Transitioning From Alternative Education Settings: A Process for Students With Behavioral Challenges

Part 1: Develop Transition Plan

Developing a student’s transition plan is a collaborative process in which all stakeholder voices are considered, increasing the likelihood of success during the transition process (Johnson et al., 2017). The student’s support team includes educators from both settings, the student, at least one parent or guardian, and any other service providers involved in developing and the student’s educational program (Mathur et al., 2018; Ochoa, 2016).

To record all decisions and keep track of team members’ roles and responsibilities, the person identified as the team leader (e.g., case manager) develops a transition action plan document (see Figure 1). The transition action plan contains a record of team members, attendance at all meetings, major agenda items and decisions, and specific actions corresponding to decisions. For each specific action item, the document lists who is responsible for the action, when it should be completed, completion status, and any relevant notes. All team members have access to this document, and it will be stored in a shared location (e.g., a cloud folder). The transition action plan is a living document that will be referenced and updated throughout the process. The team leader is responsible for keeping the transition action plan up to date.

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Figure 1.

Sample transition action plan document.

On his first day at Maywood, Drew attends an intake meeting. Attendees are Drew, Martha (Drew’s mother), Mrs. Williams (a special education teacher from Sanford Middle School), Mr. Morris (a case manager at Maywood), and Mr. Kelly (the director of Maywood). Mr. Kelly shares the transition action planning document with the team and asks for input regarding how each team member prefers to access the document. He also informs Drew and Martha that Mr. Morris will conduct a series of assessments during Drew’s first week to help determine his educational program. Mr. Kelly asks Mrs. Williams to be prepared to share Drew’s existing IEP and behavior intervention plan (BIP) at the following meeting. The team completes the action plan and sets the next meeting for 1 week later.

Part 2: Determine Criteria for Transition

Transition planning begins at entry to the AE setting (Johnson et al., 2017; Jolivette et al., 2012; Ochoa, 2016). When a student’s goal is to return to the traditional school, it is important that the educational program is designed to help the student meet that goal. If recent assessment data are already available, additional assessments may not need to be conducted. If data are outdated or unavailable, the student’s support team conducts a series of assessments (e.g., academic, psychological) to determine the student’s current levels of performance in any individual areas of need, similar to the process when developing an IEP. The team also identifies the academic and behavioral expectations, available services and support staff, and possible risks the student may encounter at the traditional school (Mathur et al., 2018; Ochoa, 2016). It is also important to understand the student’s perceived strengths and challenges (e.g., through a self-assessment document).

Data gathered at entry, along with information contained in existing documents (e.g., IEP, BIP), inform the selection of the student’s academic curriculum (e.g., grade level, course content) and support services (e.g., targeted behavioral interventions, mental health supports). The team uses this information to identify the student’s major areas of need, align the educational program with both the student’s needs and the skills needed in the traditional school, and determine the specific criteria the student must meet to transition (Ochoa, 2016).

At the next meeting, Mr. Morris shares Drew’s assessment results, and Mrs. Williams shares Drew’s current IEP goals, BIP, and academic and behavioral data. Martha also shares her observations of Drew, and Drew shares what he sees as his strengths and challenges. The team determines that Drew’s major areas of need are in emotional self-regulation and mathematics. Drew will be placed in grade-level academic courses that align with those taught in the traditional school. He will also receive three 30-min math intervention sessions, two 1-hr individual counseling sessions, and two 30-min small group anger management intervention sessions per week. Based on the data collected and Drew’s identified needs, the team agrees that Drew would be considered for transition back to the traditional school when he has improved by one full grade level in math and has engaged in zero instances of aggression toward peers for 4 consecutive weeks.

Part 3: Transition With Supports

Once transition criteria are met, the student begins the transition to the traditional school. Teams might consider three general options for a supportive transition:

The team considers the student’s progress and evaluates the selected option to assess any potential challenges (e.g., availability of services, unexpected social situations) and to establish prevention measures to mediate those challenges (e.g., identify alternate services that meet the same needs). The team must also decide how the student needs to be prepared in advance for experiences in the new placement (e.g., explicit instruction of school expectations and routines, role-playing social situations, introduction to teachers). In addition, the team identifies an adult at the traditional school the student can connect with and to ask for help if needed (Johnson et al., 2017; Mathur et al., 2018).

