Arkansas

Parent Center Contact
Name: Wanda Stovall
Email: adcwstovall@earthlink.net
Phone: 501/614-7020

Vocational Rehabilitative Services Contact
Name: Robert P. Treviño
Email:
Phone: 501 - 296 - 1616

DCDT Contact
Name: Cathy Coker
Email: ccoker@arkansastransition.com
Phone: 870/367-6848

State Transition Resources:

We are excited to launch a new website with lots of new information to better serve teachers, students, parents and agencies. After all, we are all in the transition process together! Transition goals and services must be in place by the time a child reaches age 16, as mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA 2004). If you are a student with a disability and are approaching the age of 16 or you know someone who is, chances are there is already or soon will be a set of Transition Goals and Services in place in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). In Arkansas, these are forms 400-402. These forms indicate the goals the student has for life after high school, activities that need to be in place to support those goals, and courses the student needs to take to work toward those goals. When transition is going to be discussed at an IEP meeting, the student is required to be invited to the meeting—and it's really important that students attend and participate in these meetings! It's all about collaborating with teachers, agencies, employers, parents and students to promote movement to positive post school outcomes. Planning now makes for a much brighter future! The content of the this website provides resources, information, and valuable links for students, parents, teachers and agencies (and anyone else interested in improving post school outcomes for our students with disabilities). Please take time to look around the website and visit often—something you might not need today, you will need tomorrow! Also, visiting often will help you keep up with the happenings in Transition in Arkansas.
AR Transition Site

Professional Development Resources:

Other State Activities:

As an NSTTAC intensive state, AR has held four transition summits, three using the NSTTAC Institute model. This year's summit will be over a three day period, October 11-13, 2010 in Hot Springs, AR, with an emphasis on Student Development, Student Centered Planning and Family Involvement. They also hold two cadre meetings a year for the team leaders throughout the state. These individuals are provided opportunities in a relaxed environment to share successes, resources and programming ideas, obtain professional development from Arkansas Transition Services, NSTTAC and others, and often obtain free resource materials. The attendance at these meetings grows each time and has become quite popular with the teams. In addition to the cadre meetings and assistance with transition summits, the AR transition team participated in strategic planning with NSTTAC personnel to identify needs and strengths for the upcoming school year. AR has also identified a local school district for further assistance from NSTTAC in developing transition-focused education and services. NSTTAC has provided valuable technical assistance in helping this district develop a curriculum for the Transition Class as well as in learning to write more effective transition goals and activities. In the future there are plans to select some middle schools to implement self-determination curricula. Through participation in the State Planning Institute in Charlotte, NC last year, the Check and Connect program has been implemented in two school districts. Youth Leadership teams are also being developed and the state team, Arkansas Interagency Transition Partnership continues to work to provide resources for all agencies in the state working to provide the most positive post school outcomes for students with disabilities. Other points of interest: Arkansas has six transition consultants, who are responsible for different regions of the state. These consultants work collaboratively to identify training needs and develop trainings. Some of those trainings include Person Centered Planning, Transitions Classes trainings—we have a series of three: Getting Started, Getting the Job and Integrating Ideas. We also provide training on the Self-Advocacy Strategy, and IDEA vs. ADA, among others. In the summer there is a three day summer camp for students who think they are interested in attending college, College Bound Arkansas. Check out the website for information on all these things and more: http://www.arkansastransition.com