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A guide to understanding the Pathways and supporting services in grades 9 ‐ age 21.
The purpose of this handbook is to guide the passions of our students.
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Thief River Falls Public Schools
Karen Bakken / Denise Yonke 101 Knight Ave.
(218) 6817432 TRF, MN 56701
Fax: (218) 6814150 Web: www.trf.k12.mn.us
T ransition Services
The purpose of the Individuals with Disabili es Educa on Act (IDEA) is to ensure that all children with
disabili es have available to them a free, appropriate, public educa on (FAPE) that emphasizes special
educa on and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further educa on,
employment, and independent living.
[34 CFR 300.1(a)] [20 U.S.C. 1400(d) (1) (A)]
Parents and Guardians need to know that…
Transition is not a service added onto the IEP at the end of a student’s high school career.
Secondary Transition Planning is the focus of the IEP beginning in grade 9 and addresses
academic and lifelong skills.
Adolescence is arguably one of the most difficult and unsettling periods in a person’s development. It
is a time filled with physical, emotional, and social upheavals. Until a child leaves secondary
school, a parent/guardian experiences a sense of protective control over the child’s life. This
protective guidance normally involves educational, medical, financial, and social input to assist the
child’s growth. When the child leaves this setting, a parent undergoes a personal struggle in
“letting go.” There is always a certain amount of apprehension associated with the child’s
entrance into the adult world, as the greater responsibility for adjustment now falls on the child
and the parent’s role diminishes.
For the child with a disability, this developmental period can be fraught with even greater
apprehension, for a variety of reasons. Depending on the nature and severity of the disability,
special education professionals and parents may play more of an ongoing role in the child’s life
even after he or she leaves secondary education. As this time approaches, it is important for the
individuals to practice the responsibilities quickly approaching them; the school environment
providing some of those opportunities.
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Since planning for the future of a student with disabilities can arouse fear of the unknown, a
parent or guardian may tend to delay addressing these issues. The Thief River Falls school
districts Special Education Department believes that working through these fears and thinking
about the child’s future interests will ensure meaningful outcomes.
As the individual student nears the 9th grade, parents, guardians, and the student will be asked to
share information, participate in future planning discussions, and together build a Transition ‐
IEP to clearly define a Pathway for life planning that will be specifically aligned to the unique
and individual strengths of each student.
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Pathways to Success
Welcome to the Thief River Falls Special Education Transition Program
(Grade 9 – 12 or through age 21)
Our Commitment
The Special Education Transition Program (grade 9 age 21) located in the Thief River Falls School District is
designed to prepare every student for a world yet imagined. Everything we do is to nurture individual student
growth along the four post high school Pathways. Growth is fostered by ensuring sense of safety, encouraging
student academic planning, and developing individual learning skills for career and college preparedness.
During each of the high school transition years, each student will have opportunities to:
● build confidence
● develop connections
● rediscover academic success
Supports
In addition, all of our students have access to an array of supports. Supportive technologies, personal devices and
school owned desktop computers may support apps, software, and web based technologies to support
educational growth. Beginning in 9th grade, each student will be provided with the opportunity to take a quarter
class, for one credit, titled “Self Determination.” (This class provides opportunities for students to take surveys
regarding their personality, skill sets, and interests. They will also learn to self advocate.) Student will use self
discovery to explore the four post high school Pathways, and then pair these findings with career and college
opportunities.
The Vision
Pathways to Success is founded on a vision in which all students leave high school with a clear Pathway for
their initial postsecondary destination, whether in an apprenticeship training program, college, community
living, or the workplace. The vision also includes students having confidence in their ability to implement and
adapt as they and the world around them changes. The vision sees students as the architects of their own lives.
Dedicated staff respect and celebrate each student’s differences, encourage academic risk taking, and honor
personal growth. The overarching emphasis is that success comes from hard work and perseverance. Our goal is
to ensure that all students will enjoy an inspiring and relevant education, with highly qualified and dedicated
teachers who are excited to cultivate students to be their best selves.
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WHAT ARE THE PATHWAYS?
Pathways to Success provides a framework for examining students’ lifelong goals long before graduation is
upon them. During this time, appropriate courses of study are determined according to identified pathways and
lifelong goals.
Pathway 1
● Students being provided with this individual support are guided through a person centered planning
process by a team of school based and community (Vocational Rehabilitation, County Case managers)
based supports. This team works with the young adult student to identify goals to further map out the
best community based support options. Students participating within this model of support have greater
choice in post secondary settings, which will require a great deal of service coordination, interagency
collaboration, and parental support to be successful.
Pathway 2
● Students who remain in public school until the age of 21 may have fewer opportunities to interact with
same aged peers without disabilities. The school district believes that it is critical that students who
require community based supports through age 21 should be strongly connected back to their home
community.
Meeting students where they are on the Pathways is
critical to realization of individual empowerment.
Transition planning must include the student as an
active participant the process. Students are aware
of their future aspirations, likes, dislikes, learning
capabilities, and learning needs.
It is essential for each student’s Pathway planning to support their individual goals.
how are the pathways different?
