College and Career Readiness (CCR)
Contents
- 1 Welcome to the College and Career Readiness for Students Using Alternate Assessment project
- 2 Purpose and Goals of the Project
- 3 What's Going On in the CCR for Students Using Alternate Assessment project
- 4 Video and Presentations
- 5 Forms
- 6 Resources
- 7 FAQs
- 7.1 College and Career Readiness General Questions
- 7.2 Alternative High School Diploma
- 7.3 Unbridled Learning Accountability Model: Next Generation Learners College and Career Readiness Measures
- 7.4 Career Ready Documentation
- 7.5 Community Based Work Transition Program
- 7.6 Confidentiality
- 7.7 Instruction to Support College and Career Readiness
- 7.8 Postsecondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
Welcome to the College and Career Readiness for Students Using Alternate Assessment project
CCR for Students Using Alternate Assessment is a KY State Professional Development Grant (SPDG) based on federal grants to states departments of education. College and/or career readiness following high school increases the chances of success for ALL youth in the global economy of the 21st century. The Kentucky CCR Initiative is striving to ensure that youth with significant intellectual disabilities (ID) are included in this vision.
Purpose and Goals of the Project
Project Background
The vision of the Kentucky Board of Education is to ensure that all students reach proficiency and graduate from high school ready for college and careers. This vision is consistent with our changing economy that requires P-12 schools to prepare students for a more complex and competitive workplace.
It is the expectation that ALL Kentucky children will receive an education that prepares them for a successful future. Students participating in the Alternate Assessment are included in this vision.
Funded in 2012, one of the goals of this five year federal grant is to better prepare students with low incidence disabilities to reach proficiency and graduate from high school ready for college and careers.
The CCR project will:
- Help KY define and measure college and career readiness for students with low incidence disabilities (Assessment and Accountability Model)
- Formalize a transition to postsecondary model for students with IEPs remaining in high school until the age of 21 (Transition to Post-Secondary Instructional Model)
- Enhance the capacity of low incidence and transition specialists to facilitate student college and career readiness.
Kentucky's Unbridled Learning Accountability Model
Kentucky's current Unbridled Learning Accountability Model is the statewide framework of assessment and accountability for all students, schools, and districts. This overarching model is organized around the Kentucky Board of Education's four strategic priorities: next-generation learners, next-generation professionals, next-generation support systems, and next-generation schools and districts. For more information about Kentucky's Unbridled Learning Accountability Model see the links below.
Within the context of Kentucky's Unbridled Learning Accountability Model, this project was tasked with revising the College and Career Readiness measures within the Next-Generation Learners strategic priority. Specifically, the College and Career Readiness measures for students participating in the alternate assessment were edited and revised. The following documents can help to elaborate and clarify the changes made to the College and Career Readiness measures for students participating in the alternate assessment.
The chart below outlines the new ways in which a student participating on the alternate assessment can be considered college and/or career ready.
The state is considering changes to the current accountability system as allowed under ESSA, the new, main federal law governing public education. The current timeline calls for the new system to be in place for the 2017-18 school year.
Information about the Commissioner’s Accountability Steering Committee and Workgroups can be found at http://education.ky.gov/CommOfEd/adv/Pages/Commissioner%e2%80%99s-Accountability-Steering-Committee.aspx. A link to the ESSA page can also accessed from that page.
The Accountability Design Recommendations can be found at http://education.ky.gov/CommOfEd/adv/Documents/Accountability%20Design%20Recommendations%20110216%20Steering%20Committee.pdf
The Monday DAC email from December 5, 2016 outlines the revised timelines for the career ready measures for students participating in the alternate assessment. The DAC email can be found at http://education.ky.gov/AA/distsupp/Pages/Communications.aspx
What's Going On in the CCR for Students Using Alternate Assessment project
Project Implementation
CCR for students participating in the alternate assessment will be implemented using a phased roll out plan. Support to districts will be provided in tiers of varying intensity.
