Age-appropriate transition assessment
Last updated
Age-appropriate transition assessment is the ongoing gathering of information about a student's strengths, interests and needs for life after high school.
Topic: Evaluation and assessment
In plain terms
Transition assessment can include interest surveys, career inventories, interviews with the student and family, independent living checklists, work experience observations and academic data. It is not a single test. Its job is to help the student and team write postsecondary goals for education or training, employment and, where needed, independent living.
How it shows up in an IEP
IDEA requires measurable postsecondary goals based on age-appropriate transition assessment, starting with the IEP in effect when the student turns 16, or earlier if the state or team decides. The IEP should name the assessments used and summarize what they showed.
Example
A 15-year-old completes a career interest inventory, a job shadow at a veterinary clinic, and a daily living checklist with a parent. The results shape a postsecondary goal for animal care training.
The rule
Federal reference: 34 CFR §300.320(b)(1).
Rules vary by state. Check your state's regulations and your district's procedures.
Related terms
- Measurable postsecondary goalsMeasurable postsecondary goals state what a student plans to do after high school in education or training, employment and, if needed, independent living.
- Transition servicesTransition services are coordinated activities in the IEP that help a student move from school to adult life: further education, work and independent living.
- Self-determinationSelf-determination is a person's ability and opportunity to make choices, set goals and take action toward the life they want.
- Course of studyThe course of study is the multi-year list of classes and experiences in the transition IEP that leads toward the student's postsecondary goals.
- Vocational rehabilitationVocational rehabilitation is a state and federal program that helps people with disabilities prepare for, find and keep jobs.
On IEP Atlas
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