Expect, Empower, Engage Resource Database

Peers have an influential role in promoting inclusive education for students with extensive support needs in their schools and communities. This resource is a toolbox of educational interventions for educators to promote relationships within inclusive educational settings. Each of these approaches are feasible to implement within schools and communities and are effective at improving the educational experiences and post-school outcomes of students with and without disabilities.

School should be a place of belonging for each and every student. Belonging is easy to affirm, but much harder to define. This research-based resource provides ten essential dimensions of belonging for students with and without disabilities. The guide helps educational school communities to celebrate, reflect, and create observable, actionable steps to address each of the 10 dimensions, and to promote greater inclusion and belonging in schools and communities. When each of these dimensions are addressed well, schools become learning environments in which students with disabilities thrive and are seen as valued and indispensable members of the school community and beyond.

This webpage provides information on requirements, guidance and tools to ensure seamless transitions for children and their families as they leave Part C and other early childhood programs, so they have timely access to appropriate services. This page provides information on State and local structures, policies, interagency agreements, personnel development processes, and other critical mechanisms that must be in place to support the transition process.

This webpage provides information to support successful transitions between preschool services to Kindergarten. The page provides state information, as well as resources from other National Centers to ensure young children have a successful transition from preschool service to the K-12 system.

This webpage provides tools based on the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices to help practitioners and families implement evidence-based transition practices. These tools and resources guide practitioners and families in supporting young children with disabilities in a variety of early childhood settings and include tools to improve practice, illustrations of effective transition practices, and practice guides for families and practitioners. They are available in both English and Spanish.

This self-paced module focuses on the transition process from high school to post-secondary settings. Among other topics, it discusses IEP planning, engaging students in the process to become better advocates for their own needs, and partnering with outside agencies such as vocational rehabilitation.

This self-paced module helps users better understand the benefits of student-centered transition planning, identify ways to involve students in collecting assessment information and developing goals, and be better able to prepare students to actively participate in their own IEP meetings.

This self-paced module defines and discusses the purpose of interagency collaboration and addresses the importance of partnering with agencies to improve outcomes for students with disabilities who are transitioning from high school.

This blueprint was designed with input from in-person and remote educators, leaders, researchers, professional learning providers, and technical assistance providers — it details the indicators of learning programs that successfully integrate equity, well-being, and academics. The blueprint leverages an asset-based approach that values diversity in race, culture, language, ability, and ways of interacting with the world, rather than characterizing students and families by what they may need or lack.

In this video, Billy Pickens explains how his teacher’s high expectations for him were not always welcome in high school, but as an adult who is deaf-blind he now appreciates how important it was for his future. To help facilitate reflection and discussion using this video, this resource includes a discussion guide or quick guide. The quick guide can be used to facilitate brief discussions (15 minutes) while the discussion guide can support longer and more in-depth discussions.

Family participation is an essential feature of the development and implementation of high-quality educational programming for students with disabilities. Families bring important information related to their child's academic, functional, and behavioral strengths, needs, and goals. As a result, it is important to ensure that the individualized education program (IEP) team is truly a partnership that values all participants' perspectives. All participants must understand each team members’ role and value the expertise they bring to the development and implementation of the IEP. This webinar, More Than an Invitation: Tips for Ensuring Parents are Partners in Developing and Implementing the IEP, featuring the PROGRESS Center, Center on PBIS and PEAK Parent Center shares resources and tips to help schools to effectively engage parents as partners in the IEP process.

This tip sheet, which is part of our IEP Tip Sheet Series, introduces transition services. Beginning not later than the first IEP where the child turns 16 (or 14 in some states), IEP teams will need to develop a transition plan that includes transition services and measurable postsecondary goals [IDEA, Sec. 300.320(b)]. This tip sheet includes a brief summary of federal regulations, tips for implementation, and additional resources. Check with your state for additional requirements.

This frequently-asked questions document, with an accompanying appendix, addresses the dual enrollment of students with disabilities in secondary school and postsecondary education institutions, including comprehensive transition and postsecondary education programs for students with intellectual disabilities.

The employment of individuals with disabilities benefits our communities and our nation as they maximize their skills and talents and contribute fully to our economy. RSA, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, published this framework, to present a joint Federal vision for community engagement by individuals with disabilities, including students and youth with disabilities. Community engagement, supported by a variety of service systems, enables individuals with disabilities to expand skills and experience so that they may secure high-quality and personally satisfying careers and jobs and the benefits of employment. In addition to explaining what community engagement means and its benefits, this paper contains information about the wide variety of services, that when provided together, expand opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities to achieve competitive integrated employment.

VRTAC-QE hosted a webinar to explore how youth apprenticeships can be used by vocational rehabilitation practitioners in the VR process and how they interact with pre-employment transition services and school to work transition programs. The purpose of the webinar is to inform State VR agency staff on the benefits and application process for youth apprenticeships. The webinar discusses youth apprenticeships in connection to career pathways, workforce development, and collaboration with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, as well as delivery strategies and available tools.