Section 28.310  Standards for the LBS II/Transition Specialist

 

By October 1, 2025, all candidates for an endorsement as a Transition Specialist will be required to complete a program aligned to the Advanced Specialty Set for Special Education Transition Specialist (2015), published by the Council for Exceptional Children, 2900 Crystal Drive, Suite 1000, Arlington VA 22202-3557, and available at https://exceptionalchildren.org/standards/specialty-sets-specific-practice-areas. (No later amendments to or editions of these guidelines are incorporated.)  The standards effective until September 30, 2025 are as follows:

 

a)         Foundations – The competent transition specialist understands the philosophical, historical, and legal foundations of special education.

 

1)         Knowledge – The competent transition specialist understands:

 

A)        theoretical and applied models of transition;

 

B)        transition-related legislation in the fields of special and career and technical education, rehabilitation, labor, and civil rights;

 

C)        the roles of federal, State, and local legislation and implications for providing transition services at the local level;

 

D)        history of national transition initiatives; and

 

E)        research on student outcomes and effective transition practices.

 

2)         Performance – The competent transition specialist meets the performance standards set forth in Section 28.100(a)(2).

 

b)         Characteristics of Learners – The competent transition specialist understands the impact that disabilities have on the cognitive, physical, emotional, social, and communication development of an individual and provides opportunities that support the intellectual, social, and personal development of all students (ages 3-22).

 

1)         Knowledge – The competent transition specialist understands:

 

A)        implications of student characteristics with respect to post-school outcomes, environments, and support needs; and

 

B)        school and post-school services available to specific populations of individuals with disabilities.

 

2)         Performance – The competent transition specialist meets the performance standards set forth in Section 28.100(b)(2).

 

c)         Assessment – The competent transition specialist understands the educational assessment process and uses various assessment strategies to support the continuous development of all students.

 

1)         Knowledge – The competent transition specialist understands:

 

A)        formal and informal career and vocational assessment approaches; and

 

B)        formal and informal approaches for identifying students' interests and preferences related to post-school goals and educational experiences.

 

2)         Performance – The competent transition specialist:

 

A)        matches skills and interests of the student to skills and demands required by vocational or employment settings, community residential situation, and other community participation options;

 

B)        interprets results of career and vocational assessment for individuals, families, and professionals;

 

C)        in collaboration with individuals with disabilities and agencies, designs, implements, and uses program evaluation procedures to assess and improve the effectiveness of transition education and services, including evaluation of students' post-school outcomes; and

 

D)        uses a variety of formal and informal career, transition, and vocational assessment procedures.

 

d)         Planning for Instruction – The competent transition specialist understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.  The specialist understands instructional planning and designs instruction based on knowledge of the discipline, students, community, and curriculum goals.

 

1)         Knowledge – The competent transition specialist understands:

 

A)        job-seeking and job retention skills identified by employers as essential for successful employment;

 

B)        career and technical education methods and curricula;

 

C)        the range of post-school options within specific outcome areas; and

 

D)        transition planning strategies that facilitate information collection and input from appropriate participants.

 

2)         Performance – The competent transition specialist:

 

A)        identifies a variety of outcomes and instructional options specific to the community for each post-school outcome area;

 

B)        assists teachers to identify, in conjunction with the student, appropriate educational program planning team members;

 

C)        evaluates students' educational programs with respect to measurable post-school goals and alignment of those goals with instructional activities;

 

D)        monitors student, family, and agency participation in transition planning and implementation; and

 

E)        demonstrates procedures to ensure the inclusion of specific transition-related goals in the educational program plan.

 

e)         Learning Environment – The competent transition specialist uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

 

1)         Knowledge – The competent transition specialist understands:

 

A)        methods for providing work-based and other community-based education for individuals with disabilities; and

 

B)        methods for linking appropriate academic content to transition-related goals.

 

2)         Performance – The competent transition specialist:

 

A)        identifies and facilitates appropriate modifications within work, residential, career and technical training, and other community environments;

 

B)        assesses and develops natural support systems to facilitate transition to specific post-school environments; and

 

C)        develops residential, work-based, and other community-based educational programs for individuals with exceptional learning needs.

 

f)         Collaborative Relationships – The competent transition specialist uses knowledge of effective written, verbal, and visual communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction among professionals, parents, paraprofessional educators, and students.

 

1)         Knowledge – The competent transition specialist understands:

 

A)        methods and strategies for increasing families' knowledge and skills about transition-related issues and topics, including transition-focused educational program development;

 

B)        procedures and requirements for referring students to community service agencies;

 

C)        methods for increasing collaborative transition service delivery through interagency agreements and collaborative funding; and

 

D)        strategies for involving individuals with disabilities in all levels of collaborative transition program planning and evaluation.

 

2)         Performance – The competent transition specialist:

 

A)        systematically identifies family service needs related to transition outcomes and assists families to connect with support networks;

 

B)        involves individuals with disabilities, families, and community agencies in establishing transition-related policy;

 

C)        assesses and uses student support systems to facilitate the post-school transition of individuals with disabilities;

 

D)        provides transition-focused technical assistance and professional development in collaboration with family members for educators, community agency personnel, and other relevant transition stakeholders;

 

E)        collaborates with and participates in transition-focused interagency coordinating bodies;

 

F)         develops coordinated interagency strategies to collect, share, and use student assessment data, with appropriate input and authorization of students and families;

 

G)        uses strategies for resolving differences that may arise in the implementation of interagency agreements or the provision of transition services for individuals with disabilities; and

 

H)        identifies future post-school service needs using transition planning documents in conjunction with relevant agencies.

 

g)         Professionalism and Ethical Practices – The competent transition specialist understands teaching as a profession, maintains standards of professional conduct, and provides leadership to improve student learning and well-being.

 

1)         Knowledge – The competent transition specialist understands:

 

A)        the scope and role of a transition specialist; and

 

B)        the scope and role of agency personnel related to transition-focused education and services.

 

2)         Performance – The competent transition specialist demonstrates positive regard for the capacity and operating constraints of community organizations involved in transition-focused education services.

 

(Source:  Amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 6346, effective April 11, 2022)