Secondary Transition

Nick

What is the Secondary Transition Project?

The Secondary Transition Project helps families and students prepare for the significant challenges of secondary transition by:

  • Enhancing the resource information available
  • Providing training to students, families and educators
  • Maintaining and updating the Tennessee Secondary Transition Manual for Families
  • Creating and distributing secondary transition promotional material
  • Serving as a secondary transition resource to students, families and educators using Person Centered Planning tools
  • Building and enhancing secondary transition collaborations

Project Vision

Families, students, and educators become knowledgeable about the secondary transition process, resources, and opportunities in local communities across the state and on the Internet, so that young adults transition into adulthood with quality lives they and their families design.

The Challenge

Secondary transition can be a confusing time. Parents, teachers, and administrators typically have the same outcome in mind - to mold students into productive members of society. The Secondary Transition Project promotes collaboration between students, families and educators to help meet the student's secondary transition goals.

Project Outcomes

The Secondary Transition Project helps families and students

  • understand the secondary transition process,
  • see the possibilities for adult life,
  • become aware of resources available to help make their dreams come true

The secondary transition process includes assessment, gathering information, planning, family and student involvement, interagency collaboration, and inclusive community experiences. All these should be addressed.

Secondary Transition (ST) Training is provided in each of Tennessee's nine developmental districts, at the Tennessee Spring Special Education Conference and at the Tennessee Disability MegaConference. Free online Secondary Transition Training is also provided by clicking the following links:

Student-directed IEP Project

The Arc Tennessee’s Student-Directed IEP Project aims to improve post-high school outcomes in employment, post-secondary education and independent living for students receiving special education services by teaching them to lead their own IEP meetings. Students, families and education professionals participate jointly in the training so that it becomes a collaborative effort of the IEP team. Funded through a grant from the Walmart Foundation through The Arc US, this project was one of 49 grants awarded nationwide to develop and replicate best practices in the area of transition services.

The Arc Tennessee’s project focuses primarily on rural school systems:

Benton County
Warren County
DeKalb County

Technical assistance is available to other school systems interested in implementing the Student-Directed IEP curriculum in their own area through a grant project with the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

For greater detail, please review the following documents using Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Collaborative Work with Others:

Brochures:

Other Resources:

Person Centered Planning Tools:

The following education documents may be helpful.

  • Restraint Isolation Information Sheet
  • Spanish Restraint Isolation Information Sheet

    • Please Note: The preceding documents can be opened using Adobe Acrobat Reader. To obtain free a copy of the Acrobat Reader software, click on the icon below.

    Download Adobe Acrobat Reader Icon

    Alternate formats available upon request.

    Opportunity for Input

    Vanderbilt Study, Transitioning to Adulthood with Autism - Leaving high school is a time of great change for all youth, but especially for youth with ASD. This research study will examine the changes that happen for youth with ASD during this time as well as the factors associated with a positive transition. The study looks at stress response, behaviors, services, and the family enviornment. To apply to participate in the study go HERE.

    Secondary Transition Trainings and Presentations

    Student Directed IEP Team Meetings

    • Region:
    • What:
    • Date:
    • Time:
    • Location:
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    The Secondary Transition Project is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee, Department of Education.

    Dept Ed logo

    This entity is a recipient of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funds. If you have knowledge of any activity which you consider to be illegal, improper, or wasteful, please call the State Comptrollers toll-free hotline: 1-800-232-5454.

    The Student-Directed IEP project is funded by:

    Walmart CFMT

    For additional information, please contact: