Section 2:
Office of the Dean
OVERVIEW OF THE TRANSITION PROGRAM
Transition is one of three priority programs identified by the National
Mission Advisory Panel and through other public input. This nationwide
initiative has also been recognized by the Clerc Center as an area that
must be supported with research and innovative projects. Transition refers
to the skills a student needs in making major life changes such as graduation
from high school and pursuing a college education.
The Transition Program at KDES and MSSD
The school-wide team consists of seven transition specialists. Five of
them are assigned to Grade 6/7/8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 teams respectively.
The other specialists coordinate the Career Center and Work Experience
program. The overall goals of the transition specialists are to provide
students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities they need to cope effectively
with daily life, to make the transition to the next level of education,
and to develop a long-range plan to facilitate lifelong learning.
Transition on the Teams
Career development and transition skills are infused into diverse curricula
on the teaching teams. At various levels, career awareness, investigation,
exploration, and preparation are integrated into the school culture. In
addition to these group-oriented activities, career assessment and educational
and occupational planning are conducted on a more individual basis and
reflected in the development of the Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Career Exploration Activities
A variety of career exploration activities are provided for students
including: a job site visitation program, Future Educators project, a
teleconference called "21st Century Skills for 21st Century Jobs,"
Career Day, Kids-2-College, Bridges, Odyssey Into Museum Careers, career
bulletin boards, and guest speakers.
Career Resource Center
Along with print and audiovisual materials, software and Internet sites
are collected and evaluated to ensure the quality of the information.
Development of the Clerc Center transition Web site is an ongoing activity.
Resources are to be used primarily by the teams in integrated activities.
An on-line career resource center will serve the needs of deaf and hard
of hearing students throughout the nation.
Comprehensive Career Guidelines K-12
Transition is developing a comprehensive K-12 program. Priority work
includes research of best practices and collection of information that
will lead to the development of a model program. Curriculum that will
support the acquisition of comprehensive transition skills will be developed
for instructional teams, Student Life, and other programs.
Transition team members work on the standards and benchmark committee
to integrate the transition guidelines into the standards and benchmarks
development in as seamless a manner as possible.
Work Experience Program
The work experience program involves all students in employment opportunities.
Students, with the help of their transition specialists and work experience
coordinator, develop learning contracts with employers. The jobs are in
four types of environments: highly structured in-house, in-house, the
Gallaudet community, and the non-Gallaudet community. Individual skills
are used as the criteria for the environments. Movement from the most
structured job setting to the most independent one is encouraged for students,
as they are progress through several jobs over a period of time. Work
experience is a requirement for graduation for all students.
Learning Experience Accumulation Program
The Learning Experience Accumulation Program (LEAP) is a transition program
that students participate in throughout their career at MSSD. It includes
an apartment living experience. Students in LEAP learn management skills
that enable them to make smoother transitions during their years at MSSD,
as well as into postsecondary independent living.
Students live in a simulated apartment environment and do their own budgeting,
meal planning, cooking, and decorating. The program has many independent
living components, including signing a lease, paying rent, and using a
mock checking account.
In order to create a realistic atmosphere, each apartment is established
as an independent rental property and the students are treated as tenants.
This program provides hands-on experiences. Weekly workshops relevant
to the program goals are a part of this structured program.
LEAP is a part of the high school curriculum and helps students make
the transition into more independent living experiences. Students are
also exposed to some career areas related to home economics.
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