Future Ready

FUTURE READY

In this article, four school leaders share the innovative district special education transition programs that are equipping their students for long-term success.

Deer Creek Transition Center

By Ashley Mackey

The Deer Creek Transition Center (DCTC), opened in January 2022, stands as a testament to the power of collaboration. This program, made possible through the work of district administrators, school leaders, teachers, and parents, focuses on empowering 18- to 22-year-old students in our special education program for postsecondary life. At the heart of DCTC’s success is our commitment to stakeholder collaboration. Regular meetings bring together the expertise of our team, ensuring a holistic approach to student development. Recognizing that each student is on a unique journey, we tailor our strategies to meet them where they are, all while embracing adaptability. By identifying student passions, we create real-world projects that not only engage but also prepare them for life beyond the transition program.

Communication and leaning into strengths of those working directly with students has proven beneficial. One of our students demonstrated a strength in helping other students. This led to an opportunity for collaboration in a Deer Creek elementary school, where this student now assists within a Pre-K classroom. Students who are ready for other independent experiences have had the opportunity to work

with our front office staff and assist with athletic events in various capacities. Students assist with concessions, ticket sales, and even social media/video for events.

As we look forward to future opportunities, we are excited to expand into navigating public spaces and transportation options, providing laundry services for local families in need, and assisting with the organization of our district’s comfort closet and backpack program.

Our program, still in its growth phase, thrives on the strengths of our teachers. As an administrator,

Lone Grove Schools Transition Program

By Amy Reeder

Lone Grove Schools always puts relationships, connections, and community first. This vision extends into every program within our school community and is especially seen, heard, and actively lived out in our special education program. Our goal is to truly serve others and set our students up for future successes. We want to make our program unique to our students because each of them is unique and

Deer Creek’s Transition Center, opened in early 2022, includes a fully equipped kitchen where students learn cooking and hospitality skills, a group classroom where students can collaborate on their postsecondary interests, and a laundry facility for kitchen linens.

my focus is on empowering educators by assigning leadership roles that align with their strengths. This collaborative approach not only enhances the effectiveness of the program but also fosters a strong sense of efficacy among the staff. The Deer Creek Transition Center is not just a facility; it’s a dynamic community dedicated to shaping the future for our students with special needs.

Ashley Mackey is an Assistant Principal at Deer Creek Middle School and Assistant Principal of the Deer Creek Transition Center. In December, Mackey was named OASSP’s 2023-2024 Assistant Principal of the Year.

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has varying interests and goals. Our special education teacher, Lyndsay Cathey, is passionate about not only her students but also transition and ensuring students succeed in their future paths.

Mrs. Cathey has gone back to school to gain her master’s focused on transition and has been digging into what our transition program needs to benefit our students. This school year, our district chose the OATECA curriculum for transition to help ready students ages 18-22 for their journey beyond high school. We involve students and caregivers in the process to determine students’ goals and the skills

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they need to accomplish them. Our transition program is based on those interests and goals and gives students hands-on, real-life experiences. For example, students run and organize our food bank and clothes closet, they receive classroom and care experience by helping with our extended care and primary special education classrooms, they can get food service and cleaning experience by helping in our cafeteria, they get customer service experience and use communication skills when they take the kindness cart around monthly to give snacks and drinks to our teachers, and they have opportunities for vital workplace experience by working jobs with a mentor at participating local businesses. These activities – plus classroom-based activities like setting a table, making lists, following a recipe, and following a daily schedule – will help our students.

Lone Grove Schools students also participate in events like our FFA chapter’s “Ring of Gold” day, where they show livestock; our local Special Olympics game night; and our Team Lone Grove cheer squad. These events allow past and present families of students in special education to stay in contact and continue vital relationships.

Lone Grove Schools are new to expanded transition programming; however, we are excited about how it will set up our students ages 18-22 for lifelong success. We are thrilled to continue to plan and build this program with unique, hands-on, and, most importantly, real-life experiences for our students.

Amy Reeder is Director of Special Education and Title IX Coordinator for Lone Grove Schools.

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Lone Grove students get hands-on experience at the Ring of Gold livestock show, caring for the animals and even choosing an animal to show while there.

Lone Grove students get real-life experience by running the high school clothes closet. They sort the donated items and hang them or fold them according to size and category.

Project SEARCH at Moore Public Schools

By Rachael Laib

Project SEARCH is an incredible transition program for young adults with disabilities. Its main goal is to equip students with employment skills and foster their independence, all while helping them find competitive, integrated employment. The program started in 1996 and has since grown into an international success, with over 700 sites worldwide.

