News Posts

Updates for Spring 2024

April 16, 2024

The transition to post-school life marks a significant milestone for young adults, one that requires careful planning and support. Understanding the outcomes of these transitions is vital for ensuring the continued success and engagement of students with disabilities as they leave the public school system. This is where post-school outcome (PSO) data play a crucial role.

Our spring newsletter includes:

  • Information about forming data teams to make meaning of PSO data
  • Details about the public comment period for the state’s application for federal IDEA funds
  • A new resource from OSEP with guidance about assistive technology for students with disabilities
  • Reminders about how to access our self-paced secondary transition training modules.

Making Meaning of Post-School Outcome Data with a Team

The post-school outcome (PSO) data collected through the annual Post-School Survey aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet. They're a narrative of transitions, challenges, and successes for former students who were receiving special education services at the time they exited high school, one year after the academic year that they graduated or otherwise left the system. It's about understanding who these former students are, what paths they took, and how equipped they were for life beyond the public school system.

The survey touches on crucial aspects of post-school life, querying about education and employment activities within the first year of leaving the school system, as well as interactions with adult service agencies. Based on their responses, former students are categorized as "engaged" in Higher Education, Competitive Employment, Other Education or Other Employment. If they do not meet the reporting requirements for the engagement outcomes, they are considered Not Engaged.  In addition, surveys are prepopulated with demographic information, allowing for detailed analysis across various parameters such as gender, disability, race/ethnicity, and language proficiency.

Viewing and Accessing PSO Data

State, ESD, and county-level post-school outcome data are available on the CCTS website. To look at district-level data, you need an account in the TSF2, our secure data collection and reporting platform. From the TSF2, you can also download the Raw Data spreadsheet to view all the survey responses. This spreadsheet includes qualitative data that helps provide insights into why students didn't meet reporting criteria to be considered engaged. These responses can be very helpful when trying to understand what supports students need by the time they exit high school.

Working with a Data Team

Accessing and interpreting the data provides an opportunity for collective engagement and enlightenment—working with a team or partner is highly recommended. While there are limitations to the conclusions that we can draw, there is a lot we can learn from the PSO data. Some questions that a team may ask on a “data dive” are:

  • Who is engaged in postsecondary education or employment activities, and who isn't?
  • How do demographic factors influence engagement?
  • For those students who are not engaged, what were the barriers?

For guidance around building a data team in your district, this Guide to Data Analysis is a useful and accessible resource. It outlines the steps for building a data analysis team and developing an action plan specifically for long-term transition planning.

Comparing PSO Data with Other Data Sets

Data teams can further their PSO data analysis by incorporating other data sets into their review. Taking into consideration Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and Career Technical Education (CTE) data can help provide a greater picture of how inclusive practices shape PSO. The OSPI Report Card is another resource that provides details for on-track graduation rates.

Please reach out to our team if you have questions about your PSO data. It is our hope at CCTS that you can use this data to advocate for and inform practices, programs, and policies that improve post-school outcomes for all students.

Notice of Public Comment Period

Annual State Application of Federal Year 2024 of the IDEA Federal Grant

Washington state’s annual application for federal IDEA funds for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2024 has been posted and will be available for public review for 60 days, with a comment period of 30 days, prior to final submission to the US Department of Education (DOE) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) by May 31, 2024.

Virtual/online Public Comment Hearing

Wednesday, April 17, 2024, from 9–10 a.m.

All members of the public are invited to attend the Public Comment Hearings and provide verbal or written comments on the annual application for IDEA funds and the proposed budget.

If participants need accommodations beyond closed captioning, please contact the OSPI Special Education division at speced@k12.wa.us or by calling 360-725-0725.

The Public Comment Hearings are posted to the OSPI Rulemaking and Public Comment website. Comments may also be submitted in writing to speced@k12.wa.us no later than May 8, 2024.

Myths and Facts Surrounding Assistive Technology Devices and Services

The Office of Educational Technology and the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) recently shared a new guidance document in support of students with disabilities who need assistive technology (AT) devices and services for meaningful access and engagement in education.

Myths and Facts Surrounding Assistive Technology Devices and Services (PDF) aims to increase understanding of IDEA’s requirements regarding AT devices and services, dispel common misconceptions regarding AT, and provide examples of the use of AT devices and services for students with disabilities.

A total of 28 myths are addressed in the guidance document, including:

  • AT should only be considered at some IEP Team meetings.
  • An AT evaluation must be conducted prior to providing an AT device and service to a child with a disability.
  • Specific AT decisions do not need to be included in the written IEP document.
  • AT does not need to be considered as part of the secondary transition process.
  • AT always involves an electronic device and is always high-tech.
  • Using AT devices and services will not improve child outcomes.
  • Buying AT devices takes a long time and won’t give timely services to the child as required.
  • All AT devices must be approved by an LEA’s information technology (IT) department.
  • There are limited funding sources for AT devices and services.

The complete Myths and Facts document, along with a Dear Colleague Letter on the Provision of Assistive Technology Devices and Services from Glenna Wright-Gallo, can be downloaded from the IDEA website in both English and Spanish.

CCTS Self-Paced Online Training

Each of CCTS’s self-paced training courses can be accessed free of charge from the CCTS website. Courses include modules and activity workbooks that can be completed individually or with a group. To earn clock hours, courses can be completed through eLearning for Educators for a fee.

Visit CCTS’s Training page for details

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