Tips

All Tuesday Tips

The Microcredential Development Project offers an exciting opportunity to formally recognize and credit students' real-life employment skills within Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways. This project is specifically designed to support students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) who are working toward an alternate diploma or certificate of completion.

What are Microcredentials?

Microcredentials are short, specific, competency-based certifications earned through CTE courses and real-life employment. Microcredentials officially credit students for their skills and highlight their expertise in a chosen career area.

Project Status and Pathways

The Center on Community Living and Careers (CCLC) has developed and piloted these microcredentials across Indiana. We focused on the most popular and in-demand CTE career pathways for students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). Currently, CCLC has been working with school districts to pilot curriculum guides for:

  1. Early Childhood Education
  2. Education as a Profession
  3. Auto Mechanics

CCLC is actively collaborating with teams of special education and CTE educators to create a microcredential curriculum guide for the Culinary and Hospitality pathway. We are gathering feedback to ensure maximum real-world relevance. We look forward to creating curriculum in other pathways of interest for the future.

Join the Development Project

If your school or district is interested in curriculum design or piloting microcredentials in any of these pathways for students working toward an alternate diploma or certificate of completion, please contact INSTRC at instrc@iu.edu or Dr. Mary Pearson at pearsom@iu.edu.

Bonus Tips:

The “Transition IEP Knowledge to Portfolio Application" webinar series continues this week! A series of 6 focused 90-minute virtual trainings. Learn how each section of the Transition IEP seamlessly connects with a quality Transition Portfolio. This training is designed for the entire student transition team: special education educators, coordinators, and administrators; employment professionals and agencies; and family members.

What to expect:

  • Focused Learning: Each session targets a specific area: Present Levels, Postsecondary Goals, Transition Services, and more.
  • Immediate Support: Our sessions include breakout rooms where you can ask specific questions and get one-on-one support in needed areas.

Continuing October 29, 2025! Each session costs $35 and runs from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Register for one or the remaining five sessions today.

Data-based decision-making (DBDM) isn’t just a buzz phrase; the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires it. It provides the foundation for a student’s comprehensive assessment, IEP development, and progress monitoring. Educators should recognize DBDM as best practice. In short, DBDM boils down to using facts, data, and other information to inform instructional strategies that lead to positive student outcomes. Using data allows the educator to adjust instruction, adapt classroom support, and make an informed decision about teaching effectiveness. Viewed from this lens, data-based decisions help both the student and the educator to be as successful as possible. It’s a win-win proposition.

The Data You Should Classify and Use

Every person, every day, is drowning in data. Escaping the constant flow is simply impossible. A special educator, for instance, constantly manages both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data includes test scores, grades, student demographics, or anything characterized or summarized by a number. Qualitative data includes observations, student conversations, parent chats, surveys, student logs, and transition portfolios. The educator must use this information to select an instructional strategy, evaluate its effectiveness, and adjust teaching methods, because success is never one-size-fits-all.

Consider the life teachings of Marc Gold, and his book, Try Another Way, both promote the essential message: If a student is not learning, the teacher must try another instructional approach. His core principle is to never blame the learner; instead, use data to modify your approach. Teaching methods are limitless, so keep experimenting!

Resources:

Bonus Tips:

The Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center (INSTRC) is excited to offer a new and improved Transition Miniseries. This free 7-course online training teaches transition professionals, teachers, and interagency teams the cyclical planning process for creating quality Transition IEPs and Portfolios. It's useful for schools, Vocational Rehabilitation and adult services staff, and families. Participants can complete the full series for up to 18 professional contact hours or take individual courses to enhance their skills.

Courses in the Transition Miniseries include:

  • Self-Determination in the Transition Process
  • The Transition IEP
  • Adult Services and Supports after High School

Register for one or all seven courses today!

Effective communication is the foundation of successful transition planning. The Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center (INSTRC)’s Seamless Transition Pilot found that clear, consistent, and collaborative communication among transition teams, students, and families was one of the most critical factors for success.

INSTRC spent two years gathering data from regions around the state through family interviews and interagency team focus groups. Both the families and teams identified that effective element communication strengthens trust and meets the expectations of families for each team member.

Below we’ve included a few important points to keep in mind:

  • Every team member has valuable input—communicate that point early.
  • Students and parents/caregivers must be equally contributing members of the transition team.
  • Start transition communication early. The more engaged students and families are in transition planning, the better prepared they will be for transitions into adulthood.
  • Advocacy is crucial for navigating complex systems. Help students and families understand and access the essential services and resources they need.

