Developing Interagency
Transition Teams
Project 10 CONNECT Interagency Councils
New Site/Revitalization Training
This training was developed by the Project 10: Transition Education Network, a special project funded by the Florida Department of Education,
Division of Public Schools, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services, through federal assistance under the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA), Part B.
Objective
After this presentation, participants will be able to describe:
 The importance of interagency collaboration
 Legislation supporting interagency collaboration
 Project 10 CONNECT interagency councils
 Components of interagency councils
 Steps for developing and revitalizing interagency
councils
 Key strategies for effective interagency collaboration
2
Importance of Interagency
Collaboration
3
The Importance of
Interagency Collaboration
 Improves transition to adulthood for youth with
disabilities
 Improves student transition experiences
 Reduces gaps in service
 Ultimately, improves post school outcomes
 Consistent with evidence-based practices
4
Taxonomy for Transition Planning
Paula Kohler’s
Taxonomy for
Transition Planning
(1996)
5
Legislation Supporting
Interagency Collaboration
6
Legislation Mandating
Interagency Collaboration
 Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act
(2006)
 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (2004)
 Rehabilitation Act, Section 504 (1998)
7
Interagency Collaboration in IDEA
for Secondary Transition
 Secondary transition services must be provided for
students with disabilities.
 Transition planning begins at age 14 with identification of
course of study and beginning to identify transition service
needs.
 Postsecondary goals and transition services for the
student must be discussed at age of 16, including inviting
any agency that may provide or pay for needed transition
services.
8
Project 10 CONNECT
Interagency Councils
61 of the 67
districts are
CONNECT sites
9
Project 10 CONNECT
Interagency Councils
 Mini-grant awards for existing and new sites
• Application with action plan
• End of year report (aligns with application)
 Training and technical assistance
• Developing Interagency Teams
• Conducting Focus Groups
• New Site Expectations
10
Strategies for Effective
Interagency Collaboration
11
Interagency Collaboration: Key Strategies
1
• Flexible scheduling and staffing
2
• Follow up after secondary transition
3
• Administrative support for transition
4
• Using a variety of funding sources
5
• State-supported technical assistance
6
• Ability to build relationships
7
• Agency meetings with students and families
8
• Training students and families
9
• Joint training of staff
10 • Meetings with agency staff and transition councils
11 • Dissemination of information to a broad audience
12
Steps for Developing and
Revitalizing Interagency
Councils
13
13
Developing Interagency Teams:
Primary Resource
Stodden, R.A., Brown, S.E., Galloway,
L.M., & Noy, L. (2005).
Essential tools: Interagency transition
team development and facilitation.
Retrieved from
http://www.ncset.org/publications/essenti
altools/teams/EssentialTools_Teams.pdf
“Permission is granted to duplicate this publication in its entirety or portions thereof”
(p. x).
14
Purposes of Interagency Teams
 Provide an opportunity for collaboration and
coordination of services among stakeholders
 Are characterized by shared responsibility and planning
to complete projects and achieve goals
 Facilitate inter-organizational understanding
 Ensure all students are receiving services they need
15
Interagency Team Members
An Interagency Council or Interagency Transition Team is
comprised of committed members, including:
 Students with disabilities
 Family members
 Educators
 Agencies or organizations
 Community members
 Employers
16
Principles of Teaming
Shared Vision
Team member empowerment
Shared decision making
Synergy – the whole is more than its parts
Diversity in collaboration
Full inclusion and participation of stakeholders
Self-determination
Responsive to environment
Dynamic and flexible team processes
17
Types of Interagency
Councils and Teams
 Interagency Council:
• Overarching group that covers many topics, including
transition.
• Focus on broader issues and may cover multiple
grade levels and adult services.
 Transition Team:
• Focus solely on issues relating to secondary transition.
18
Goals of Interagency
Transition Teams
 Assessing needs and perceptions in policy, services,
programs, procedures, access
 Identifying strengths and barriers to providing effective
transition services
 Using evidence-bases strategies to provide solutions
 Implementing strategies and plans
 Monitoring implementation
 Evaluating progress
19
Components of
Interagency Councils
20
Building an Effective
Interagency Transition Team
 Tips for identifying, recruiting and selecting members
 Tool 1: Potential Member Checklist
 For revitalization, review existing member list
21
Identifying Team Members
Consider the:
 Potential benefits for members to participate
 Diversity of the community when identifying team members
 Stakeholders that have an active role in secondary
transition
22
Tool 1: Potential
Member Checklist
 Contact information
 Attributes:
• Depth of knowledge
• Capabilities and experience
• Strength-focused
• Aware and competent in diversity
issues
• Communicates openly
• Shares responsibilities
• Networks effectively
• Has access to resources 23
Inviting Members
 Invitation letter should include:
• Name of council or team
• Purpose
• Existing members, if any
• Brief description of how and why potential member was
selected/invited to join
• Due date and method(s) for responding with interest
• Closing with thank you and to whom response should be
sent
24
Scheduling the Initial Meeting
Consider
 Location
• neutral,
• physically accessible,
• easy to find
 Social issues
• interpreters,
• accessible materials
 Meeting structure
• date,
• time,
• agenda
25
Conducting an Interagency
Transition Team Meeting
 Prepare for the meeting
• Tips
• Purpose and orientation of new members
• Clarification of roles and ground rules
 Move from preparation to action
• Resource mapping
• Action planning
26
Tips for an Effective Team
Meetings
Provide the following structure:
• Accessible location
• Member sign in records
• Preplanned agenda
• Facilitation
• Needed accommodations
• Progress monitoring of goals
• Adherence to timelines
• Meeting minutes
• Application of teaming principals
27
Purpose of Initial Meeting
 Provide a clear understanding of the purpose of the
team or council
 Identify the current state of transition services within the
area, including a review of data
28
Orientation of New Members
 Provide copies of
• Interagency agreement
• By-laws
• Other documents dealing on how the team works
• Products developed by the team
29
Clarification of Member Roles
Team members are more likely to participate on a regular
basis if their roles are clearly defined.
