IVRS Local School Plan Survey

Due March 15, 2023

IVRS Local School Plans outline the responsibilities of the Local Education Agency (LEA), Area Education Agency (AEA), Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS), Iowa Department for the Blind (IDB), and other partners involved in providing Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) and other transition services within the school district. This Local School Plan Survey is designed to help your local school team identify strengths and needs for future planning for the Local School Plan.

A survey should be completed by each team member (school administrators, special education teachers, AEA staff, anyone involved in the Local School Plan development) per high school, so more than one survey will need to be completed if you participate on more than one local school team. This survey will close on March 15th. The results of the survey will be compiled and your IVRS staff representative will share the results with the team.

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GPAEA Transition Community Network

April 20, 2023

3:30 - 4:30

Zoom link

Please join us for our final Transition Community Network of the 2022-23 school year. Topics will include the Iowa Transition Playbook (presented by Amanda Brink, Michelle Ryan and Kate Cole from the GP Future Ready Iowa team) and the soon-to-be released GPAEA Transition Planning Tool. A more detailed explanation of the Transition Planning Tool will be coming in next month's bulletin.

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Iowa Transition Playbook

The Iowa Transition Playbook was created by a statewide Future Ready team to provide strategies and support to all students, with all levels of abilities and needs. PK-12 educators in general and special education can use the Playbook to provide inclusive, student centered learning to improve postsecondary outcomes for all students.

The Playbook provides a foundation for effective planning using content from Iowa’s College and Career Readiness Definition (CCR) and a crosswalk of the 6 Critical Elements of the secondary IEP.

GPAEA Transition Community Network

Recorded sessions available

The GPAEA Transition Community Network is hosted 3 times per school year to share and discuss timely secondary transition related topics. The November and January sessions were recorded and can be accessed via the “Learning Opportunities” tab within the GPAEA Transition Kit. Sessions and materials focus on Documentation Format in ACHIEVE: Secondary Transition Assessments and Post-Secondary Expectations and Course of Study.

Related links and materials are included with the recorded session. The final Network for the 2022-2023 school year will be April 20 from 3:30 - 4:30.

The recorded Network sessions can also be found within this Bulletin, replacing the zoom links from when they were presented live (November 2022 & January 2023).

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Meaningful Career Conversations Workshop

Date/Time/Location: February 23, 2023 from 8:00 - 11:30 am via Zoom

Audience: school counselors, work-based learning coordinators, teachers, administrators, or anyone who might have a career conversation with a student in the PK-20 system in Iowa.

What is MCC?

MCC training is an initiative of the Bureau of Career and Technical Education at the Iowa Department of Education. This training was created in partnership with the Colorado Education Initiative to elevate the work that is taking place in the career and academic planning space by enhancing the opportunities for all stakeholders in education to engage students in meaningful career conversations.

A career conversation is the interactive and dynamic process of supporting individuals in pursuing a career path, pursuing the education and training necessary to achieve a career path. When students engage in Meaningful Career Conversations, they begin to understand how their unique aptitudes, skills, talents, self-identity, and values influence the decision-making process for life-long learning.

#204817 GP – Meaningful Career Conversations Workshop

• #314842 Video Conference Feb 23 2023 (Use this link to register)

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Upcoming Learning Opportunities - see full list here

If you know of other learning opportunities or conferences that are available, feel free to share with your GPAEA Transition Coordinator so we can include the information within this document!

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GPAEA Transition Community Network

January 19, 2023

3:30 - 4:30

To watch the recorded January Transition Community Network, click this link.

Related Resources:

ACHIEVE IEP Documentation Format

Graduation Requirements - Iowa Dept. of Education

GPAEA Secondary Transition Kit

ISTLC Postsecondary Summary Resources

Please join us for our second Transition Community Network of the 2022-23 school year. We plan to host this network again on April 20, 2023 as a place to come together to discuss timely secondary transition related topics. This month our topic will be Course of Study Documentation in ACHIEVE, including Graduation Requirements (Diploma and Certificate), courses and activities to meet students’ individualized post secondary expectations.

The Documentation Format in ACHIEVE document was created in order to assist IEP teams in documenting secondary transition information within an IEP. The screenshots are included to provide a suggested structure of “what goes where” in the ACHIEVE system.The information (changes/additions to meet requirements based on student’s disability; Courses and activities to pursue PSE) included in these screenshots are not all inclusive. IEP teams will need to individualize the process to determine the skills and needs for each student. This helpful document can be found in the GPAEA Transition Kit’s Documentation Format tab. The GPAEA Transition Kit is available for teachers and AEA staff to utilize during the secondary transition process.

