak eyelid Mohammad Ali: Parkinson's Disease Billy Barty: short stature Aristotle: epilepsy FDR: polio Sammy Davis Jr.: blind James Earl Jones: speech impairment Gary Coleman: short stature Marilyn Monroe: speech impairment Janet Reno: Parkinson's disease Applications are now being accepted for Access Living's YIELD THE POWER Project (Youth for Integration through Education, Leadership, and Discovery) WHO: Young people with disabilities between the ages of 14 and 21 WHAT: 16 week intensive leadership and organizing training project for young people with disabilities that includes: * the development of leadership and organizing skills through experiential learning * increased knowledge of the disability rights movement and cross-disability organizing * the opportunity to explore disability in the context of race, gender, sexuality, sexual orientation, age, and class * the chance to come together with other young people with disabilities and get more involved in the disability civil rights movement * FREE FOOD!! * PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROJECT FULFILLS THE SERVICE LEARNING REQUIREMENT FOR GRADUATION!! WHEN: Every Saturday for 16 weeks starting in March 4 trainings will be held over the course of the next two years: * TRAINING #1: March 2, 2002 through June 15, 2002 * TRAINING #2: August 3, 2002 through November 30, 2002 * TRAINING #3: January 4, 2003 through April 19, 2003 * TRAINING #4: May 3, 2003 through August 23, 2003 WHERE: Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago, 614 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL 60607 For more information, call 312-253-7000 x 186 (voice), 312-253-0332 (TTY), 312-253-7001 (fax), yieldinfo@accessliving.org (e-mail), or www.yieldthepower.org (URL) 10/29/01 Job Posting Youth Leadership and Organizing Coordinator Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago, a Center for Independent Living, seeks a full-time Youth Leadership and Organizing Coordinator for its innovative and progressive two-year project, YIELD (Youth for Integration through Education, Leadership, and Discovery) THE POWER. The YIELD project is part of a two-year U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability and Employment Policy, innovative demonstration grant for youth with disabilities designed to increase the participation of youth with disabilities in mainstream workforce development activities. This position involves the development and implementation of a leadership, organizing, and independent living skills training program for one hundred youth with disabilities, ages 14-21, over the course of two years. In addition to setting up the program, the Coordinator will be responsible for conducting four 16-week leadership/organizing trainings using an existing youth leadership and organizing curriculum, and replication/dissemination of the curriculum. The position requires some local and out-of-town travel, as well as working on Saturdays. Applicants with experience working with young people, as peers or allies, is preferred. We are seeking applicants with group facilitation skills and familiarity with the disability rights movement and/or independent living movement. This position is particularly suited for individuals who are committed to youth-led social change. People with disabilities, and members of other minority communities, are highly encouraged to apply. Access Living offers excellent medical and vacation benefits. Interested Candidates should mail or fax a resume and cover letter to: Sarah Triano Youth and Education Team Leader/ YIELD The Power Project Director Access Living 614 West Roosevelt Road Chicago, IL 60607 (312) 253-7000 (phone) (312) 253-7001 (fax) (312) 253-7002 (tty) sarah@accessliving.org THE POWER!! 10/29/01 Job Posting Youth Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago, a Center for Independent Living, seeks a full-time Youth Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator for its innovative and progressive two-year project, YIELD (Youth for Integration through Education, Leadership, and Discovery) THE POWER. The YIELD project is part of a two-year U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability and Employment Policy, innovative demonstration grant for youth with disabilities designed to increase the participation of youth with disabilities in mainstream workforce development activities. This position involves enhancing the capacity of existing Work Investment Act (WIA) Title I Youth programs in Chicago to integrate and serve youth with disabilities; assisting selected youth trainees of the YIELD project to lead and coordinate these efforts; and providing support to YIELD trainees who enter and participate in these, and other, mainstream youth programs. The position requires some local and out-of-town travel, as well as working some Saturdays. Experience working with young people (as peers or allies), knowledge of disability civil rights laws (ADA, 504, and IDEA), and familiarity with the disability rights movement and/or independent living movement is preferred. This position is particularly suited for individuals who are committed to youth-led social change. People with disabilities, and members of other minority communities, are highly encouraged to apply. Access Living offers excellent medical and vacation benefits. Interested Candidates should mail or fax a resume and cover letter to: Sarah Triano Youth and Education Team Leader/ YIELD the Power Project Director Access Living 614 West Roosevelt Road Chicago, IL 60607 (312) 253-7000 (phone) (312) 253-70