Effective communication is not a one-way street, like a quick note or email update. It should be an ongoing dialogue that fosters learning, builds trust, and collaborates toward meaningful outcomes. Good communication is intentional and inclusive. Some opportunities for clear, consistent, and reciprocal communication might include the following:

  1. Student-centered communication through student-led IEP meetings.
  2. Family-centered communication through family interviews and partnerships.
  3. Interagency collaborative communication through consistent and inclusive team updates by:

INSTRC provides a toolbox of resources to support effective communication. The FranklinCovey Blog suggests 8 Communication Strategies you can practice for clarity, preparation, nonverbal cues, tone, active listening, interpersonal skills, audience awareness, and overcoming barriers.

Bonus Tips:

The “Transition IEP Knowledge to Portfolio Application" webinar series is only a week away! A series of 6 focused 90-minute virtual trainings. Learn how each section of the Transition IEP seamlessly connects with a quality Transition Portfolio. This training is designed for the entire student transition team: special education educators, coordinators, and administrators; employment professionals and agencies; and family members.

What to expect:

  • Focused Learning: Each session targets a specific area: Present Levels, Postsecondary Goals, Transition Services, and more.
  • Immediate Support: Our sessions include breakout rooms where you can ask specific questions and get one-on-one support in needed areas.

Starting Wednesday, October 22, 2025! Each session costs $35 and runs from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 

Register for one or all six sessions today.

Indiana is undergoing an employment systems transformation. Important changes may affect the students you support, especially those with significant disability impacts. These changes mean students using an Indiana waiver will no longer be able to attend state-funded, facility-based prevocational services (sheltered employment). Helping students understand their postsecondary employment options is critical. As they progress, developing an employment vision becomes increasingly important.

How Educators Can Empower Informed Choice Regarding Employment

Transition services and activities within the IEP offer a powerful avenue for developing students' employment visions. By incorporating concrete, action-oriented goals, students can articulate their future aspirations more clearly. Transition services and activities to consider might include:

  1. Facilitating and creating job shadowing opportunities for students.
  2. Developing and coordinating informational interviewing with local industry leaders.
  3. Helping students research the goods and services Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) offers.
  4. Collaborating with students to create one dedicated transition portfolio page that includes the:
    • Ideal conditions a student optimally needs at work.
    • Student’s most persistent strengths, including soft and hard skills.
    • Kind of supports, both at work and outside of work, a student will need to be successful and maintain a job.
  5. Exploring meaningful day options to ensure each student has balanced and holistic well-being.  ​

As always, connect students to VR as early as possible, no later than their junior year of high school. Students may now concurrently receive VR and Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). Lastly, make sure the student can access his/her electronic transition portfolio after graduation.

Bonus Tips:

The Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) starts January 28 and runs through March 4, 2025. These sessions are offered in both Spanish and English. To learn more, visit the English FEAT registration and Spanish FEAT registration webpages.

Federal legislative mandates require Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) to allocate funds for Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) to students with disabilities who are or may be eligible for VR services. These students, aged 14 to 22, must have an IEP or 504 plan, and be enrolled in a secondary, postsecondary, or other education program. In Indiana, these services are coordinated and provided by approved Pre-ETS VR contractors, typically adult services community rehabilitation programs.

Pre-ETS services include five core categories:

  1. Job exploration counseling
  2. Work-based learning experiences
  3. Counseling on postsecondary opportunities
  4. Workplace readiness training
  5. Instruction in self-advocacy

The Family and Social Services Administration website has more information on Pre-ETS core services and providers. Youth VR counselors can offer additional support to educators, students, and Pre-ETS providers. The Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) further defines the roles of Pre-ETS and VR counselors delivering Pre-ETS.

Concurrent VR and Pre-ETS Services

Students may concurrently receive Pre-ETS services and have an active case open through VR. According to DDRS, “High priority referrals include students getting ready to graduate who need VR services (e.g., those with no clear pathway after graduation), and students with more complex needs who might need VR services earlier (among other possible students).” Referring a student to VR is simple.

The Transition Portfolio

Pre-ETS providers should use the work they have completed to assist in developing or enhancing a student's transition portfolio. Educators and Pre-ETS providers should work collaboratively to develop or enhance student transition portfolios.

Bonus Tips:

CCLC has upcoming trainings for educators who want to strengthen their knowledge of transition IEPs and portfolios! Our sessions include:

  • Developing Quality Transition IEPs
  • Using the Transition IEP to Focus Education and Build Relationships
  • Portfolios and Profiles: Portals to Competitive, Integrated Employment (CIE)

To register for these upcoming webinars, visit the INSTRC Training and Technical Assistance webpage.

The Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) kicks off in Batesville this October. Help us spread the word! Share this free learning opportunity with families, students, and colleagues. To register for this and other events, visit the CCLC FEAT webpage.

The United States Department of Education states, “By 2027, 70 percent of jobs will require education or training beyond high school.”  That's a lot of competition! Setting and achieving quality postsecondary education or training goals helps students stand out. These goals guide students through the often-micromanaged territory of high school to the diverse and often challenging world of higher education or career training programs. Research shows that goal setting is a powerful tool for success. The National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT) even lists it as one of the top predictors for positive post-school outcomes for students with disabilities.