In fall 2017, Moore Public Schools partnered with the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, DRTC in Oklahoma City, The National Center for Disability Education and Training-OU, and Norman Regional Health System to launch their own Project SEARCH program. This initiative has been a game-changer for students, allowing them to gain valuable insight into professional work through hands-on training in a real-world work setting in various departments within the Norman Regional Health System. Each intern participates in three 10-week rotations in departments that have volunteered to host an intern, such as Linen, Cafeteria, Kitchen, Emergency, Ortho Spine, and Progressive Cardiac Care Units.

The goal is to gain marketable, competitive, transferable job skills through each rotation. Job development is individualized to accommodate intern skill development and employment goals. By taking students out of the traditional school setting, we’ve been able to help them gain confidence and independence while learning problem-solving, social, and communication skills.

One of the key factors contributing to the success of our program is the incredible support from the health system and our partner agencies. We have been supported and encouraged since day one by MPS and NRHS administration. We’ve also seen how important

it is to have buy-in from students and support from their families. We meet as a team for student progress and planning at least five times during the school year. The benefits for students are immense. Not only do they get the opportunity to interact with others and have fun, but they also gain valuable experience to add to their resumes. We encourage students to connect with employment agencies like DRTC to ensure a smooth transition into the workforce. We also consider their goals and needs, such as transportation, guardianship, and independent living and connect them to resources to assist them in meeting those needs as they transition into adulthood. Our students have obtained their driver’s licenses, obtained full-time work with benefits, and some have held the same job since graduating the program.

We can’t express enough gratitude to the amazing employees at the health system who have embraced our program. Their support and partnership have been invaluable, providing our interns with essential work experience and preparing them for future employment. We’re now in our seventh year, and we’re thrilled to see the connections and success that have come from this program.

Rachael Laib is the Project SEARCH Instructor and Transition Specialist for Moore Public Schools.

Nearly 50 students have participated in Moore Public Schools' Project SEARCH program, gaining real-world job experience with employers including Tinker Air Force Base, Home Depot, Walmart, Crest, and more.

A Project SEARCH student working and learning in the Emergency Department at Norman Regional Health System.

Norman Regional Health System is a key Project SEARCH partner, offering opportunities for students to work in a variety of hospital departments.

Sandite Transition Academy at Sand Springs Public Schools

By Carrie J. Schlehuber

The new Sandite Transition Academy (STA) provides independent living and working experiences for Sand Springs special education students ages 18-22. We believe all students in the program should have the opportunity for meaningful and engaging life experiences driven by their passions, talents, and abilities.

Our program allows students to first explore career pathways in a simulated classroom to demonstrate understanding, success, and competency in their desired career field. When ready, they are placed in businesses in the Sand Springs community with a job coach. For example, one student works at one of our kindergarten classrooms as a teacher assistant two days a week, where she assists students in resource classes, plays one-on-one with them, and listens to them read their sight words. One day a week, she also works at a local boutique, completing sales, stocking inventory, and modeling products for social media. These placements are based on her personal goals, interests, and career plans, in keeping with our program’s core value – personal choices drive employment opportunities.

Students cultivate independent living skills through weekly grocery planning, shopping, preparing, and cooking in our full kitchen. They also provide a monthly “party” for the Central Administrative Services staff, complete with table settings, seasonal decor, and tasty treats. It is the highlight of the month for our staff! They also practice their work skills in a live setting by providing shredding services to our entire Central Administrative Services building each week, where they are required to greet each person properly, ask specific questions regarding their shredding, and then complete the work.

One unique highlight of the Sandite Transition Academy is our partnership with our Charles

Page High School internship program for seniors. We currently have two Sand Springs seniors on the Teaching and Learning career path who we have employed as student interns at STA. These seniors want to pursue a degree and career in education, and this is a real-world, handson experience that benefits them and our young adults. Our morning intern spends time in the classroom with students, assisting them with their functional living skills and practicing job skills like handling money, completing applications, and doing mock interviews. Our afternoon intern goes to job sites with one student and shadows and supports her as needed.

We also have a partnership with The Bridges Foundation and their Work Adjustment Training (WAT) program. This is a fabulous partnership that provides our students the opportunity to receive training to get them adjusted to the workforce. Since students remain with us through the year of their 22nd birthday, this WAT training in their first two years of the STA program will allow them to be part of our local workforce in their last two years of STA. ■

Carrie J. Schlehuber is the Director of Special Education for Sand Springs Public Schools.

A Sandite Transition Academy student gains work experience at a local clothing boutique, where modeling inventory is among her job duties.