For students beginning at age 15 (and at a younger age, if determined appropriate), the IEP must include a statement of the student’s projected post-school outcomes based on the student’s preferences and interests, as they relate to transition from school to post-school activities, in the areas of:

• employment (e.g., integrated competitive employment);
• post-secondary education and training (e.g., career and technical education and training, continuing and adult education, college); and
• community living (e.g., adult services, independent living or community participation).

What are projected post-school outcome statements?

Projected post-school outcome statements identify the student’s long-term goals for living, working and learning as an adult.

What is the purpose of including post-school outcome statements on the IEP?

The projected post-school outcome statements on the student’s IEP establish a direction for the school, the student, the student’s family and any participating agencies to work towards in recommending transition activities for the student. These statements guide planning for activities that prepare the student to move from school to post-school activities and for discussion with appropriate public and private community agencies regarding their contributions to the student’s transition process. The student’s IEP should include goals, services and activities to incrementally prepare the student to achieve the projected post-school outcomes.

What information may be used to identify a student’s projected post-school outcome statements?

Students and parents need to be involved in developing these statements. Information to develop a student’s projected post-school outcome statements should be obtained using a variety of formal and/or informal methods which may vary from student to student, including vocational assessments, assessment of post-secondary education skills, interviews with the student and/or parent, strength-based assessments and teacher observations.

How can the projected post-school outcome statements be worded?

The projected post-school outcome statements are intended to acknowledge the student's needs, preferences and interests and should be expressed in terms of the student's aspirations for the future. Statements may be written using the student’s own words, in answer to such questions as:

• What do you want to do when you finish high school?
• Do you want to go to college?
• What kind of work do you want to do?
• What do you want to learn more about?
• Where do you plan on living?

The projected post-school outcome statements can be general or specific since they will be reviewed and, as appropriate, revised annually to reflect the student’s current aspirations as well as his or her ability to narrow general interests to specific directions concerning post-school plans. For example, when Maria first begins to participate in the transition planning process, projected post-school plans may be broad in scope: "Maria wishes to work in the technology field." Later, after involvement in career and technical education courses and work experiences, the IEP might more specifically state that "Maria plans to attend college to study engineering with the goal of working as an electrical engineer."

Must goals and objectives be established that relate to the post-school outcome statements?

Once the statements are established, annual goals and objectives or benchmarks and other activities can be developed to help the student incrementally develop skills, knowledge, experiences and contacts with resources, as needed, to work toward these desired post-school outcomes.

Quality Indicators

Projected post-school outcome statements:

• Reflect the dreams, aspirations and hopes of the student.
• Are developed in consideration of the student’s needs, preferences and interests.
• Are written to the greatest extent possible in the student’s own words.
• Are reviewed and, if appropriate, revised at least annually.
• Become increasingly specific as the student comes closer to the time he or she will be leaving school.
• Are developed with direct student involvement.
• Are written in such a way as to guide the development of annual goals and recommendations for transition services, linkages and activities.

• Sections 200.1 and 200.4 of the Regulations of the Commissioner
• Transition Services: A Planning and Implementation Guide – July 1994
• http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/transition/home.html Transition Services Web Site
• Effective Models in Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities, Videotape, April 2002

See Attachment 5

Projected Post-School Outcomes (Ages 15 and Older)

Employment:
Kevin would like to work in a landscaping business.

Postsecondary Education/Training:
Kevin hopes to attend community college or complete an apprenticeship to study landscaping.

Community Living:
Kevin plans to continue to live at home until he completes school and begins working successfully. He also plans to learn to drive a car.