2015-2016
- Four CCR Usability Sites begin implementation. CCR usability sites are located at Campbell County High School, Christian County High School, Franklin-Simpson High School, Spencer County High School.
- All LEAs engage in CCR Readiness Activities
2016-2017
- District Team Development and Initial Training by the Regional Special Education Cooperative/Continue Pilot for Districts Previously Trained
- Usability sites continue
- Ongoing Pilot Program
- Usability Sites Complete Activities
2018-2019
- Readiness Program Part of Accountability
Prior to the 2018-2019 academic year, the CCR implementation and roll-out process will occur in three-tiers of varying support.
- Usability Sites (detailed above) will receive intensive service.
- Targeted districts will receive additional training, but support will be provided by cooperative consultants.
- All remaining districts will receive universal support to begin at a later date.
Video and Presentations
Module 1: Changes to College and Career Readiness Measures for Students Participating in the Alternate Assessment: An Overview
Module 1 Training Presentation
Module 1 Accompanying Documents
Module 2 Training Presentation
Module 2 Accompanying Documents
Module 3 Training Presentation
Module 3 Accompanying Documents
Module 4 Training Presentation
Module 4 Accompanying Documents
Module 5 Training Presentation
Module 6 Training Presentation
Module 6 Accompanying Documents
Module 7 Training Presentation
Module 7 Accompanying Documents
Forms
Resources
Curriculum Resources
- Kentucky Alternate Assessment Program (Alternate K-PREP) documents and standards:
- New documents and measures created for College and Career Readiness for Students on Alternate Assessment:
- Employability and Foundation Academic Standards-Alternate Assessment
- Employability and Foundational Academic Standards-Alternate Assessment Progressions
- Employability and Foundational Academic Standards-Alternate Assessment Standards with Progressions Combined
- Sample Course of Study Descriptions
- Course of Study Matrix
- Multi Year Course of Study Template
- Sample Course Titles and Descriptions for Alternative Diploma
- CCR Acronyms
Instructional Resources
Sample Unit Plans:
Sample Lesson Plans:
Sample Activities:
Helpful Websites:
- National Organizations and Associations
- AHEAD Association on Higher Education and Disability https://www.ahead.org/
- CCSSO Council of Chief State School Officers http://www.ccsso.org/Resources/Programs/Assessing_special_education_Students_(ASES).html
- CEEDAR Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform http://ceedar.education.ufl.edu/
- College and Career Readiness and Success Center http://www.ccrscenter.org/
- Think College http://www.thinkcollege.net/index.php
- IDEA Partnership: Cradle to College and Career Collection Tools http://www.ideapartnership.org/component/content/article.html?id=1526
- The Council of Chief State School Officers http://www.ccsso.org/
- National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability (NCWD) for Youth http://www.ncwd-youth.info/
- NCEO National Center on Educational Outcomes https://nceo.info/
- The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/
- PARCC Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers http://www.parcconline.org/
- National Center on Intensive Intervention http://www.intensiveintervention.org/
- National Gateway to Self-Determination http://www.ngsd.org/
- US Department of Labor: Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) https://www.dol.gov/odep/
- NTACT National Technical Assistance Center on Transition http://transitionta.org/
- National Disability Institute http://www.realeconomicimpact.org/
- Kentucky State Websites
- Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education http://cpe.ky.gov/
- Kentucky Post School Outcome Data Collection http://www.kypso.org/home.aspx
- Supported Higher Education Project http://www.shepky.org/
- Kentucky Department of Education: Career and Technical Education http://education.ky.gov/CTE/Pages/default.aspx
- Kentucky Department of Education: Work-Based Learning Manual http://education.ky.gov/CTE/cter/Pages/WBL.aspx
- Kentucky Department of Education: Alternate K-PREP Assessment http://education.ky.gov/AA/Assessments/kprep/Pages/Alternate-K-PREP.aspx
- Kentucky Department of Education: Career Readiness Resources http://education.ky.gov/CTE/cter/Pages/CareerReadiness.aspx
- Kentucky Department of Education: Individual Learning Plan Login and Resources http://education.ky.gov/educational/ccadv/ilp/Pages/default.aspx
