The Lancaster Lebanon IU 13 has been working toward providing a new framework for delivering services to special needs students attending Lancaster County CTC campuses. Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13 has coordinated efforts with guidance and special education departments from 17 school districts to plan a fee-for-service program to be implemented at the 3 CTC campuses. A chart has been developed for each CTC program that lists the structure and scope of the program, including prerequisites, academic and physical requirements, theory and homework requirements, etc. Also, a congruence chart has been developed that will be utilized at IEP meetings to pinpoint student needs based on CTC program requirements and the student’s present education levels. Each IEP student attending a CTC program will be assessed to determine the level of support, on a scale of I to 4, that will be provided by the IU while the student attends the CTC. Needs for support will be documented on the chart and the level of support will be assigned. Support will be provided by eight special educators who serve as learning facilitators and six special education paraeducators.

Despite the fact that Federal requirements mandate transition services be addressed in the IEP in the year in which the student turns 16, the Pennsylvania Department of Education has determined that transition will continue to begin at age 14. However, both agree that transition planning can begin at any age. Pennsylvania’s Performance Plan describes how it will improve IDEA implementation. This is a six-year plan, with 20 indicators related to three priorities. Two indicators directly affect transition-aged youth.

Indicator 13 requires that IEPs developed for youth age 16 and above include coordinated, measurable annual IEP goals and transition services that will reasonably enable the student to meet postsecondary goals. An Indicator 13 Checklist has been developed which will assist educators to self-evaluate IEPs for compliance. Indicator 14 requires LEAs to conduct an Exit Survey for the students classified as "leavers" and a Post-School Survey for these same former students one year out of school. In addition, for each special education student who is graduating or exiting education services due to age, the LEA shall provide the child with a summary of academic achievement and functional performance, which shall include recommendations on how to assist the child in meeting postsecondary goals. This may require input from a number of individuals, including career and technical educators.

Middletown Area High School has a comprehensive career development program that uses a combination of guidance, core academic and stand-alone course activities to implement the graduation project for all students in grades 9-12. The career portfolio and academic planner are used by all students and teams of teachers are assigned, by their career pathway, to facilitate this process. The new Career Education and Work Standards are addressed in these programs. A discussion of the five Career Pathways and their development was discussed.

For the past two years, the Bureau of Career and Technical Education has been conducting Approved Program Evaluation (APE) Reviews to ensure that all approved career and technical education programs at career and technology centers and school districts meet state requirements. The purpose of these reviews is to strengthen the academic and occupational performance of all students while monitoring approved program requirements. This effort is in response to recommen-dations based on a report released by Governor Rendell in the spring of 2005, Career and Technical Education in Pennsylvania: Opportunities for Commonwealth Policy. This presentation provided the rationale for the APE Review process as well as preparation strategies for the on-site review and sample responses.

The audience was provided with a copy of the APE Review self study. The regulations are referenced and schools are to gather relevant data for each standard or indicator. Attention was called to the Instructional Time requirement which requires 360 hours for all approved occupational programs of study annually for grades ten, eleven and twelve. This has been in effect since 1970, but is not always met.

In addition, specific sections of the APE Review self study refer to special populations, including: describing the supports or special services available to the instructor when disadvantaged, handicapped or limited English speaking students are enrolled in the program; providing assurance that students have the appropriate competencies in math, science and English prior to entrance in the program; providing nontraditional enrollment and completion data; describing the support of a placement service that makes provision for the transition from school to work and describing how the program instructor participates in the IEP process.

An overview of the Service Occupation Cluster Labs at Lehigh CTI that are designed for moderately disabled students was provided. Using the Lehigh curriculum model, a career objective and pathway can be designed with the needed supports for success for these students. The presenters discussed the components of competency-based technical education (CBTE) at the school and each of its subparts. The steps in starting a CBTE program are: develop and refine the task list, choose appropriate job titles, prepare career objectives, develop task grids and develop learning guides. Many handouts and charts were distributed.

The Sierra Group has founded a Rehabilitation Disability Management Employment Agency to address the 75% unemployment of the disabled population. Some companies are afraid to hire the disabled, but when you inform employers about tax incentives and dollars available to support disabled people until they can fully do their jobs and discuss a few assistive devices the disabled people may use to perform their jobs – everyone wins.

Information was shared on specific assistive devices currently being used in schools. The Ace Reader was originally developed as a speed reading program. Using the website www.acereader.com, for a fee, reading and comprehension levels can be increased. This program can enlarge words and do rapid serial presentation, which helps visual tracking. Soothsayer, found at www.soothsayer.com, assists with spelling and slow typing skills. The product reads out loud to check if the words are typed accurately and spelled correctly. X-Keys Keyboarding costs under $100 and is a network-compatible, portable software and independent macro device which can be found at www.X-Keys.com. The last product is the Urgoarm, an arm rest that helps to support the arm and wrist.