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Your Job! Career Development

TIME for Kids team is so excited to announce the launch of Your Job! This new, FREE platform is designed to help students explore careers, and it's going to be a game changer. It's a digital tool that helps teachers encourage students to tap into their strengths and imagine what careers are possible.

With Your Job, we hope that teachers will feel more confident in helping students discover what they enjoy doing, who they are as individuals, and how they can use those talents to find work that makes them happy! We know that the world of work is changing rapidly, so we want to help our students be prepared for whatever comes next.

We're so happy to be able to bring this resource to your classroom— FOR FREE — We hope you love it as much as we do! Let’s spark your students’ curiosity about career exploration.

Click here to check it out.

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Upcoming Trainings and Conferences - see full list here

If you know of other learning opportunities or conferences that are available, feel free to share with your GP Transition Coordinator so we can include the information within this document!

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Navigating the Transition Process Course

To Register go to: https://tinyurl.com/hy7ftwtb

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Coming Soon!

GPAEA Transition Community Network

January 19, 2023

3:30 - 4:30

Zoom link

To learn more about the documentation format of Secondary Transition Assessments & Post-Secondary Expectations in ACHIEVE, watch the recorded November Transition Community Network session at this link.

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Transition ACR Comic Series

The Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research (Transitions ACR) provides many free resources, including tip sheets, webinars, and more for families, students, and educators. The Info Comic Series includes comics that include a four-part info-comic for high school students to help them understand what an Individualized Educational Plan or IEP is, what transition planning is, and the importance of the student being involved in them; interview skills, and college accommodations. These comics could be used to facilitate a class discussion about the topics, read by students on their own, or however they are most useful in your classroom! Check out the comics and other resources at the Transition ACR Publications site.

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Upcoming Trainings and Conferences - see full list here

If you know of other learning opportunities or conferences that are available, feel free to share with your GP Transition Coordinator so we can include the information within this document!

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Transition Community Network

To watch the recorded November Network, click this link.

Please join us for our first Transition Community Network of the 2022-23 school year. We plan to host this network again on January 19, 2023 and April 20, 2023 as a place to come together to discuss timely secondary transition related topics. This month our topic will be Secondary Transition Assessments and Post-Secondary Expectations including TR8 & the suggested Documentation Format in ACHIEVE.

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Documentation Format in ACHIEVE

Secondary Transition Assessments & Post-Secondary Expectations

The Documentation Format in ACHIEVE was created in order to assist IEP teams in documenting secondary transition information within an IEP. The screenshots of assessment information, post secondary expectations, graduation requirements, and other PLAAFP sections are included to provide a suggested structure of “what goes where” in the ACHIEVE system.The information (assessments, courses, activities, etc.) included in these screenshots are not all inclusive. IEP teams will need to individualize the process to determine the skills and needs for each student. This helpful document can be found in the GPAEA Transition Kit’s Documentation Format tab. The GPAEA Transition Kit is available for teachers and AEA staff to utilize during the secondary transition process.

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NEW ISTLC Resource

Voter Rights & Individuals With Disabilities

Iowa Midterm General Election 2022

The Iowa Secondary Transition Learning community developed a resource that can be used to talk with individuals about the importance of voting. It was developed for educators to use with students. Check it out and please feel free to share it.

With the midterm election coming up, it is a key time to be talking about voting. Voting gives each citizen the opportunity to represent their own interests. We know that when we organize, mobilize, show up, and vote, we can create real change. People with disabilities continue to report barriers including a lack of accessible election and registration materials prior to elections, lack of transportation to polling places, and problems securing specific forms of identification required by some states. Staff supporting youth in transition can help be a part of the solution.

The team at ISTLC has developed a resource/activity guide in support of efforts to educate individuals with disabilities about their voting rights and responsibilities, and the system of elections. The slide deck is available on the ISTLC website under "Tools and Resources" linked here: https://sites.google.com/view/iowa-secondary-transition/professional-learning-resources. This is a newly added section to our site that we look forward to growing as needs arise!

The slide deck contains a facilitator's guide, an outline of content around the election, voter rights, external curriculum resources, and references for the content already provided. You will need to make a copy of the slide deck to edit for your purposes. Once you have made your own copy, please feel free to make it your own. The slides will be fully unlocked, so you can edit them to best fit your needs.

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Upcoming Trainings and Conferences - see full list here

If you know of other learning opportunities or conferences that are available, feel free to share with your GP Transition Coordinator so we can include the information within this document!

