Michigan Transition Outcomes Project (MI-TOP)
Group Conversation Guided Notes
2012
TOOL FOR GROUP CONVERSATION GUIDED NOTES
Developed by:
Chuck Saur, Director
Michigan Transition Outcomes Project (MI-TOP)
6612 Centurion Drive, Suite 130
Lansing, MI 48917
[email protected]
(517)490-5926 cell preferred
(517)908-3919 office
Additional resources are available at:
http://mi-top.cenmi.org/
http://www.nsttac.org
http://www.wmich.edu/ccrc
http://homepages.wmich.edu/~kohlerp/research
 Taxonomy for Transition Programming
June Gothberg, State Technical Assistance Coordinator
National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center
(NSTTAC)
Department of Special Education and Literacy Studies
Western Michigan University
1908 W. Michigan Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5258
[email protected]
269.387.2821
Paula D. Kohler, Ph.D.,
Professor and Associate Vice President for Research
Co-Principal Investigator, National Secondary Transition
Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC)
208 W. Walwood Hall
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
269.387.6181
Bibliography
Kohler, P. D. (1996). Taxonomy for transition programming: A model for planning, organizing, and evaluating transition education,
services, and programs. Champaign: Transition Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Available at
http://homepages.wmich.edu/~kohlerp
Michigan Community Conversation Observer Guided Notes
2
Thank you for agreeing to be an observer today for the Michigan Transition Outcomes Project (MI-TOP), Transition Leadership
Community Group Conversations. Your role today plays an integral part of helping us gain insight into the local context of the
facilitators and barriers schools currently face in their attempt to successfully transition students. Our three focus area questions
are:
1. Are schools preparing students to belong and succeed in their community?
2. Is the community prepared to support students in their community once they leave school?
3. How do we know?
MI-TOP is dedicated to framing our work around evidence-based practices and for transition those practices are confirmed in the
Taxonomy for Transition Programming (Kohler, 1996). The Taxonomy for Transition Programming, represented on the next page,
provides concrete practices—identified from effective programs—for implementing transition-focused education. The evidencebased taxonomy includes five areas of practices:





Student-Focused Planning
Student Development
Family Involvement
Interagency Collaboration
Program Structures
Thus, guided conversation notes which align with the Transition Taxonomy are appreciated. The following pages are forms in which
to take guided notes inside a taxonomy “grid”. As key information is heard during the focused conversations, select the main
taxonomy area that is affected in which to scribe notes. During debrief time, observations will be reported out according to
taxonomy area.
Michigan Community Conversation Observer Guided Notes
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Michigan Community Conversation Observer Guided Notes
4
In addition, each notation should identify the: situation, problem, implication, and need (SPIN):




Situation – these are the facts, what the data reveal
Problem or Identified Promising Practice – these are the attributes of the problem or promising practice
Implication for Students – what the impact of this problem is to the students or to the community
Need or Exemplar to Reproduce – what is it they need to resolve the problem
An example of this process for a promising practice in the educational system might be:
Moderator: Would you please elaborate on what you mean when you say “our students are thriving in the culinary arts program”
Respondent 1: Well the school has reached out to our local restaurants and asked for them to assist us in preparing our students for
the world of culinary arts. Our students spend their first year in the program learning food safety, basic cooking instruction, and food
presentation. For those students who certify with the health department for food safety they are placed in one of our partner
restaurants in our community for their second year of class. Our data shows that 88% of students who complete the entire two year
program are employed in the food industry upon graduation …
Taxonomy area
Situation
Problem or Identified
Promising Practice
Implication for
Students
Need or
Exemplar to Reproduce
Student Development
Graduates are
employed in the
industry for which they
trained
The school has
partnered with local
restaurants to provide
opportunities for their
students to gain real
life experience in the
restaurant industry.
Students are employed
in their area of interest
thus meeting their
post-school transition
goals.
