B. Self-Determination
I will work on skills like making choices, solving problems, setting goals, talking with others, and standing up for myself.
Section 1. Guidepost Areas and Level Up (Pre-ETS) Services Aligned with CORE Transition Skill
Guidepost
School-Based Preparatory Experiences
Career Preparation and Work-Based Learning
Youth Development and Leadership
Connecting Activities
Level Up (Pre-ETS)
Job Exploration Counseling
Counseling for Postsecondary Education/Training
Instruction in Self-Advocacy
Section 2. Assessments, Progress Monitoring Tools, and Resources
Assessments
Resources
Person-Centered Planning Resources:
- University of Missouri (UMKC) - Charting the LifeCourse
Skill-Building Resources:
- CPAC - Stepping Forward: A Self-Advocacy Guide for Middle and High School Students
- DDS – Self-Determination
- DDS – Self-Advocacy
- ODEP - Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success
- Casey Life Skills – Resources to Inspire Guide
- National Deaf Center (NDC) on Postsecondary Outcomes – Deafverse
- National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative (NTACT:C) – Effective Practices and Predictors Matrix
- Seattle University, Center for Change in Transition Services (CCTS) - T-Folio – Free transition portfolio tool
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Waisman Center - Fostering Self-Determination Among Children and Youth with Disabilities—Ideas from PARENTS for PARENTS
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) - Setting and Pursuing Self-Determined Goals
- Zarrow Institute – Self-Determination Education Materials
State Resources:
- CT Kids As Self-Advocates (CT KASA)
- CT Secondary Transition Youth Advisory Board (YAB)
- CT Special Education Youth Advisory Council (YAC)
- CT Youth Leadership Project, Inc. (CT-YLP)
- Office of the Secretary of State - MyVoteCT
Progress Monitoring Tools:
- Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) – I'm Determined Project
Section 3. Example IEP Annual Goal, Short-Term Objectives, and Transition Activities/Services Aligned with Standards
English Language Arts College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards
- CCRA.R.2 – Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details.
- CCRA.W.1 – Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
- CCRA.SL.4 – Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Other Applicable Anchor Standards
- CCRA.R.6
- CCRA.R.8
Example Annual Transition Goal
Given access to career information and technology, Student will demonstrate effective self-determination skills including areas such as: choice-making, problem-solving, goal-setting, communication and self-advocacy, by increasing performance accuracy from 50% to 80% as measured by an observational checklist.
Example Short-term Objectives
- Given results of a career interest inventory, Student will choose and prioritize three careers that match their interests, and explain to peers how the assessment results confirmed or expanded their choice of careers as measured by increase from 0% to 95% on peer review rubric by (insert Date).
- Given access to a narrative about self-advocacy, Student will write their own story about self-advocacy, as measured by increase from 0% to 95% on writing rubric by (insert Date).
- Given access to career information, Student will prepare a plan for post-school employment as measured by increase from 0% to 100% on rubric outlining contents of plan by (insert Date).
Additional Transition Activities/ Services to Consider
- Learn and practice Self-Advocacy Skills.
- Learn to identify appropriate resources for problem solving.
- Opportunities to engage in a range of work-based exploration activities such as site visits and job shadowing.
- Understand the relationship between benefits planning and career choices.
- Exposure to personal leadership and youth development activities, including community service.
- Develop an understanding of disability history, culture, and disability public policy issues as well as their rights and responsibilities.
- Student writes a journal entry about a challenge they possess and how it can be turned into a strength. In another journal entry, student discusses a strength they possess and how they can use it to their advantage.