Supportive Plans for the pathways vary by level of
support (academic, speech, skills, therapy, ect…), place
emphasis on curriculum/courses of study and targeted
assessments to measure individual strengths. Students
with IEP team members continually examine progress
along identified pathway.
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Transition Pathway Core Content Interventions
The Thief River Falls School District believes that a key element of transition support is to provide the
necessary guidance and support for students to access the general education setting, with identified
accommodations and supports.
When more intervention is needed in core content courses (Science, English and Math), support is offered at a
variety of levels:
9th Grade:
Reading - Literacy Camp and Novels
Math - Math for Life
Science - Everyday Science
DAPE
Social Skills
Functional Skills
Work Experience - WeBC (in-house)
10th Grade:
Reading - Literacy Camp and Novels
Math - Math for Life
Science - Everyday Science
Social Skills
Functional Skills
Work Experience - WeBC (in-house)
11th Grade:
Foods 101
CC Skills - Community and Communication Skills - semester
Work Experience Etiquette Class
Work Experience Class
Work Experience - Community Connections (Community-based as appropriate)
12th Grade:
Consumer Math
Novels
Apartment Living - semester
Foods 101
Work Experience - Community Connections (Community-based as appropriate)
Super Seniors:
Advisory Time
Daily Living Skills - all together
Vocational/Social Skills - all together
Work Experience placement in the community - part of the day
Rec/Leisure/Social:
9th-12th - Making Connections - lesson and activity - 4x’s/year
*These courses only reflect intervention courses offered; not general education courses required for graduation.
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So Many Possibilities!
The Possibilities available to students (middle school to age 21) to explore the transitional areas of
community, recreation, home living, job/career exploration or postsecondary education leading to
more fulfilling and independent lifelong pathways.
Grades 68 Focus Daily living skills
Job skills
Grades 912 Focus Based on pathway, student may be provided with;
Academic
Work skills
Work Experience within LHS
Ages 1821 Focus Based on pathway, student may be provided with;
Academic support
Work skill opportunities
Work Experience/Internships in local businesses
The Thief River Falls Prowler Possibilities is designed to provide students with disabilities, between the ages of
middle school and age 21 the opportunity to explore the transitional areas of community, recreation, home living,
job/career exploration, or post secondary education leading to more fulfilling and independent lifelong pathways.
The Possibilities encourages students to make better, more informed decisions about the future with focus on
their abilities, not their disabilities. The Possibilities strives to link youth to a broad range of academic
resources, career development opportunities, and on the job experiences that will enable them to meet the
demands of the 21st century workforce.
Location: District 564 believes that it is important to center the Possibilities away from the high school to a
neutral site where the transition needs of individual youth and adults (ages 18 21) can be focused on within a
comfortable and purposeful environment.
The Possibilities is committed to provide each student the academic, social, and lifelong living skills to access
an individual (Life) Pathway.
While the Possibilities provides the tools necessary for students to be successful, graduate, and be prepared for college and/or careers, we
emphasize the collaboration with parents, guardians, and community members.
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Within a few years, you’ll be walking into the world as your own adult. But first, high school.
What can you take in high
school?
Ar FA In u t Wel s Sci
Fil Stu Adu n 101 In u t Pro s St e g Tra g Ag i l al Sci
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9th Grade Your Freshman Year
Freshman year (9th grade) is the warm up for your high school experience; it’s all about adjusting to a new
school, meeting new people, trying fun extra curricular activities, and kick starting your post secondary pathway
plan. LHS offers transition skill instruction to support a variety of Pathways. Many 9th graders participate in a one
quarter class titled “Self Determination”, offered for elective credit each year, and “Academic Coaching” for
students receiving special education support.
“Self Determination” focuses on learning yourself, specifically your disability and how it plays into how
you learn. Students will participate in learning style surveys in order to identify career categories that they
would likely excel in. Students will also work on self advocacy skills.
Students begin to explore:
● post secondary training and careers
● study skills
● self advocacy
● character development (Personal Ethics and Responsibility)
● assistive technology
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10th Grade Your Sophomore Year
Sophomore year (10th grade) is a continuation of required credits, familiar faces, and more opportunity for
elective offerings. As a Sophomore, Self Determination and Academic Coaching are services that continue to be
offered.
Self Determination 10 focuses on developing a deeper understanding of yourself and your relationship with
others, including considering the perspective of others and continuing to define your Pathway Plan to specific
post secondary institutions and careers of interest.
Students focus on:
● discuss relationships among others
● post secondary training and careers
● independently monitoring time management
● self advocacy
● character development
● assistive technology
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11th Grade Your Junior Year
Junior year (11th grade) is the time to use what you have learned about yourself so far to make your
post secondary Pathway Plan more concrete. This includes narrowing down choices in post secondary institutions,
careers, housing, etc… Goal setting is crucial to this step! By the end of the year, you want an understanding of
what you need to accomplish your post secondary goals.
Self Determination 11 focuses on concrete post secondary planning and daily living skills. Students will
participate in mock interviews and begin to create a resume for post secondary employment. Students will
have a basic understanding of financial concepts (budgeting, loans, credit, etc…).
