Findings & Outcomes:
State Priorities and Needs for Assistance

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Table of Contents

• Background
• Summit Results
• Discussion
• Next Steps
• Summary

Background

The 1990 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its 1997 Amendments require state and local education agencies to specifically address the needs of students with disabilities as they transition from school to postschool goals such as college or employment. The No Child Left Behind Act (2001) similarly places a greater focus on educational outcomes for young people with disabilities. Yet, far too many of the 6 million young people with disabilities who attend our public schools today do not gain the skills or knowledge needed to achieve positive postschool outcomes upon exiting high school. National research data and follow-up studies over the past two decades have found that youth with disabilities have lower than desired academic achievement levels; high dropout rates; substantial levels of under- and unemployment; economic instability; and low levels of enrollment and completion in postsecondary education and training. To further validate this national data, the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET), a research and technical assistance and dissemination center funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of Education, identified eight challenges that impact the future of secondary education and transition. These challenges are:

• promote students' self-determination and self-advocacy;
• ensure students have access to the general education curriculum;
• increase the school completion rates of students with disabilities;
• make high school graduation decisions based on meaningful indicators;
• ensure students access to and full participation in postsecondary education and employment;
• increase informed parent participation and involvement in education planning, life planning, and decision-making;
• improve collaboration and systems linkages at all levels; and
• ensure the availability of a qualified workforce to address the transition needs of youth with disabilities

These challenge areas are noteworthy as they mirror the technical assistance activities set forth by NCSET.

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Summit Results: What We Learned

The data collection process included a review of the pre-summit assessment surveys completed by all registered state leadership teams, and the state strategic action plans developed during the Summit dialogue sessions. A self-assessment summary tool was provided to each of the state team leaders prior to their arrival at the Summit. This summary was intended to initiate discussion among team participants concerning state outcomes issues, and provide a "mindset" for participation in the upcoming Summit's team activities. Each state team leader completed the self-assessment form and forwarded it to the Summit planning committee. The form provided preliminary information about: a) the priority issues the state would focus on at the Summit; b) an assessment of their current performance for continuous improvement in planning, implementing, and evaluating strategies to address these priority issues; and c) potential needs for technical assistance related to these issues.

At the National Leadership Summit, through facilitated discussions, each state team completed a strategic action plan for improved secondary education and transition results. In these plans, state teams were encouraged to: a) identify at least 3 priority issues concerning improving results of youth with disabilities; b) develop 3-5 state leadership goals/outcome statements for each identified priority issue; c) develop 3-5 state- or federal-level action steps for each identified goal; and d) identify the technical assistance needed to implement and sustain these actions. Each state team submitted a completed State Leadership Strategic Action Plan to the Summit planning team.

Following the National Leadership Summit, researchers from the University of Minnesota and TransCen, Inc. analyzed the self-assessment surveys and the state action plans to identify the cross-state (national) priorities for improving postschool results for youth with disabilities. The ten priority content areas and three overarching themes that emerged from the data are presented below:

State-level Infrastructure

      1. State Systems Infrastructure
      2. Data Design, Collection, and Use
      3. Collaboration
      4. Professional Development

Programs and Services

      5. Access to General Education, Standards, and Testing
      6. Postsecondary Access, Enrollment, and Options
      7. Graduation/Dropout Rates
      8. Workforce Development and Employment

Youth and Family

      9. Person-Centered and Transition-Driven Planning (IEPs, self-determination, independent living)
    10. Family Education and Involvement

Figure 1 reveals the number of individual states identifying each of the priority content areas in the state action plans developed at the Summit.

	Figure 1. Priorities Identified by State Teams
					Number of States
	State-Level Infrastructure		Collaboration		16
			Professional Development		12
			Data Design Collection and Use		10
			State Systems Infrastructure		7
	Programs and Services		Graduation/Dropout		8
			Workforce Development and Employment		8
			Access to General Education, Standards, and Testing		7
			Postsecondary Access, Enrollment, and Options		6
	Youth and Family		Person-Centered, Transition-Driven Planning		11
			Family Education and Involvement		4

In addition, the researchers reviewed the goals/outcome statements and action steps written in the state action plans, categorized them by state and region, and aligned them with the previously identified priority content areas (see Table 1). This analysis illustrates, in more detail, particular secondary education and transition challenges faced by specific states and regions.