- SPLASH Initiative https://louisville.edu/education/splash
- Supported Employment Training Project https://www.hdi.uky.edu/setp/
- Transition and Employment
- Employment First Transition Planning http://www.ohioemploymentfirst.org/view.php?nav_id=26
- Autism Speaks Employment Tool Kit https://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/tool-kits/employment
- Division on Career Development and Transition: Council for Exceptional Children Fact Sheets http://community.cec.sped.org/dcdt/publications/fast-facts
- Institute on Community Integration http://www.ici.umn.edu/
- JAN: Job Accommodation Network https://askjan.org/
- Zarrow Center for Learning Enrichment http://www.ou.edu/education/centers-and-partnerships/zarrow.html
- Life after IEPs: Transition Resources http://lifeafterieps.com/
- Life Centered Education (LCE) Transition Curriculum https://www.cec.sped.org/Publications/LCE-Transition-Curriculum
- Other Resources
- The Star Program http://starautismsupport.com/curriculum/star-program
- I'm Determined http://www.imdetermined.org/
- Southeast TACE http://tacesoutheast.org/
- Human Development Institute at the University of Kentucky https://www.hdi.uky.edu
- Southeast ADA Center http://www.adasoutheast.org/index.php
- Kansas Coaching Project: Instructional Coaching http://instructionalcoach.org/
- NIRN The National Implementation Research Network http://nirn.fpg.unc.edu/
- Project Search: Transition Program http://www.projectsearch.us/OurPROGRAM/HighSchoolTransition.aspx
- The Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction http://www.beachcenter.org/wisdom_based_action/the_self-determined_learning_model_of_instruction/default.aspx?JScript=1
- Tasks Galore http://www.tasksgalore.com/
- Employment Soft Skills Resources http://www.face.edu/Page/815
- Bridges Transitions http://www.bridges.com/us/home.html
- Project Achieve http://www.projectachieve.info/
- Older Students Attainment Company http://www.attainmentcompany.com
- Inclusion Press http://www.inclusion.com/
- SNAP Curriculum http://www.snapcurriculum.org/
- DO-IT Scholars Program http://www.washington.edu/doit/programs/do-it-scholars/overview
Research on College and Career Readiness
- There is a strong body of research detailing college and career readiness for students with significant cognitive disabilities. See below for articles and research used to support rigorous college and career readiness standards for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
FAQs
- Project employees have provided a list of frequently asked questions and their answers. Click ... to access that information.
College and Career Readiness General Questions
Q: Why must school districts work toward increasing student rates toward college and career readiness?
- The purpose of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, reauthorized in 2004 is to “prepare (students) for further education, employment and independent living” (IDEA, 2004).
- President Obama has a stated goal for the country to ensure all students are ready for college and careers when they graduate from high school. The USDOE designed the “Blueprint for Reform” for a re-envisioned federal role in education through the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The ESEA sets forth the expectations for the federal government, states, districts, and schools to meet these benchmarks for the college and career readiness of America’s students.
- The Blueprint provides incentives for states to adopt academic standards that prepare students to succeed in postsecondary education and the workplace.
- The document asserts that “every student should graduate from high school ready for college and a career. Every student should have meaningful opportunities to choose from upon graduation from high school” (Blueprint, p. 7).
- Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act - signed into law on July 22, 2014, aims to help job seekers access education, training and support services necessary for success in the 21st century labor market, and matching employers with skilled workers needed for global economic competition.
- The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association (NGA) released final versions of the Common Core State Standards for Language Arts and Mathematics. The standards define the knowledge and skills all students should master by the end of each grade level in order to be on track for success in college and career.
