Online transition courses

The University of Kansas will offer five online transition short courses designed to provide novice and veteran education professionals the tools and collaboration necessary to improve transition planning and services for students with disabilities. Each course includes four week-long sessions with research-based articles, Web sites, videos, and discussions and is open to anyone interested in transition planning and services. They are specifically designed for secondary-level special education personnel, but the content is applicable to parents, educators, adult service personnel and consultants.

The courses can be taken for graduate or undergraduate credit, continuing education units, or noncredit. http://transitioncoalition.org/transition/section.php?pageId=49

SPED 798 Introduction to Transition Education and Services
Sept. 14-Oct. 11, 2009

• Overview of Transition Education and Services
• Best Practices in Transition Planning, including IDEA requirements
• Self-Determination and Transition
• Instructional Strategies for Transition Education

Here's a sample syllabus for this course

SPED 798 Transition Assessment
Oct. 26-Nov. 22, 2009

• # Key features of formal and informal assessment
• Creating an ongoing and individualized assessment process
• Person-centered planning & the role of students in transition assessment
• Role of accommodations in testing
• How to interpret and communicate assessment information
• Translating assessment information into services

Here's a sample syllabus for this course

SPED 798 Family Involvement and Student Involvement in Transition
Jan. 11-Feb. 7, 2010

• Family & student perspectives & challenges in transition planning
• Family systems & their impact on transition planning
• Cultural reciprocity & impact of cultural on transition
• Self-Directed IEPs & other techniques for facilitating student involvement

Here's a sample syllabus for this course

SPED 798 Preparing for Employment and Postsecondary Education
Feb. 15-March 7, 2010

• Competitive job placement and support
• Eligibility versus entitlement
• Community-based transition services & supports
• Documentation including Summary of Performance

Here's a sample syllabus for this course

SPED 798 Interagency Collaboration during Transition Planning
April 5-May 2, 2010

• Barriers & strategies to interagency collaboration during transition
• Strategies for collaboration within the local school and community context
• The range of services and supports available to students and adults with disabilities within the local community, including Social Security, Medicaid, Mental Health, Juvenile Justice, MR/DD, and Centers for Independent Living
• Role of community transition councils

Here's a sample syllabus for this course

To enroll in a course, visit http://www.ContinuingEd.ku.edu/is/sped.shtml