Why Postsecondary Education and Training Goals Matter

  1. Enhance Future Opportunities: They help students align their current educational experiences with their long-term career aspirations and the training needed to obtain them. Whether they’re aiming for college, vocational certification, or on-the-job learning, clear goals ensure a smooth transition.
  2. Promote Self-Advocacy and Independence: Students gain a sense of ownership over their future and learn to articulate their needs. These skills are essential for navigating higher education and the workforce.
  3. Align with Individual Strengths and Interests: Effective postsecondary goals are tailored to a student's individual strengths, preferences, and interests. This personalized approach helps prevent disengagement and leads to a rewarding educational experience.
  4. Provide Tailored Support: Clear goals help educators and families identify and provide specific support, such as Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services, academic counseling, career exploration activities, or specialized training programs.
  5. Foster Long-Term Success: Students with well-defined goals and a roadmap for achieving them are more likely to complete postsecondary education and training. This leads to better job opportunities and overall life satisfaction.

Quality postsecondary education and training goals are a roadmap to success, guiding students towards meaningful opportunities, fostering independence, and supporting their future. By prioritizing these goals, we ensure that every student has the chance to realize their full potential and achieve their dreams.

Resources

CCLC has upcoming trainings for educators who want to strengthen their knowledge of transition IEPs and portfolios! Our sessions include:

  • Developing Quality Transition IEPs
  • Using the Transition IEP to Focus Education and Build Relationships
  • Portfolios and Profiles: Portals to Competitive, Integrated Employment (CIE)

To register for these upcoming webinars, visit the INSTRC Training and Technical Assistance webpage.

Bonus Tip: The Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) kicks off in Batesville this October. Help us spread the word! Share this free learning opportunity with families, students, and colleagues. To register for this and other events, visit the CCLC FEAT webpage.

Prevalence 

According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are a common condition. More importantly for educators, nearly one-third of teens experience an anxiety disorder, resulting in poor school performance. The National Institute of Mental Health’s data confirms that anxiety occurs more often in female teens. There is no single cause for anxiety. Educators can expect one in every three students to suffer from an anxiety disorder. More sobering is that this anxiety can be well-masked by the student, but no less devastating.

What to Look Out For

Feelings of anxiousness are normal for all teens. Anxiety rises and falls in response to different situations. Students can overcome anxiety through emotional support and skill-building. An anxiety disorder is persistent. For students experiencing ongoing anxiety, the impacts can be profound and may include, and not be limited to:

  • Physical complaints such as headaches and nausea
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Resistance to being in unfamiliar physical spaces/avoidance
  • Lack of concentration
  • Poor decision-making
  • Unrealistic thinking patterns, such as expecting self-perfection
  • Anger/agitation
  • Excessive concern about what others think

What You Can Do

  • Communicate with the family. Coordination and collaboration with families ensures ongoing support, especially when the student is under medical care.
  • Develop opportunities to teach the student coping and adaptation skills, such as relaxation techniques.
  • Identify safe places for the student to calm down.
  • Provide structure to minimize anxiety production. Before a schedule changes, rehearse transition skills with the student.
  • Be understanding.
  • Consider pairing the student with a peer partner.
  • Collaborate with the school guidance counselor. It takes a team.
  • Use accommodations

Resources

Bonus Tips

We're excited to offer the Transition Educators Facilitating Employment course, starting April 7, 2025! This 10-week, comprehensive online training gives educators, specialists, Pre-ETS providers, transition coordinators, and other professionals the foundation, techniques, and effective strategies necessary for successful adult vocational transition.

Course modules include:

  • Developing Transition Programs within the Traditional School Environment
  • The Evolution of Supported and Customized Employment
  • Principles of Supported and Customized Employment
  • Roles, Responsibilities, and Expectations
  • Discovery and Customized Employment
  • Marketing for Employment Services
  • Job Development, Training, and Workplace Supports
  • Assistive Technology
  • Federal Programs for Businesses and People with Disabilities
  • Criminal Justice Involvement

This online, self-paced course costs $250. For more information and to register, visit the CCLC Transition Educators Training webpage.

Research consistently shows that parental involvement is one of the most important predictors of student postsecondary success. School programs can make parent and family involvement easier by treating them as education partners and empowering them with knowledge (Mazotti 2021).

The reason isn’t hard to figure out. The Vermont Family Network sums it up nicely: “Families are often the first, most knowledgeable, and most consistent ‘case manager’ youth with disabilities have.” Partnership with parents should be front and center.