- Federally funded national centers assist state educational agencies, local educational agencies, state vocational rehabilitation agencies, and other VR service providers in implementation of evidence-based practices that ensure students with disabilities graduate from high school ready for success in postsecondary education and employment.
- Senate Bill 1, signed into law March 26, 2009 by Governor Steve Beshear, mandated the implementation of several education initiatives impacting college and career readiness and degree completion in Kentucky.
- At the state level, the vision of the Kentucky Board of Education is to ensure that all students reach proficiency and graduate from high school ready for college and careers. The board’s vision is informed by a changing economy that requires P-12 schools to prepare students for a more complex and competitive workplace.
Together these initiatives and recommendations are relevant for all students, including students with disabilities at the secondary level, because they have implications for curricula, instruction, and assessment. Further, these initiatives and recommendations reflect the overall focus of improving outcomes for students leaving the K-12 education system.
Q: Where do school districts stand legally with employers by stating the students are CCR?
Alternative High School Diploma
Q: Will the Alternative High School Diploma be considered a "regular diploma" under the revised accountability measures?
As currently written, the course of study for alternate students has a partial alignment with Kentucky standards; those standards only cover a small percentage of the standards used for a regular diploma. Alternative graduation credentials that are not fully aligned with a State’s academic content standards may not be counted as a regular high school diploma for the purpose of calculating the four-year or extended-year graduation rate. Thus, students who graduate with a credential other than a regular high school diploma, such as a GED, modified diploma, or certificate of attendance, may not be included in the numerator, but must be included in the denominator of the four-year and extended-year graduation rate. (Source: USDE – High School Graduation Rate Guidance.)
Unbridled Learning Accountability Model: Next Generation Learners College and Career Readiness Measures
Q: Why did Kentucky revise the way to measure and account for college and career readiness for students participating in the alternate assessment?
- mirror more closely the measures for students in the general assessment,
- allow schools to get the same credit or points for students participating in the alternate assessment, and
- provide stronger Career Ready components, including opportunities to learn needed employability skills through experiential learning.
Currently, students with the most significant cognitive disabilities (typically those students using alternate forms of assessment) lag well behind their same age peers without such disabilities in terms of post-high school success in college and/or career. The KDE hopes the revised measures will be CCR specific and meaningful to the students and their families.
The revised measures will also establish expectations for students and will be accompanied by the development of CCR instructional programming to provide the students the content and experiences needed to meet expectations and gain competencies for postsecondary success.
Q: What does 'college ready' mean for students participating in the alternate assessment?
Q:What does 'career ready' mean for students participating in the alternate assessment?
The student has: 1) met the benchmarks on the Employability Skills Attainment Record (ESAR), and 2) has obtained a Career Work Experience Certificate (CWEC).
Q: What are the standards of readiness?
Q: What is the basis for the TAR?
Q: Who is responsible for reporting TAR scores?
Q: Which score counts if a student takes the TAR a second time?
Q: What TAR scores determine college readiness for Kentucky students participating in the alternate assessment?
Q: What is the basis for the standards within the Employability Skills Attainment Record (ESAR)?
Q: What ESAR scores determine career readiness for Kentucky students participating in the alternate assessment?
Q: What is the basis for achieving the Career Work Experience Certificate (CWEC)?
Q: How will ESAR scores and the completion of the CWEC be reported?
Q: How do the 1.5 points for students who are both college and career ready work?
Q: When does the school get CCR credit for this student?
If a student participates in graduation ceremony but returns until age 21, the KDE Office of Assessment and Accountability will archive the score until the student exits with a graduation code. KDE will use the highest score since students will be assessed on the ESAR multiple times. Students can also take the TAR multiple times.
Once a district assigns a graduation code to a student there is no further opportunity for CCR credit, whether the student returns to school until age 21 or not.Q: Does CCR affect funding for high schools?
Q: Is there a medical exemption for the ESAR and CWEC?
