Transition Resources in the 2020-2021 School Year

NTACT is aware that state and local education and service providers are challenged by the current health concerns, closings, restrictions, and fluid reopening plans associated with COVID19. As educators, service providers, students, and families are considering the 2020-2021 school year we expect there will be a continuum, depicted well in this visual from the Council of Administrators of Special Education: 

image of arrows pointing to the right in following order: Completely closed, homework packets, continuous learning opportunities, e-learning / distance, completely open

and this visual from the Workforce Innovation National Technical Assistance Center (WINTAC): 

image of arrows pointing to the right in following order: VR Offices completely closed, VR offices open, VR open via Telework, VR providing distance service delivery

Complete closures do not seem likely; but a mixture, nationally, virtual, distanced, flexible schedules, and traditional models in the 2020 - 2021 school year are. In this section of NTACT's website we will continue to provide you with resources regarding:

  • Spring/Summer 2020 Guidance and Resources
  • Event Recordings and Associated Resources from Spring 2020
  • Transition Assessment and Planning 
  • Instructional Resources for Postsecondary Education Preparation
  • Instructional Resources for Employment Preparation
  • Instructional Resources for Independent Living Preparation

The resources in this section of the website will be geared toward state agency and local providers providing services in virtual, distanced, or hybrid formats. We think these resources are valuable to planning in any format; however, more traditional resources are available throughout NTACT's website, as you have always found them. As you consider accessing these resources, we know that you will need to consider your state's guidance, your own community's guidance, the mechanisms being used in your school(s), and certainly the individual health, behavioral, social, and learning needs of individual students and their families. 

Transition Assessment and Planning Resources

NTACT has identified and gathered resources to assist educators, counselors, service providers, and families in providing instruction and other transition services during this restricted period of access to schools and community. A full list of reources is available, as well as resources specific to assessment and instructional planning. 

A PBS feature regarding the challenges for some families during this period of time - tips and ideas included!

Updated resources from the Regional Educational Laboratory Program - Appalachia - focused on transition resources. 

Transition Focused Instructional Resources

NTACT has hosted 4 webinars focused on the provision of transition focused education during this time while many students are at home, with limited access to school and their communities. Captioned recordings from each webinar are available below and in other sections of this portion of NTACT's website. You may also continue to engage in online discussions regarding the webinars at this link and click on any of the recent Ask the Expert events.  

The Division of Career Development and Transition (DCDT) through the Council for Exceptional Children has hosted 2 "Town Hall Discussions: Transition in the Cloud". Resources that have already been collected are posted at this link on DCDT's website, www.dcdt.org. On Monday, May 11, 3:00 PM (Eastern) join DCDT regarding the use of apps and gaming to deliver transition services. Register here. Then, on Monday May 18, 3:00 (Eastern) join DCDT for resources on youth engagement and self-determination. Register here Finally, on Tuesday, May 26, 3:00 (Eastern) the DCDT Town Hall will focus on Community Mapping. Register here. 

Resources for serving youth in the juvenile justice system during this period of time - from the National Juvenile Justice Network and the American Youth Policy Forum. 

Recorded webinar of Transition Activities at Home_3-24-2020 (external link)

Recorded webinar of Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Beyond: Social Engagement_4-21-2020 (external link)

Employment Preparation Focused Instructional Resources

NTACT's April 7 webinar - co-presented by Michael Stoehr (NTACT) and Brenda Simmons (WINTAC) focused on the provision of one of the Pre-Employment Transition Services - Work Based Learning - during a time when students have limited access to their communities. Collaboration and new strategies are necessary. The resources below are intended to provide guidance for families, local practitioners, and the administrators who support them to provide meaningful work-based learning experiences for students and youth during the unusual period of the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. 

Watch the recorded webinar from NTACT and WINTAC (April 7) and continue to participate in an ongoing discussion and resource sharing at the Transition Coalition site. 

In addition to Guidance above, the Workforce Innovation National Technical Assistance Center (WINTAC) is monitoring the COVID-19 situation and hosting an FAQ on its site, focused on employment services for individuals with disabilities. 

Resources Specifically Focused on Students with Complex Support Needs

NTACT, WINTAC, and Y-TAC hosted a webinar on April 14 focused on this topic. Resources for the webinar are below. Discussion on this topic may be continued on the Transition Coalition website. Some of the resources shared for this webinar are copyrighted material. These are provided as examples, models, and portions of full curricula and other resources for purposes of information sharing and knowledge development. 

Watch the recorded webinar. 

Additional resources related to supports for students with complex needs will also continue to be added to this section of NTACT's website. 

Webinar for Direct Support Professionals during COVID-19 - National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals 

Online Instruction Resources and Tips

Many K-12 schools, universities, and professional development providers of transition-focused personnel are moving to online instruction now and in the next few weeks. Below are a few resources to guide this process. NTACT is aware of the increased security/ privacy concerns through online learning and meeting platforms. While NTACT cannot provide legal guidance to your agency, below are some updated resources which may be useful. 

NPR 4 Minute Listen and Article as Schools Prepare for Re-Entry

U.S. Dept. of Ed. Interpretation of Digital as Accessible - CEC Policy Insider

Office of Civil Rights Short Video on Accessibility

Supporting Accessibility in Online Instruction - Resources from CAST

Resources from Educating All Learners 

How to Keep Zoom Chats Private and Secure - Wired.com

Comparison of Online Meeting Platform Features - Captera

Tips for Setting Up Temporary Online Learning - NAIS 

Wide Open School - Common Sense Media

Distance Learning Resources for Educators and Families (all grades - can select age/ grade/ subject of interest)

IRIS Module for Families Supporting Learning at Home

From NTACT's Q&A Document: 

  • One of my schools states that they aren't allowed to do group video chats with students due to privacy and seeing in the homes, etc. Perhaps exposing who has an IEP and 504 to other students?
  • I love some of the tools for students to use remotely.  What are your suggestions regarding getting information to students while being mindful of confidentiality of students with disabilities?  Is information being emailed?
  • Does facilitating online learning via group "hangouts" (similar to a webinar) violate student confidentiality?

Response: While NTACT cannot provide you with policy guidance, there is some guidance available. These articles in Education Week (Article 1 (Article 1,  Article 2) examine the issues noted. (Viewing these articles may require a free login and pop-up ads from Education Week.) Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office published a Frequently Asked Questions document in March, 2020. Finally, CEC has developed some guidance for educators moving to online instruction, including insuring privacy and compliance with privacy regulations.

Additional Resources