Next Steps NH:College, Career, and Life

Readiness

A State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG)From the U.S. Department

of EducationOffice of Special Education

Programs

The contents of this PowerPoint were developed under a grant from the US Department of Education, H323A120003. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Corinne Weidenthal.

IntroductionsNew Hampshire Department of Education,

Bureau of Special Education:

• Mary Steady, Project Director

• Donna Couture, Project Coordinator

• Janelle Cotnoir, Grants & Contracts Technician

• Amy Jenks, Project Consultant

• McKenzie Harrington-Bacote, Project

Consultant

COLLEGE and CAREER READY

for ALL STUDENTS

All students should graduate from high school fully prepared for post-secondary education or training, employment and community living

Planning for this transition is requires knowledge and skills that are often inaccessible or ineffectual for students with disabilities and students who are at risk for dropping out of school

We wanted to develop a project designed to help NH SCHOOL PERSONNEL develop PARTNERSHIPS between

StudentsFamiliesPost-secondary services and program

providersLocal community members

Recognize students’ current strengths, interests, preferences, and needs

Identify supports they will need to achieve future success

Next Steps NHA State Personnel Development

Grant (SPDG)

From the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)

$3.8 million for 5 years

SPDG HistoryThe past 5 years our SPDG has focused on

Response to Intervention (RTI) – NHRESPONDS

Our 2nd State Improvement Grant (SIG) had a goal that focused on postsecondary transition. • Monadnock Center for Successful Transition (MCST) • Strafford Learning Center (SLC) • Keene State College

Overview of the Grant

StrategiesIncreased use of Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs)Enhanced transition planning and opportunitiesGreater family-school engagementSustaining practices

• Institutes of Higher Education (IHE) curricula

• Regional Intermediaries

• Transition CoP• Transition

Resource Portal

Increase the number of students with disabilities and/or at risk of dropping out of school who are college and career ready in New Hampshire through the implementation of evidence based transition practices

Implementation

Objectives1) To develop the capacity of those providing

professional development on Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs), transition planning, and parent engagement, and to define the expectations and commitment of the those receiving PD.

2) To increase and expand the use of ELOs in all regions of NH, by increasing the knowledge and skills of NH Special and General Educators, related service personnel and administrators in the design, implementation with fidelity, and sustainability of evidence-based ELOs

3) To increase the use of best practice, evidence-based transition planning, including enhanced family engagement strategies

Objectives Cont.4) To sustain the use of ELOs, transition planning, and parent

engagement strategies, through evidence-based and quality coaching

5) To increase the implementation, intervention, and outcome data to support decision making at the school, and state level.

6) To ensure school administrations are trained to support their staff and initiatives to implement and sustain the use of ELOs, transition planning and family engagement strategies.

7) To enhance the inclusion of evidenced-based training materials on ELOs, transition planning, and parent/family engagement in Institutes of Higher Education (IHE) pre-service training programs to sustain delivery of grant services throughout the state.

School Responsibilities

Participate in FREE professional development offerings

Identify a staff member to serve as a Transition Liaison

Form a Project Leadership Team Form a Family Focus Group Submission of data to determine need and

fidelity of implementation Time and Resource Commitment based

on needs assessment

School’s may be eligible to receive a small amount of financial support to assist with the implementation process

Mary Steady, Project Director

Donna Couture, Project Coordinator

Janelle Cotnoir, Grants & Contracts Technician

McKenzie Harrington-Bacote, Project Consultant

Amy Jenks, Project Consultant

 

 

 

NH DOE Management Team

ELO Work group

(includes QED)

(Representatives from 4 Regional PD Intermediaries

Management Team

NH DOE Representatives

Parent Information Center

Keene State College

Q.E.D. Foundation

Institute on Disability at UNH

Evergreen Evaluation & Consulting

LEA Representation  

NH SPDG Leadership Team

NH Transition Community of Practice

(Advisory Board)

Transition PD & Portal Work group

IHE Work Group (2

IHEs)

Next Steps NH Organizational Structure

Northern Regional PD Intermediary – NCES

Eastern Regional PD Intermediary - SLC

Western Regional PD Intermediary - MCST

Central Regional PD Intermediary – GSIL

Evaluation Work Group

Project Partners NH DOE Representatives

• Mary Lane – Consultant with the Bureau of Special Education

• Susan Randall – Division of Career Technology and Adult Learning

• Lisa Hatz – Division of Career Technology and Adult Learning, Director

• Tina Greco – Vocational Rehabilitation Program Specialist

• Angela Correau – Vocational Rehabilitation, Supervisor

Project Partners Cont.

Regional Intermediaries• Granite State Independent Living (GSIL)

• Peter Darling - Director• Marybeth Hammond• Maureen O’Donnell

• North Country Educational Services (NCES)• Lori Langlois• Sarah Parsons

• Monadnock Center for Successful Transitions (MCST)• Alan Greene – Director of MDS• Sheila Mahon

• Strafford Learning Center (SLC)• Heidi Wyman• Richard Boardman

Project Partners Cont.

Community Organizations• Parent Information Center (PIC)

• Michelle Lewis - Director• Kimm Phillips

• Q.E.D. Foundation • Kim Carter - Director• Elizabeth Cardine

• Institute on Disability at the UNH (IOD)• JoAnne Malloy• Kathy Franceour

Project Partners Cont.

External Evaluators• Evergreen Evaluation & Consulting

• Pat Mueller – President & Founder• David Merves• Brent Garrett

Keene State College • Steve Bigaj• Betsy Street

NH Transition Community of Practice

Transition Resource Portal

Keene State College expanding current Transition Resource Portal

http://transitions.keenecommons.net/home

Will include all professional development tools and resources from our project

Time LineYear 1

Develop contracts with project partners Leadership Team begins to meet to plan

project’s professional development offerings

Present overview of grant to interested groups/organizations

Distribute application to school districts Select 4 schools (1 in each region) to

participate in Cohort 1 MOUs signed, professional development

begins

Contact Us

Mary Steady, Project Director

mary.steady@doe.nh.gov

271-3730

Donna Couture, Project Coordinator

donna.couture@doe.nh.gov

271-1536