Based on student progress data, the team determines what supports the student needs for a successful transition. These may include academic tutoring, mental health services, family involvement, or a peer or adult mentor (Mathur et al., 2018). The student support team continues using the transition action plan to outline all of the actions and supports that will be in place during the student’s transition (Ochoa, 2016). To ensure each component is delivered as planned, the roles and expectations of each person on the transition team are delineated before the transition itself begins (Johnson et al., 2017). Such coordination ensures continuity between settings and prevents a lapse in services during a student’s transition (Ochoa, 2016).

During transition planning, staff members from the AE setting share with educators at the traditional school the student’s experiences and accomplishments at the AE placement (Ochoa, 2016), including any modifications to the student’s IEP or BIP. At the start of the transition, the case manager at the AE setting transfers all student records to the special education teacher in the traditional school so information can be used to guide supports upon the student’s arrival (Mathur et al., 2018). The transition action plan identifies how and when the transfer of records will occur (e.g., case manager creates a copy of all documents and hands them to the special education teacher at a team meeting; all documents are electronic and shared in a cloud folder).

After Drew meets his transition goal, his next team meeting focuses on initiating his transition to Sanford Middle School. Mr. Morris reviews Drew’s progress and the supports he receives at Maywood. The team acknowledges Drew’s growth by discussing the data collected during his time at Maywood. The team decides Drew will transition to the traditional school under Option 1 (i.e., automatically receiving targeted supports). Since Drew is now comfortable communicating with an adult when he is upset, consistently utilizes at least two different coping skills to minimize his anger in activating situations, and is at grade level in math, he does not need the additional intensity of Option 2 or 3. The team agrees Drew will attend an anger management group and meet with the school social worker at Sanford each week.

Mrs. Williams explains to Drew the classes he will take at Sanford and reminds him of the school’s behavioral expectations. She also explains she will be the teacher for Drew’s daily Learning Center period where he will receive interventions and be provided with time to work on his assignments with support. Mrs. Williams invites Drew to visit Sanford before his official transition date, where he will meet a peer mentor, follow his class schedule, and meet his new teachers. Drew agrees the visit will make it easier to return to Sanford.

On his first day at Sanford, Drew knows what to expect because he has already visited the school, attended his classes, and met his teachers. Mrs. Williams greets Drew and reminds him she will see him during Learning Center. She tells him that Learning Center time will be used to check-in with her, attend his anger management group, and meet with the school social worker, as outined in his transition plan. If there is additional time, Drew may work on assignments or access additional supports. After talking with Mrs. Williams, Drew’s peer mentor arrives, walks him to his first class, and tells him they will sit together at lunch.

Part 4: Monitor Progress

Throughout the process, student progress toward IEP or BIP goals and transition criteria is continually monitored (Johnson et al., 2017; Mathur et al., 2018; Ochoa, 2016). The data to be collected, the person responsible for collecting them, and the schedule on which they will be collected are listed in the transition action plan. The team has regular meetings (e.g., once per week, once every 2 weeks) and sets decision rules to gauge whether there is a need to modify any supports the student is receiving. Typically, if a student is not making progress, supports will be increased (e.g., more sessions per week, more individualized lessons). In contrast, if a student is making progress, supports will be faded (e.g., fewer sessions per week, more challenging goals).

During the student’s time in the AE setting, it is important to monitor progress and collect data related to each of the student’s identified goals across all domains of need. For example, in academic areas, data may include scores on benchmark testing or course assessments. In behavior areas, data may include direct observations of the rate of target behaviors (e.g., instances of aggression, class disruptions) or rating scales completed by teachers. These data will be reviewed and evaluated at team meetings.

