Date: September 14, 1993

The State Education Department
Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities
Office of Elementary, Middle and Secondary Education

Department of Social Services
Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped

To:

District Superintendents
Presidents of Boards of Education
Superintendents of Schools
Executive Directors of Approved Private Schools
Principals of Public Schools
Directors of Special Education
Chairpersons of Committees on Special Education
Directors of Pupil Personnel Services
Commissioner's Advisory Panel on Special Education Services
SETRC Project Directors and Training Specialists
CBVH District Office Managers
VESID District Office Managers
Parent Interest Groups
Independent Living Centers
Statewide Transition Coordination Work Group
CBVH Rehabilitation Advisory Council
State Rehabilitation Advisory Council
Statewide Independent Living Council

From:

Lawrence C. Gloeckler, Deputy Commissioner, VESID (Signature)
Arthur L. Walton, Deputy Commissioner, EMS (Signature)
Eugene Luini, Acting Director, CBVH (Signature)

Subject: Joint Agreement on the Provision of Transition Services

We are pleased to announce that the New York State Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH) has joined the agreement between the Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) and the Office of Elementary, Middle and Secondary Education (EMS) on the provision of transition services for students with disabilities. Copies of the agreement with CBVH and the agreement between VESID and EMS are attached.

CBVH is the Designated State Unit to provide vocational rehabilitation services to individuals who are legally blind (including those who may have additional disabilities). In addition, the Commission has children's consultants who coordinate services, and who provide advocacy, information and referral services to students with blindness and their families. Vocational rehabilitation and children's services are provided through eight CBVH district offices located throughout the State. The attached list provides addresses and telephone numbers for each district office.

We look forward to working together to enhance the transition of students with disabilities as they move from secondary education to adult opportunities.

  Attachments

As the vocational rehabilitation agency serving individuals in New York State who are blind and visually impaired, the Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH) agrees to join with the Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) to implement the terms of the Joint Agreement between VESID and the Office of Elementary, Middle and Secondary Education. Specifically, CBVH and VESID will collaborate and, wherever possible, integrate resources within the schools to enable students with disabilities to successfully transition from school to adult life.

Within the established Joint Agreement to Improve Transition Planning and Services, CBVH agrees to the same objectives and terms identified for VESID. Key areas include:

· Providing transition services to students with disabilities who are not receiving special education services;

· Establishing a system to evaluate outcomes and employment success stemming from the in-school referrals;

· Developing vocational evaluation standards for Levels II and III assessments, as well as procedures for obtaining, administering, interpreting, and paying for vocational assessments;

· Working with CSEs in the transition planning process;

· Streamlining the reporting requirements for students needing adult services;

· Developing a consulting role for rehabilitation in the schools;

· Developing innovative approaches to the provision of rehabilitation counseling as a related service; and

· Implementing the referral criteria identified in the fourth objective of the Joint Agreement.

Through CBVH's ability to coordinate with the school system, students with visual impairments will benefit from increased employment, postsecondary education, and community living experiences following the completion of their secondary transition program.

(Signature, 6/23/93)
Thomas E. Sheldon
Executive Deputy Commissioner

(Signature, 7/15/93)
Eugene Luini
Acting Director, CBVH

(Signature, 5/12/93)
Lawrence C. Gloeckler
Deputy Commissioner, VESID

(Signature, 5/12/93)
Arthur L. Walton
Deputy Commissioner, EMS

(Signature, 7/19/93)
John G. Moriarty
Office of Contract Management
NYS Dept. of Social Services

Date: October 30, 1992

TO:

FROM: Lawrence C. Gloeckler (Signature) and Arthur L. Walton (Signature)

SUBJECT: Joint Agreement on the Provision of Transition Services

We are pleased to attach the Joint Agreement between the Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) and the Office of Elementary, Middle and Secondary Education (EMS) on the provision of transition services for youth with disabilities. The Agreement establishes both the basic principles under which the Department will implement the Regents Policies on Linking Services and Federal requirements for transition services.

Transition services are defined as:

"a coordinated set of activities for a student, designed within an outcome-oriented process, which promotes movement from school to post-school activities, including postsecondary education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, and community participation. The coordinated set of activities shall be based upon the individual student's needs, taking into account the student's preferences and interests, and shall include instruction, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives, and when appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation."

Consistent with the objective of A New Compact for Learning, this agreement will assist the State in assuring that the goal of transition programming, which is to provide comprehensive, coordinated educational services to prepare each student to participate within integrated settings for employment, postsecondary education, or community living, will be attained. It is the responsibility of the schools to ensure that every student with a disability receives educational services to prepare for such outcomes. Even though students may need additional support beyond high school, the anticipated outcomes of transition services should not be entry into adult vocational training programs or VESID services.

The basic principles of the Agreement are:

The successful implementation of this Joint Agreement will enable New York State to comply with the Federal requirements regarding the provision of transition services. It will also provide the framework to strengthen the educational program for students with disabilities through enhanced service delivery and a greater focus on desired student outcomes.

· Every student with a disability receives comprehensive, coordinated educational services to prepare for employment, postsecondary education, or community living when they leave the secondary school.

· Transition services are provided to students with disabilities who are not receiving special education services. The need for these services should be identified through the annual guidance review pursuant to 100.2 (j) of the Regulations of the Commissioner and be consistent with Strategy 12 of the Compact for Learning.

