Iowa

State Transition Resources:

Iowa’s transition assessment planning resource was updated in the fall of 2012 through the work of local educators from area Education Agencies and local schools, University of Northern Iowa, University of Kansas, and IA Department of Education. A Matrix for Transition Assessment includes hyper-links to recommended assessment methods and tools. The Matrix includes a framework for gathering necessary information for living, learning, and working relative to a student's interests and preferences, basic skills, attitudes, habits, self-awareness, and critical thinking and application skills. Third, the method and tools section offers formal and informal assessment tools, including various descriptions of the formal tools and information on how to obtain them. The updates allow users to search for and rate the assessments they use.   Users must select the advanced search features under the Methods and Tools section. http://transitionassessment.northcentralrrc.org

There is a recorded webinar by Amy Gaumer Erickson, University of Kansas, and Barb Guy, Iowa Department of Education, to assist  users in understanding and using the updates here: http://iowa.adobeconnect.com/p285cjpgph1/

Professional Development Resources:

The I-ART and I-STAR are data analysis tools to help local teams of teachers determine their professional development needs.

Other State Activities:

IA has had a State Professional Development Grant (SPDG) that has focused on transition for three years. The grant has provided local districts with funds for professional development, organized a model of identifying 'content coaches' and 'critical friends' to maintain a learning community around a specific topic (e.g., transition assessment). 

Iowa’s transition assessment planning resource was updated in the fall of 2012 through the work of local educators from area Education Agencies and local schools, University of Northern Iowa, University of Kansas, and IA Department of Education. A Matrix for Transition Assessment includes hyper-links to recommended assessment methods and tools. The Matrix includes a framework for gathering necessary information for living, learning, and working relative to a student's interests and preferences, basic skills, attitudes, habits, self-awareness, and critical thinking and application skills. Third, the method and tools section offers formal and informal assessment tools, including various descriptions of the formal tools and information on how to obtain them. The updates allow users to search for and rate the assessments they use.   Users must select the advanced search features under the Methods and Tools section. http://transitionassessment.northcentralrrc.org