Table 1. State Team Priorities from the National Leadership Summit
	Category		State Team Priorites		Primary Regional Designation
	STATE-LEVEL INFRASTRUCTURE
	State Systems Infrastructure		• Coordinated systems approach to transition • State-level leadership and transition planning team • Formalized central structure • Identify and remediate systemic compliance issues • National awareness of Native American transition issues		Mountain Plains, Southeast
	Data Design Collection and Use		• Improved and expanded data systems • Effective, efficient data collection systems • Establish shared data systems • Data-driven and evidence-based decision making and practice • Collect and use postschool outcomes data		Mountain Plains, Western, Great Lakes
	Collaboration		• Build/increase/sustain state and local interagency collaboration • Increase state interagency coordination and system linkages • Interagency collaborative funding and cost-sharing • Earlier interagency collaboration • Build understanding among agencies about access to services and resources • Improve capacity of adult systems to provide postschool support • Create community councils to build awareness, e.g. with WIBs		Northeast, Mountain Plains, Mid-South, Southeast, Western, Great Lakes
	Professional Development		• Professional development about IDEA and Rehabilitation Act • Develop understanding of relationship between NCLB and IDEA • Building awareness/recognition of value of transition • Training and Technical Assistance for professionals • Develop a Transition Specialist certificate program • Develop cross-state transition academy at postsecondary level • Effective preservice and inservice teacher training • Refine and disseminate transition curriculum for teachers and others • Provide more support for LEA teachers		Mountain Plains, Great Lakes, Northeast
	PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
	Access to General Education, Standards, and Testing		• Align transition with standards-based education • High school reform • Diploma options and high stakes testings • Close achievement gap		Northeast, Mountain Plains
	Postsecondary Access, Enrollment, and Options		• Build capacity of postsecondary system to serve students with disabilities • Improve postsecondary preparation and increase postsecondary enrollment • Improve postsecondary education • Expand and improve postsecondary options		Northeast, Mid-South
	Graduation/Dropout		• Improve graduation rate and decrease dropout rate		Mountain Plains, Southeast, Mid-South, Northeast
	Workforce Development and Employment		• Improved career options and employment outcomes • Business/education partnerships; engage employers • Preparation for employment • Increase postsecondary employment options through resource alignment • Collaboration with WIA programs		Western, Mid-South, Mountain Plains
	YOUTH AND FAMILY
	Person-Centered and Transition-Driven Planning		• Self-determination and advocacy for students and families • Improved transition services and planning • Move transition to middle school years • Transition planning for ALL students • Person-centered planning • Youth participation in IEPs and transition planning • Student-focused outcomes • Increased independent living		Mountain Plains, Western, Southeast, Great Lakes
	Family Education and Involvement		• Training and Technical Assistance for students, families • Family involvement and person-centered planning beyond the IEP • Increased youth and family involvement • Parental involvement, acceptance, and knowledge		Western

Finally, the technical assistance (TA) needs identified in the state plans were synthesized and categorized into 15 cross-state technical assistance content areas. These TA needs were then aligned with the previously identified priority content areas (see Table 2).

Table 2. Technical Assistance Needs Identified by State Leadership Teams at the National Leadership Summit

Technical Assistance Content Areas

Identifying "best practices" and federal directives for efficient data design, collection, sharing, analysis, and confidentiality

Providing materials/guidance on teaching self-determination/advocacy

Building interagency teams and developing interagency agreements

Bridging and aligning standards-based education and transition services/planning

Examining graduation and diploma options, and dropout issues

Engaging employers and employer organizations to improve student employability through school/business partnerships and WIA-funded programs

Facilitating the resource mapping process

Developing materials and delivering training on transition and disability awareness to administrators, general and special educators, and employers

Providing guidance on state leadership activities (funding, improvement plans, leadership teams)

Improving professional development of teachers (pre-service and in-service) on several topics (SSI, testing accommodations, TIEP development, universal design for learning, career awareness curricula, and research-based practices)

Developing and implementing effective cross-agency training

Examining "best practices" in informing and involving families through training activities and family/educator partnerships

Providing information regarding effective mentoring program implementation

Increasing postsecondary enrollment/options

Developing databases and outcomes surveys (follow-along and follow-up)

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Discussion

The priority issues that emerged from states in attendance at the National Leadership Summit are consistent with those identified in various national sources. States continue to stress the importance of developing collaborative relationships and aligning special programs with broader education and workforce reforms so that all youth have the opportunity to achieve successful academic, occupational, and social outcomes. These priorities also revealed strong concerns from state leaders about collecting, reporting, and using outcome data to improve services and programs. Moreover, the education and involvement of youth and families in the transition planning process remains a critical need. The priorities identified during the Summit will continue to challenge NCSET and other national technical assistance providers to work directly with states to focus on developing more effective results-driven systems.

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Next Steps

In supporting state improvement efforts identified in state action plans from the National Leadership Summit, the technical assistance needs have been aligned with the technical assistance delivery efforts supported by NCSET. The intention is to use the information gathered at the Summit to determine the content, scope, and delivery methods of the technical assistance provided by the Center. NCSET will draw upon several existing and new technical assistance strategies including, but not limited to: NCSET's Web site, publications (including Essential Tools), capacity-building institutes, and national teleconferences. Additionally, efforts are underway to develop new overarching technical assistance strategies to complement and play a critical role in NCSET's overall state improvement approach. The following four broad strategies, currently being developed, are essential to NCSET's technical assistance plan to support state improvement.

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Summary

The National Leadership Summit was pivotal as it introduced a new way for NCSET to work with states in focusing on developing more results-driven systems. The 42 states represented at the Summit developed a strategic action plan for improved postschool results for youth with disabilities in their states. The action plans were analyzed to determine priority issues and technical assistance needs by state and regions. This initial analysis demonstrated three overarching themes and ten priority issues consistent with national research. NCSET, along with the U.S. Department of Education, the Regional Resource Centers, and other national technical assistance centers, will respond to multi-state and individual state needs based on the plans developed at the initial Summit.

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Findings & Outcomes   •   Agenda  •   Session Notes   •   Presenter Bios

Presentations   •   State Contacts   •   Partners   •   Related Sites   •   Photos

The National Leadership Summit Web page is part of the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition Web site.

National Center on Secondary Education and Transition
Institute on Community Integration
College of Education and Human Development
University of Minnesota
2025 East River Parkway
Minneapolis MN 55414
612-624-5659
ncset@umn.edu
http://www.ncset.org/

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