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Site Story: The Challenge of Implementation in a Small Site
Most of the 25 to 30 students in this EBD/Transition program have some type of diagnosed
mental illness such as depression, Tourette syndrome, autism, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. The skill levels and IQs range from borderline (mild mental
impairment—MMI) to extremely gifted. Students are between the ages of 15 and 22. Some students have earned all their high school credits but have chosen to defer
their diplomas while developing more transition skills. Most have not graduated from high school and will be enrolled in the program from one to four years,
depending on their needs, achievements, and attendance.
The program has three self-contained classrooms, each with 8 to 10 students, one
licensed teacher, and one paraprofessional. In addition, there is one full-time work coordinator, one full-time social worker, and one due-process lead/social
worker. The typical school morning teaches classroom transition skills such as real life or consumer math skills, writing for the world of work, employability
skills, apartment search techniques, social skills, cooking, and driver education. The afternoon has a heavy vocational emphasis with some students taking classes
at a technical college, many holding competitive jobs, and others volunteering and working in supportive environments.
The Barriers
In a world of smooth integration of graduation standards into the curriculum, the
teachers would simply match what they are doing in the classroom with the standards. In some areas of transition, this happens easily. For example, one of the
Physical Education and Lifetime Fitness standards requires students to create a post-secondary education plan, to develop job-seeking skills, to assess
post-graduation needs, and to take part in job-shadowing experiences.
Unfortunately, not all of the High Standards integrate this well. There are several
reasons why. First, transition programs have historically not offered courses in biology, chemistry, physics, or U.S. history. Second, the staff is not licensed in
many of these content areas: therefore they are not trained to teach and evaluate students in them. Finally, the needs of many of the students do not make
integration of High Standards easy. Most of the students are struggling to pass the basic skills test in math.
Integrating the Standards
The graduation standards journey began by reviewing student skill levels. The majority
performed well below their grade level in basic skill areas of reading, writing, and math. Therefore, it was not surprising that they struggled with the Basic
Standards tests in all areas.
As a result, basic skills became the focus of the graduation standards efforts. For 40
minutes per day, students were grouped by basic-skill rather than social-emotional need. Classes were offered in all basic-skill areas, teaching skills needed to
pass the Basic Standards tests.
In addition to teaching basic skills, the site staff also focused on the High Standards.
Unlike the Basic Standards that fit with the skill levels of the majority of the students, they found the High Standards to be more of a challenge to integrate.
Several teachers looked at the existing curriculum and wrote performance assessments to meet the High Standards.
What Was Learned
It is important to keep in mind not only which standards match the goals of the program,
but also the skill levels of the students. Therefore, IEP teams must determine the level at which a student will be held accountable in the graduation standards.
In instances where students are capable of working on the High Standards in content areas that have not been included in the program curriculum, sites might look
to itinerant educators, distance learning, or community resources to help deliver the standards.
Regardless of the barriers programs face when trying to integrate the graduation
standards in small special-education program, decisions should be guided by the needs of the students. By focusing on a piece of the puzzle, a program can improve
the quality of education.
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