Student Involvement

Katherine Fowler / Thomas Golden

Participants:

Trumansburg Central SchoolsTryo-Lansingburgh-Cohoes MTP

Elmira City School DistrictDistrict 75, NYC

Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCESRockland BOCES

University of BuffaloLong Island TCS

GST BOCESCorning-Painted Post Schools

Rush-Henrietta SchoolSchool at Northeast

Franklin, Hamilton, Essex BOCESWestchester Disabled on the Move Southern Westchester BOCES Cornell University

NSTTAC

What Works:

-Students need to be involved as early as the elementary level in the IEP meeting and processes to begin to equip them for active participation and empowerment. Developing supportive curricula around helping students to frame and understand their support needs is critical. Elmira City shared that student involvement and participation start at the sixth grade level and the IEP process is strength-based.

-Rush-Henrietta shared that they are launching a postsecondary education program exposing students to college credit-bearing courses although the program is in its early stages of development. A participant also shared that the Eastern Suffolk BOCES and Cody Center are offering a postsecondary education exposure curriculum that affords students the opportunity to audit a college-level course to increase exposure to postsecondary education. District 75 and the Humanities and Fashion High Schoolare looking to develop a three week college development program similar to what is offered at Landmark in Vermont.

-The School at Northeast have an extensive school-to-work program that has three dimensions (e.g. in-school work, afternoon work and summer work). The School pays the wages although the work experiences are in community-based settings.

-The Long Island TCS is piloting an alternative postsecondary education fair targeting students that are interested in more vocational / technical schooling which will be staffed by vocational trade schools vendored by VESID.

-Eastern-Suffolk BOCES and Munroe BOCES II offers a COSER for person-centered transition planning services and supports that focus on mediation and planning with the student, their family and the school and assist them in developing strength-based plans.

-Troy-Lansignburgh-Cohoes MTP is focused on equipping their staff in person-centered planning technologies to support student development and involvement.

What Doesn’t Work:

-Another participant shared that use of person-centered planning approaches and technologies is more than just securing training for staff and faculty but is a cultural shift.

Barriers to Success:

-Many participants shared that students with mild disabilities do not want to be identified with VESID or other disability-related programs or organizations. This stigma poses a challenge to effective transition. One participant shared that presentation is everything when providing parents and students with options (e.g. pitching VESID as able to pay for books and tuition). Another participants shared a strategy to explain the different between youth and adult services and that adult services are voluntary. The facilitator shared the experience from the morning session pertaining to the Chelsea High School video project which focuses on kids telling other kids about how they overcame their disabilities, accessed needed services and went on to adult success. Another participant shared that they present VESID as a type of insurance policy that minimizes risk for the student.

-One participant stressed that there seems to be some hesitancy on the part of some parents and students to get involved which they felt was due in part to the fact that most have not been exposed to strength-based assessment but rather deficit-based assessment. Person-centered planning processes and technologies pose a particularly effective approach to strength-based planning and assessment.

-Often some students have been removed from the main stream so long that they do not realize the extent of services and supports they receive. This creates a lack of awareness of support needs that pose a barrier to some students in identifying goals and objectives (feasible and viable based on their unique interests, preferences, abilities and support needs).

-Securing adequate time for planning.

New Relationships and Follow-Up Activities:

-More resources are available online at and

Needed Information, Technical Assistance, and Support:

-A list of vocational / technology / trade schools that are vendored by VESID.

-Training on why family and student involvement is important (School at Northeast)

-More information on MECA Assessment Software (Munroe II BOCES is using this currently)

-How to develop an effective evaluative advisory group comprised of business and other stakeholders (Troy-Lansingburgh-Cohoes MTP)

Other Issues or Ideas:

No information shared in this area.