Follow up with
program staff to gain
knowledge of the
policies needed and
process used for
community
partnerships
Michigan Community Conversation Observer Guided Notes
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An example of this process for a gap in the educational system might be:
Moderator: Would you please elaborate on what you mean when you say “there are no opportunities in this community for our
students”
Respondent 1: The majority of the students on my caseload do not go on to college. So, they try to get jobs in our community. Our
Indicator 14 data shows only 18% are employed. When I see them again they are sitting at home, their parent’s home, playing video
games, computer, and doing nothing of value. One young man said to me “I have applied for over 50 jobs and I can’t even get an
interview. I am so discouraged. I thought when I graduated it would mean something. I thought I would have a job and my own
place.” If we could just implement work-based education and allow them to earn credit while they work, they would have better
opportunities after graduation. But they are under pressure to meet graduation standard requirements…
Taxonomy area
Student Development
Situation
Graduates are not
employed in their
community.
Problem or Identified
Promising Practice
Students do not have
opportunities to learn
work skills while still in
school
Implication for
Students
Students lack
employment
knowledge and
experience
Need or
Exemplar to Reproduce
Greater opportunities
are needed for
students who will most
likely not attend
college
As you take guided notes you may find, as with the example, the focus may include two taxonomy areas. This example could have
been placed in the area of program structures. However, we expect conversations to move quickly and provide large amounts of rich
data. Thus, as you take guided notes make your best attempt at identifying the taxonomy area and move on. We will have time this
afternoon during debrief to discuss any needed changes.
Thank you again for your time today. Your efforts will help us to improve systems and provide better outcomes for students with
disabilities.
Michigan Community Conversation Observer Guided Notes
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Group Conversation Guided Notes
Taxonomy area
Situation
Problem or
Identified Practice
Implication for
students
Need or
Exemplar to reproduce
Student-Focused
Planning
Student Development
Family Involvement
Interagency
Collaboration
Program Structures
Debrief Notes
Michigan Community Conversation Observer Guided Notes
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Taxonomy area
Strategies that work to prepare
students:
Evidence used to answer “How do we
know?”
Strategies that assure the community is
prepared:
Evidence used to answer “How do we
know?”
Michigan Community Conversation Observer Guided Notes
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Group Conversation Guided Notes
Taxonomy area
Situation
Problem or
Identified Practice
Implication for
students
Need or
Exemplar to reproduce
Student-Focused
Planning
Student Development
Family Involvement
Interagency
Collaboration
Program Structures
Debrief Notes
Michigan Community Conversation Observer Guided Notes
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Taxonomy area
Strategies that work to prepare
students:
Evidence used to answer “How do we
know?”
Strategies that assure the community is
prepared:
Evidence used to answer “How do we
know?”
Michigan Community Conversation Observer Guided Notes
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Group Conversation Guided Notes
Taxonomy area
Situation
Problem or
Identified Practice
Implication for
students
Need or
Exemplar to reproduce
Student-Focused
Planning
Student Development
Family Involvement
Interagency
Collaboration
Program Structures
Debrief Notes
Taxonomy area
Strategies that work to prepare
students:
Michigan Community Conversation Observer Guided Notes
Evidence used to answer “How do we
know?”
11
Strategies that assure the community is
prepared:
Michigan Community Conversation Observer Guided Notes
Evidence used to answer “How do we
know?”
12
Group Conversation Guided Notes
Taxonomy area
Situation
Problem or
Identified Practice
Implication for
students
Need or
Exemplar to reproduce
Student-Focused
Planning
Student Development
Family Involvement
Interagency
Collaboration
Program Structures
Debrief Notes
Michigan Community Conversation Observer Guided Notes
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Taxonomy area
Strategies that work to prepare
students:
Evidence used to answer “How do we
know?”
Strategies that assure the community is
prepared:
Evidence used to answer “How do we
know?”
Michigan Community Conversation Observer Guided Notes
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