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ACHIEVE Secondary Transition: October (Session 2)

All LEA and AEA special education staff who serve secondary students (transition-age) should attend ACHIEVE Secondary Transition Session 2, unless your district is providing this training. If you registered for the September session then you already registered for the October session.

Please complete the registration form below (only if you have not already done so) in order to register and participate in the October secondary content training session. A zoom link will be sent to your email address. You only need to register for ONE session for October. If you registered for the September session then you already registered for the October session.

Pick ONE of the following to attend (in October)

AEA staff register here:

LEA staff register here:

Session 2: pick only one to attend

10/10 12:00-1:00

10/11 8:00-9:00

10/12 2:30-3:30

10/13 11:30-12:30

10/14 2:30-3:30 (LEAs only)

***If you are a secondary teacher who writes IEPs for students who are transition age, and you missed the required September session, you need to contact the special education director/leader in your district (if the AEA provided the training), or your district administrator or ACHIEVE trainer (if the district provided the training)

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GP ACHIEVE Materials

GP ACHIEVE Support site Please bookmark this site for easy access to FAQ surveys and responses to your questions, as well as information for follow up support available to GPAEA educators and professionals in the launch of the ACHIEVE system. Secondary Transition FAQs may be found under the “Secondary Transition” FAQ tab.

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Living, Learning, Working Transition Planning Chart

The Living, Learning, Working Transition Planning Chart (LLW Chart) was one of the tools shared within the ACHIEVE Secondary Transition: Module 2 slides.

The Living, Learning, Working Transition Planning Chart (commonly referred to as LLW Chart) is a tool that leads an IEP team’s conversation through the Iowa Model of Transition. If the team uses this tool to discuss and gather information for each of the sections, they will then have collected all the information needed for the student’s IEP!

This tool can be found on the right hand column in Resources to Support Transition Planning with Iowa Transition Model under the title IAModelofTrans (pdf), or the GPAEA Transition Kit: Decision Making tab as LLW Transition Planning Chart (as a google doc) .

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Upcoming Trainings and Conferences - see full list here

If you know of other learning opportunities or conferences that are available, feel free to share with your GP Transition Coordinator so we can include the information within this document!

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Welcome to the 2022-23 GPAEA Secondary Transition Bulletin!

This bulletin will be shared monthly by your Great Prairie Transition Coordinators, who provide transition related resources, learning opportunities and support to AEA and LEA middle and high school special education staff who work with transition age students.

Kate Cole

Districts Covered: Burlington, Central Lee, Danville, Ft. Madison, Fairfield, Keokuk, Mediapolis, Mt. Pleasant, New London, Van Buren, Waco, Wapello, West Burlington, Winfield/Mt. Union.

Michelle Ryan

Districts Covered: Albia, Cardinal, Centerville, Chariton, Davis County, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, Keota, Moravia, Moulton - Udell, North Mahaska, Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Pekin, Seymour, Sigourney, Tri County, Wayne.

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ACHIEVE Secondary Transition Modules 1 & 2

AEA and LEA staff

All LEA and AEA special education staff who serve secondary students (transition-age) should attend ACHIEVE Secondary Transition Modules 1 & 2, unless your district is providing this training.

Please complete the registration form below in order to register and participate in the secondary content training sessions. A zoom link will be sent to your email address for each session. You only need to register for ONE session for each content session offered.

Pick ONE of the following to attend (in September and October) and register here:

Session 1: pick only one to attend

9/12 11:00-1:00

9/13 8:00-10:00

9/14 1:45-3:45

9/15 11:30-1:30

9/16 1:30-3:30

Session 2: pick only one to attend

10/10 12:00-1:00

10/11 8:00-9:00

10/12 2:30-3:30

10/13 11:30-12:30

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Vocational Rehabilitation Local School Plans

The purpose of the Local School Plan fall meeting is to review partnerships for transition services for special education students and families, and how we (AEAs, LEAs, Vocational Rehabilitation) can partner together to support successful transition outcomes related to post-secondary training and employment.

If you have any questions about your district’s Local School Plan, please contact the Vocational Rehabilitation staff member involved in your district.

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Upcoming Trainings and Conferences - see full list here

If you know of other learning opportunities or conferences that are available, feel free to share with your GP Transition Coordinator so we can include the information within this document!

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It is the policy of the Great Prairie Education Agency not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy please contact Nathan Wood, 2814 N. Court Road, Ottumwa, IA 52501, (641) 682-8591 x5512, nathan.wood@gpaea.org (employment practices) or Dr. Angelisa Fynaardt, 2814 N. Court Road, Ottumwa, IA 52501, (641) 682-8591 x5311, angelisa.fynaardt@gpaea.org (educational programs).