 Discuss/brainstorm
• Why are we here?
• What do I bring to the team?
• What is my role as a team member?
 Leaders must be committed to both the team and to
improving transition services for students with disabilities.
30
Team Records
 Records
• Team membership and attendance
• Agendas
• Minutes or notes
• Special projects, e.g., agency fair information
• By-laws
 Interagency agreements or memoranda of understanding
 Action plans/goals and objectives
 Reports
• Quarterly or end of year reports
• Special reports, e.g., projects
31
The Mission Statement
 Backbone of any future plans
and agreements
 Short
 Easy to understand
 Prominently featured in any
written or oral communication
from or regarding the team
32
Developing A Mission Statement




Select a facilitator
Brainstorm content or key ideas
Combine like concepts
Reach consensus on the final content
33
Developing Interagency
Agreements
34
Primary Resource
Crane, K., Gramlich, M., & Peterson, K.
(2004). Putting interagency agreements
into action. Retrieved from
http://www.ncset.org/publications/issue/
NCSETIssueBrief_3.2.pdf
There are no copyright restrictions on this document.
However, please cite and credit the source when copying all
or part of this material.
35
Interagency Agreements
 An interagency agreement should be developed soon
after the development of the Mission Statement.
 An interagency agreement
• focuses on general ideas and actions to be taken to
improve the transition process for all students
• should be based on the level of need of the local
students and the degree of commitment of the
members
36
Interagency Agreements
 Interagency agreements may include:
• Jointly agreed on statements such as mission
• Ways of work
• Roles and responsibilities of signatories
• Participating individuals or agencies
37
10 Essential Features of Effective
Interagency Agreements
1
• Responsibility for design, revision, and implementation
of the agreement by participating agency staff
2
• Commitment in the development and implementation of
the agreements by participating agency directors
3
• Input from direct service staff in the design, revision
,and implementation of the agreement
4
• Regular opportunities to meet, discuss ideas, and
develop relationships
5
• Willingness to learn from each other and see how each
can benefit from the mission of other organizations
38
Essential Features,
cont.
6
• Active involvement in strategic planning by participating
agency representatives
7
• Utilization of data to determine the impact and outcomes
resulting from the agreement
8
• Utilization of data for strategic planning and continuous
improvement
9
• Dissemination of the agreement to direct service
practitioners
10
• Technical assistance provided to direct service
practitioners regarding implementation of the agreement
(Crane et al, 2004, p. 2)
39
Summary
Interagency transition teams or councils with committed
members, a clear plan of action and an interagency
agreement can help maximize resources and supports for
youth with disabilities as they make the transition into
adulthood.
40
References
Crane, K., Gramlich, M., & Peterson, K. (2004). Putting interagency agreements into action.
Retrieved from http://www.ncset.org/publications/issue/NCSETIssueBrief_3.2.pdf
Kohler, P. (1996). Taxonomy for transition planning. Retrieved from
http://homepages.wmich.edu/~kohlerp/pdf/Taxonomy.pdf
Landmark, L. J., Ju, S., & Zhang, D. (2010). Substantiated best practices in transition:
Fifteen plus years later. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 33, 165-176.
Noonan, P.M., Morningstar, M.E., & Erickson, A.G. (2008). Improving interagency
collaboration: Effective strategies used by high-performing local districts and
communities. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 31, 132-143.
Oertle, K. M., & Trach, J. S. (2007). Interagency collaboration: The importance of
rehabilitation professionals’ involvement in transition. Journal of Rehabilitation, 73, 3644.
Stodden, R.A., Brown, S.E., Galloway, L.M., & Noy, L. (2005). Essential tools: Interagency
transition team development and facilitation. Retrieved from
http://www.ncset.org/publications/essentialtools/teams/EssentialTools_Teams.pdf
41
Questions and
Thank You!
Questions, concerns, or
recommendations?
Thank you for your
attendance and input
today!
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Presenter
Contact Information
(RTR Name)
Project 10:
Transition Education
Network
Region ( ) Transition
Representative
Email:
Office:
43
Updated May 2014