Career Ready Documentation
Q: Will the Alternate Assessment and Accountability Folder (AAAF) be used to document the ESAR and CWEC?
Q: What happens to ESAR and CWEC documentation when a student transfer to another schools district?
Under FERPA, school officials may disclose any and all education records, including disciplinary records and records that were created as a result of a student receiving special education services under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, to another school or postsecondary institution at which the student seeks or intends to enroll. While parental consent is not required for transferring education records, the school’s annual FERPA notification should indicate that such disclosures are made. (Source: US Department of Education)
Community Based Work Transition Program
Note: more information on the Community Based Work Transition Program can be found on the CBWTP section of this website
Q: How will the Community Based Work Transition Program change, when used as a vehicle for completing coursework leading to the CWEC?
Changes to the program could occur in the future due to the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) and how the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation plans to meet the WIOA requirements.
Q: How much information can be disclosed to an employer when a student participates in the CBWTP?
Confidentiality
Q: Who can/should have rights to view the ESAR and CWEC documentation in Infinite Campus?
FERPA allows "school officials," including teachers, within a school to obtain access to personally identifiable information contained in education records provided the school has determined that they have "legitimate educational interest" in the information. Although the term "school official" is not defined in the statute or regulations, the U.S. Department of Education generally interprets the term to include parties such as: professors; instructors; administrators; health staff; counselors; attorneys; clerical staff; trustees; members of committees and disciplinary boards; and a contractor, volunteer or other party to whom the school has outsourced institutional services or functions. (Source: US Department of Education)
Q: Is the ESAR truly a secure/confidential assessment document since it it used for instructional purposes from baseline year through exit year?
Instruction to Support College and Career Readiness
Q: How will students be prepared instructionally to meet the benchmarks and scores within the assessment and accountability model?
At the state level instruction will be delivered in alignment with the Kentucky Occupational Skills Standards (KOSSA); the Kentucky Core Academic Standards (KCAS), Alternate K-PREP Standards; the Employability and Foundational Academic Skills-Alternate Assessment; the Career Work Experience Certification Process; the Kentucky Work-Based Learning Manual, and the Kentucky Taxonomy for Transition Programming. Instruction will also be based upon evidence based research practices which include, but are not limited to: person centered planning and discovery; involvement in extracurricular activities; opportunity for paid internships; direct instruction in self-determination and self-advocacy skills; leadership opportunities.
Q: What is the role of related service personnel in supporting the instruction that will help students with significant cognitive disabilities achieve college or career readiness status?
Occupational therapy (OT) is the use of treatments to develop, recover, or maintain the daily living and work skills of people with a physical, mental or developmental condition. Occupational therapy interventions focus on adapting the environment, modifying the task, teaching the skill, and educating the client/family in order to increase participation in and performance of daily activities, particularly those that are meaningful to the client. Occupational therapists often work closely with professionals in physical therapy, speech therapy, nursing, social work, and the community. The strategies and intervention approach used to provide Physical Therapy relate to the student’s need for functional motor skills in the areas of mobility, movement, posture/positioning, access, participation, and safety in the educational environment (including class, school, campus, work sites, and community). The role of the school-based Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) is to address the communication process of listening, speaking, reading, and writing to affect functional and measurable changes to fully participate in the educational environment. SLPs work to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults. SLPs work with both speech and language disorders. Speech disorders occur when a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with their voice or resonance. Language disorders occur when a person has trouble understanding others (receptive language), or sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings (expressive language).
Postsecondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
Q: Can students with intellectual disabilities go to college?
Under the Act students with ID are eligible to apply for federal financial aid to help cover the cost of attending college under these circumstances:
- The student must meet the definition of ID as outlined in the Act
- Students must be attending an approved Comprehensive Transition Program - a list of these programs is maintained on the Federal Financial Aid website at https://studentaid.ed.gov/eligibility/intellectual-disabilities
- Students who meet these two criteria DO NOT have to have a standard high school diploma, or be pursuing a degree or certificate.
