Summary of Performance and Transitioning to Adulthood

I spent ten years as a special education transition coordinator, at the high school level.  This means that I worked with students across the spectrum of disability categories to transition to adulthood, including education, training, housing, recreation and employment goals.

A recent discussion on the Council for Exceptional Children's (CEC) member forum focused on performance summaries.  These documents are required of all public schools, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  Performance summaries are completed during a student’s final year in high school, and must be provided to all students who received special education services, and is graduating or aging out of secondary school.  The summary provides an overview of the student’s current level of performance, along with recommendations for supports that will help them meet post-secondary goals.

CEC's Tool of the Week provides a free download of the section of Elizabeth Hamblet’s 7 Steps for Success, which deals with performance summaries.  This includes a template developed by the National Transition Documentation Summit.  The full book is available through CEC's bookstore, or other online retailers. 


Questions:

1. Does your program ask for these summaries of performance from new students who identify as having a disability?

2. If so, how are these summaries helpful (or not) in planning instruction for learners?

3. What is most useful to adult educators about these summaries, or what do you think offers the most potential to be helpful when getting these summaries from K-12 educators?

I look forward to hearing your answers!

Mike