It is also important to continue monitoring student progress during and after transition to the traditional school. Many students experience initial success upon a change in placement, but as time progresses, they may begin to engage in more challenging behaviors. The data collected at this point in the process are similar to data collected previously in that they align with student goals, and they are reviewed regularly by the student support team. Ongoing progress monitoring allows the team to make adjustments to student supports as soon as a change in student performance is seen. Proactively addressing changes in student progress ensures that supports remain relevant for the student.

While Drew is in the AE setting, Mr. Morris plays the primary role in organizing data collection and monitoring Drew’s progress. Each week, Mr. Morris checks in with Drew’s math teacher to obtain his assessment scores. In addition, Mr. Morris reviews the school’s office discipline referrals (ODRs) to see if Drew had any problem behaviors that were written up. When Drew’s math scores show improvement, the team and the math teacher adjust instruction so Drew completes more math tasks independently. When Drew receives two ODRs in 1 week for aggression toward peers, Mr. Morris’s and Drew’s mental health provider introduce a new self-regulation strategy Drew can use to help him calm down when he is agitated.

In the traditional school, Mrs. Williams plays the primary role in monitoring Drew’s progress. On a weekly basis, she keeps track of Drew’s academic progress by asking his teachers for assessment scores and any missing assignments, and she checks the school’s ODRs to see if Drew engaged in any problem behaviors that could not be addressed in the classroom. In his second week at Sanford, Drew receives two ODRs during social studies, his last period of the day. Mrs. Williams talks with Drew and he shares that it is hard for him to focus later in the day. Drew feels it would be better if he had a less intensive course at that time. At the next meeting, the team agrees it would be beneficial to change Drew’s class schedule so his Learning Center period, rather than an academic class, occurs at the end of the day.

Part 5: Communicate Regularly

Ongoing communication between all stakeholders (i.e., educators, student, parent) begins upon entry to the AE setting and continues throughout the transition process. Such communication allows the process to be collaborative and ensures that all team members can actively participate. Beyond scheduled meetings, team members will also communicate on an as-needed basis throughout the process, such as when questions or unexpected situations occur. All team communication will be coordinated through the student’s case manager. In cases of unexpected issues, the team may set additional meetings to review data and modify supports. The preferred mode of contact for each team member and a record of all interactions are included in the student’s transition action plan.

While a student is in the AE setting, the case manager leads team meetings on a consistent schedule (e.g., once every 2 weeks, once per month) to keep all stakeholders informed on student progress toward IEP or BIP goals and transition criteria. Progress monitoring data serve as the basis for discussion at the meetings. When a student makes progress, an appointed team member (e.g., case manager) provides specific feedback to support continued improvement. Similarly, when a student does not progress toward transition goals, the team member provides specific corrective feedback to inform the student of what strategies might better support growth. The team may also discuss modifying supports if data do not show a student is making progress toward identified goals by increasing interventions or providing additional instruction in relevant strategies.

Communication continues after the student returns to the traditional school. The team continues to meet on a predetermined schedule and discusses data related to student progress. The team provides the student with specific feedback at each meeting. The team also sets decision rules for when the meeting schedule may be thinned (e.g., if the student improves for 4 consecutive weeks, the team may meet once every other month instead of once per month).

While Drew is at Maywood, the entire team meets once per month in person to discuss Drew’s progress and make any necessary adjustments to his supports. Mr. Morris has a weekly phone conversation with Martha during which he provides an update on Drew’s progress and allows her to ask any questions she may have. Mr. Morris encourages Martha to reach out to him at any time if she has questions or concerns regarding Drew.

When Drew returns to Sanford, communication among team members continues. In the first month after transition, Mrs. Williams has a weekly phone call with Martha and with Mr. Morris to update them on Drew’s progress and any concerns that arise. Mrs. Williams also contacts Martha immediately if Drew receives an ODR. Mrs. Williams checks in with Drew’s classroom teachers every other week for an update regarding his progress and performance in class. She tells the teachers they should reach out to her in between if they have questions or concerns related to Drew’s transition. Drew’s support team continues to meet monthly for 3 months after his transition and on an as-needed basis after that.