Here are some practical suggestions for involving parents in their child’s education: 

  1. Ask for parents’ input about the student’s strengths, preferences, interests, and needs.
  2. Invite parents to share their social and business contacts to facilitate career exploration.
  3. Provide hospitality when parents wish to observe in the classroom—drop the fear of scrutiny.
  4. Coordinate with parents to follow up with skill building, especially soft skills, and goal setting at home.
  5. Review the resources below.

Resources

Real-world work experiences before high school graduation are a key component of a seamless transition, contributing to students’ long-term success in competitive, integrated community employment. Early exposure to various career experiences aligned with the students’ interests and abilities allows them to explore multiple career paths. This exploration leads to increased career readiness, improved employability, and a better match between students and their future careers.

Work-based learning opportunities may include:

  • Work-site tours
  • Service learning with hands-on experiences
  • Job-shadowing with a mentor
  • Internships
  • Career and Technical Education

Success Stories

Meet Jeremy! Jeremy worked during high school. A job developer from The ARC discovered that Jeremy wanted to become a magician, entertaining young children. The job developer helped Jeremy get a job with FunFlatables, providing inflatables for children’s parties. After he graduated from high school, Jeremy became a dishwasher at Cracker Barrel. He earned at least minimum wage, working 30-40 hours a week, to earn enough to no longer rely on social security insurance. He improved his communication skills, made progress in his job, and made business cards promoting his work as a magician for children’s parties.

Meet Colton!  Colton worked in competitively paid, integrated jobs at 14 as a barista at a local cafe. He walked to his job twice a week. Colton bussed tables, helped the barista, and was a host there until he went to college. Colton held other part-time jobs during summers and evenings. Colton loved working with children at his former elementary school cafeteria. During the summer, he worked in the school’s ESY program as a mentor and role model.

Pre-ETS and Vocational Rehabilitation services can help you and your transition teams find good work experiences for students. To find a local Pre-ETS provider, visit the Counties by Pre-ETS Provider Fact Sheet. For additional information, visit the Family and Social Services Administration: Pre-Employment Transition Services Forms webpage.

Bonus Tips:

The virtual Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) continues this week. Help us spread the word! Share this free learning opportunity with families, students, and colleagues. To register, visit the CCLC FEAT webpage.

Upcoming sessions:

  • Tuesday, May 13: Individual Employment Possibilities
  • Wednesday, May 14: Employer and Employee Supports
  • Monday, May 19: Maintaining Employment Resources and Medicaid
  • Tuesday, May 20: Benefits
  • Wednesday, May 21: Local and State Agency Presenters

We're excited to offer the Transition Educators Facilitating Employment course, starting July 14, 2025! This 10-week, comprehensive online training gives educators, specialists, Pre-ETS providers, transition coordinators, and other professionals the foundation, techniques, and effective strategies necessary for successful adult vocational transition.

Course modules include:

  • Developing Transition Programs within the Traditional School Environment
  • The Evolution of Supported and Customized Employment
  • Principles of Supported and Customized Employment
  • Roles, Responsibilities, and Expectations
  • Discovery and Customized Employment
  • Marketing for Employment Services
  • Job Development, Training, and Workplace Supports
  • Assistive Technology
  • Federal Programs for Businesses and People with Disabilities
  • Criminal Justice Involvement

This online, self-paced course costs $250. For more information and to register, visit the CCLC Transition Educators Training webpage.

As a special educator, you must be familiar with the Indiana Department of Education Notice of Procedural Safeguards. Sections highlight both parental and student rights, describing important changes occurring when a student turns 18, the age of majority. When a student turns 18, they are considered an adult and may make decisions and take actions on their own behalf, such as getting married or using credit cards. At that time, all of the special education rights belonging to the parent transfer to the 18-year-old student, unless a guardian or educational representative has been established. It is your responsibility, as an agent of the school and as an educator, to prepare both students and parents for this milestone. As an informational pipeline for parents and students, you must also prepare yourself!

After reviewing the messaging below, brainstorm some ideas and create a transition activity that allows students to explore their options.

Messaging for Parents from Educators

  • Until the child reaches age 18, you have access to all educational records maintained by the school. When a student turns 18 or attends a postsecondary program, the final decisional authority lies with the student.
  • Transfer of Rights doesn’t mean termination of decisional input.
  • Transfer of Rights is an opportunity for personal growth for students.
  • Use critical thinking and intentional support planning before seeking restrictive guardianship; guardianship is exceptionally difficult to overturn.
  • Involvement, support, and guidance are possible without guardianship, even for students with significant support needs.
  • Prioritize consideration of least restrictive alternatives.

Messaging for Students from Educators

  • You have options; know what they are and explore various resources.
  • Advocate for your preferences.
  • Make informed decisions about the types of support you need and who could provide that support.
  • Work toward a decision about guardianship well before you turn 18.

Resources