· A coordinated approach is developed for the provision of transition services through the elimination of duplicative assessments, services, and reporting.

· A system is established to evaluate outcomes and employment success stemming from the in-school referrals made to VESID.

. Lifelong learning opportunities are available to students with disabilities.

· The provision of a Level I vocational assessment for all students with disabilities age 12. Level I assessment, conducted within the educational classroom or through the guidance process, is a process of gathering and analyzing existing information and conducting informal interviews with the student, parent/guardian, and classroom teachers. Level II and III assessment, if appropriate, will be completed prior to the development of the transition component of an IEP. The early assessment cannot be used to limit any of the student's educational or career options. This provision will allow a district to begin providing programs and services to prepare students for adult opportunities. The need for additional vocational assessments will be determined at least annually.

· The development of vocational evaluation standards for Level II and III assessments to ensure that the evaluation process conducted by the schools meets standards relevant to the student's adult service and employment needs.

· The development of procedures for obtaining, administering, interpreting and paying for vocational assessments.

· Transition services and the agencies responsible for the provision of such services should be indicated on the IEP for all students with disabilities, age 15 years or older;

· CSEs will ensure that, in addition to the student, the student's family, and a representative of the school responsible for supervising the provision of transition services, representatives of adult service agencies, individuals from institutions of higher education, and representatives from business and industry will have the opportunity to provide input, as appropriate, at the transition planning meeting.

· CSEs will reconvene a meeting to identify alternative strategies to implement transition services in the event that a participating agency other than the school district responsible for providing transition services fails to provide agreed upon services. VESID will coordinate the development of memoranda of understanding with other agencies to establish responsibilities in both the planning and provision of services. The co-location of services will be explored.

· Appropriate information bases will be available to CSEs to make program decisions in keeping with employment opportunities and adult services (including labor market information).

· A legislative proposal will be developed to allow school districts to enter into agreements with vocational training programs operated by adult rehabilitation programs and agencies approved by VESID or another state agency.

· The Department will propose that the reporting requirements for students needing adult services be replaced with a streamlined requirement that CSEs provide aggregate data to State agencies to ensure a smooth transition from secondary programs to adult life.

· Rehabilitation counseling has been added to the statutory provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as a related service. The State Education Department will assist in developing innovative approaches which meet this requirement and a staff development plan for rehabilitation counseling personnel. The focus of the innovations will be on ensuring appropriate rehabilitation counseling services within the learning environment, rather than as a pull-out service. To this end, the Department intends to encourage flexible models of delivering such services, provided that the student receives the appropriate services. As a related service, special education excess cost aid can be claimed based on the amount of services provided.

· A consulting role for rehabilitation and independent living personnel will be developed to ensure that adult rehabilitation agencies and Independent Living Centers (ILCS) are included in the planning and decision-making process regarding transition services for students with disabilities, whenever appropriate. This role will ensure that transition services for youth are (a) aligned with labor market needs and integrated community living opportunities, and (b) -coordinated with the adult world to ensure employment, postsecondary education, and community living outcomes. As appropriate, independent living personnel and rehabilitation professionals may be consulted for vocational evaluation interpretation, occupational outlooks, decision-making with the CSE, coordination with adult services, peer counseling, role modeling and job placement analysis.

· Use of a standardized referral process and the following criteria for school district referrals to VESID:

a. It is projected that the student will be exiting school within two years;

b. The student is currently receiving transition services as indicated in the IEP;

The student requires additional services to meet the desired adult outcomes in the IEP that are not otherwise available through mandated district based or funded programs or are about to complete the transition component of the IEP and are in need of services provided by adult agencies;

d. It has been determined that the disability will interfere with the student's ability to work as an adult in the community.

· Establishment of the building principal or his/her designee as the transition liaison within the school to work with VESID so as to ensure a consistent point of contact.

· Submission of a referral as a result of decisions made by the CSE and the student and/or the student's family. The referral information should include parental consent, results of the individual evaluation (including the most current psychological or psychiatric and related disability assessment; DSM III code; language proficiency assessment; functional assessment results; and student health records), the current transition component of the IEP, and vocational evaluation data.

· Access to school records of students being referred by VESID counselors as they are State Education Department employees.

· Acceptance of existing documentation and records, including evaluation reports from CSEs for determination of the presence of a disability, student health records for part of the Confidential Health Assessment, information from the vocational assessments and transition plan for part of the initial interview and intake/eligibility process, Level I, II, and III vocational assessment and progress reports from work study experiences for the diagnostic vocational evaluation.

· Development of the IWRP during the annual review of the transition component of the IEP.

· Coordination of information required on the IEP with the IWRP (including vocational goals, educational and rehabilitation objectives, projected dates, responsibilities, signatures).

In summary, VESID and EMS agree to develop and implement functional criteria to coordinate programs and services for students with disabilities who are transitioning from school to adult life. Through the coordinated efforts of the two systems, students with disabilities will benefit from increased employment, postsecondary education and community living experiences following the completion of their secondary transition program.

(Signature, 9/28/92)
Arthur Walton
Deputy Commissioner
Elementary, Middle and Secondary Education

(Signature, 9/28/92)
Lawrence Gloeckler
Deputy Commisioner
Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities 

Go to the following web address, identify, then call the office nearest your location and ask for vocational rehabilitation counseling services (working age older youth and adults) or for the children's consultant (youth in school):