Students focus on:
● narrow down to a short list of post secondary training and career interests
● independently monitoring time management
● self advocating their needs and accommodations
● character development
● basic money concepts (budgeting, loans, credit)
● accepting responsibility
● skills in assertiveness
● task initiation
● assistive technology
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12th Grade Your Senior Year
Senior Year (12th Grade) is finally here! You have worked hard to identify your Pathway Plan, including a career
interest and post secondary training, if necessary. You are beginning to understand the importance of a career
and life plan. Now it is time to ask questions in order to finalize your plan and put it into action!
Self Determination 12 focuses on putting plans into place and learning more life skills. Students will complete
college applications, college entrance essays, discuss workplace relationships, and explore apartment
applications and leasing options.
Students focus on:
● narrowing down to a short list of post secondary training and career interests
● independently monitoring time management
● self advocating their needs and accommodations
● character development
● basic money concepts (budgeting, loans, credit)
● what to look for in a college
● metacognition
● sustained attention
● working memory
● citizen rights and responsibilities
● assistive technology
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TRANSITION AND COMMUNITY BASED OPTIONS
LHS recognizes that the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) requires school districts to provide transition
services for students with disabilities in order to improve post school outcomes. To help meet these transition
requirement, District #564 provides a dual design of transition support.
Pathway #1
Pathway #1 is the emerging development of a community based Individual Support Model . Students being
provided with this individual support are guided through a person centered planning process by a team of
school based and community (Vocational Rehabilitation County Case managers) based supports. This team
works with the young adult student to identify goals to further map out the best community based support
options (i.e. community/technical college, worksite, internships). Students participating within this model of
support have greater choice in post secondary settings, which will require a great deal of service coordination,
interagency collaboration, and parental support to be successful.
Three Major Purposes Transition Service Design:
1. In the community: This Transition Service Design provides opportunities for students to gain
independent living skills, social skills, employment, and selfadvocacy in reallife settings and to
participate in ageappropriate activities in their communities. These services ideally are located
outside of Lincoln High School, in community settings.
2. Postsecondary Training: By providing transition services and supports in college and community
settings, Pathway #1 expands student independence, selfadvocacy, employment, social, and
community integration during their final years of public schooling.
3. Employment: Students will be involved in integrated community employment and in training
positions with a goal of attaining a paid position. This design creates opportunities for students to
participate in a variety of experiences with similaraged peers without disabilities.
The nature of this postsecondary experience is based on the goals and needs of the individual student, the
location of the program, and the allocation of necessary support personnel.
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Pathway #2
Pathway #2 recognizes that some students who remain in public school until the age of 21 may have fewer
opportunities to interact with same aged peers without disabilities. The school district believes that it is critical
that students who require community based supports through age 21 should be strongly connected back to
their home community. This consideration increases the connection to a wider availability of transition
elements: Independent Living, Employment within one’s community, transportation/mobility within one’s
community, social/communication skills across recognized community frameworks, and daily living skills within
recognized natural environments.
W hile Pathway #1 and #2 differ in their methods of student support and coordination of services, the goals are
the same:
1. To provide students with transition services in the most appropriate setting calculated to the students’
recognized abilities,
2. To facilitate job attainment, to provide the opportunity to participate in community based academic and
recreational and social activities,
3. To foster a new level of independence and self confidence, and
4. To collaborate with all critical and recognized stakeholders (i.e. county, local, school, friends, and
acquaintances).
Providing these transitional pathways is an exciting and challenging opportunity for a school district. Yet it is
important to move toward creating these options while holding fast to the tenets that make transition services
effective: individualized, student centered planning, integrated home community experiences, interagency
collaboration, and an outcome oriented process. Outcomes are key to the success of the dual design
considerations. With the current educational climate of high stakes testing and increased accountability, it is
vital to demonstrate that transition services in postsecondary settings can be flexible, ensure necessary
community supports, and are effective. To do so there must be continued efforts to gauge the impact of the
outlined service designs that have been beneficial for the individual student, and honored by parents,
guardians, caregivers, and community transition partners.
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What a transitional day could look like:
Block 1: Functional Skills (whose future it is) / Apartment Living
Block 2: Transition Skills (Social/reading/math)
Lunch and then work…..
Senior Students:
Harrison Zemcik (has expressed interest with managing a greenhouse)
Sadie Johnson (has expressed interest with city of TRF/ subbing as a para in EC)
Wyatt Lee (has expressed interest in obtaining employment with DK)
Aden Alby (has expressed interest in obtaining employment with DK)
Areas of work experience ideas:
Stocking shelves
Sorting
Mail delivery
Janitorial
Packing
Data entry…...Rhett Sedra
Currently enters data at 70+ words per minute
Would really like to try some sort of data entry job??
Para support for job coaching: this would be something we would work towards backing off in hopes that
student would become independent in a position.
If we could set up something like a 2 week work experience rotation where students could do a job for a
couple weeks and then move on to the next. Our goal would be to find an area or job that best fits the
student where it could turn into a fulltime job for them once they graduate. Most of these students will
be lifetime residents of TRF and just need that extra assistance in finding an area where they can be
successful and become productive citizens of this community.