- Students with ID DO still have to meet the financial need criteria for eligibility
- They are eligible for federal grants and work study funds, but NOT student loans.
Q: Why would a student with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) go to college?
According to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, “in the next decade the United States workforce will have a deficit of nearly 11 million workers who have obtained a post-secondary education. Of this number, the workforce will lack nearly 4 million workers with a post-secondary certificate or associate’s degree.” The meaningful credential offered by CTP programs can help in closing this gap. College graduates enter the job market well positioned for labor market success, and most earn more than their non-college-going peers within a few short years. The move of the U.S. from a manufacturing-based economy to an economy based on knowledge, and the importance of a college education today can be compared to that of a high school education forty years ago (retrieved from http://www.collegeview.com/articles/article/importance-of-college-education on 12/19). It serves as the gateway to better options and more opportunity. In Kentucky, high school graduates earn $25,902.00/year vs. $43,007.00/year for those who completed a bachelor’s degree (retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnebersole/2012/08/08/why-a-college-degree/ on 12/19/2013). In fact, any amount of postsecondary education is beneficial. Employees who attended even some college or earned an Associate's degree earned 26 percent more than high school graduates. Students with at least some postsecondary education earn about $473,000 more than their less-educated peers over the course of a lifetime. All people can benefit from post-secondary education.
Q: How can students, without a standard high school diploma and without the ability to pass entrance exams, get into college?
Q: What is a Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP)?
Q: What does a Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP) look like?
- ACADEMIC ACCESS
- Provide access to a wide array of college course types that are attended by students without disabilities
- Address issues that may impact college course participation, such as travel, technology, accommodations
- Provide students with the skills to access ongoing adult learning opportunities
- CAREER DEVELOPMENT
- Provide students with the supports and experiences necessary to seek and sustain competitive employment
- CAMPUS MEMBERSHIP
- Provide access to and support for participation in existing social organizations, facilities, and technology,
- SELF-DETERMINATION
- Ensure student involvement in and control of the establishment of personal goals
- Ensure the development and promotion of the self-determination skills
- ALIGNMENT WITH COLLEGE SYSTEMS AND PRACTICES
- Identify outcomes or offer an educational credential (e.g., degree or certificate) established by the institution for students enrolled in the program
- Provide access to academic advising
- Provide access to college campus resources
- Collaborate with faculty and staff
- Adhere to the college’s schedules, policies and procedures, public relations, and communications
- COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION
- Establish connections and relationships with key college/university departments
- Have a designated person to coordinate program-specific services of the comprehensive postsecondary education program
- SUSTAINABILITY
- Use diverse sources of funding
- Have a planning and advisory team
- ONGOING EVALUATION
- Conduct evaluation of services and outcomes on a regular basis
To gain more information about CPTs visit Think College
Q: What kind of degree or credential do students with ID earn through a CTP?
Q: Which colleges and universities offer CTPs?
Q: Do colleges and universities without CTPs serve students with ID?
Q: Do these students qualify for financial aid?
Students with ID, who attend a federally approved CTP, are eligible for Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) monies, Pell Grants, and Stafford Loans.
Q: Are grades/grade point averages required for students who participated in the alternate assessment to receive KEES money?
The intent of HB 45 was three-fold:
- Students who receive an alternative high school diploma have access to funds for which all other Kentucky students have access for postsecondary education,
- Students will have more incentive to go on to post-secondary education, and
- IHEs have an incentive to provide CTPs in order to access this tuition stream (along with student eligibility for Federal Pell grants and Work-Study).
This intent also applies to other students with intellectual disabilities, who may have received a regular high school diploma.
Q: How much money can the students receive?
Q: What kinds of supports are available to students with ID going to college?
Q: Who provides supports for students with ID in college?
Q: Is it possible for high school students participating in the Alternate Assessment to be dually enrolled in a Comprehensive Transition Program?
