TRANSITION ACTION PLAN 1

Transition Action Plan

Madeline McCormick
SPED 5500
University of Colorado, Denver
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Abstract

This Transition Action Plan focuses on a fifth grader named Mia. She is a dedicated and

hardworking student. Mia is an emerging bilingual student on an Individualized Education Plan

(IEP). This project addresses Mia’s strengths, preferences, interests, and needs. First, I reviewed

Mia’s IEP to determine an assessment plan. Then, I reviewed the assessment results to identify

instructional goals in the following skills: Reading Comprehension, Written Expression, Oral

Expression, and Self-Awareness. I created an instructional outline of the lessons I would teach to

work on these skills. Next, I reflected on the lessons I taught. Lastly, my student created a final

portfolio to display her proficiency in the learning goals from the lessons. For the final project

Mia created her own Reader’ Theater with a conflict and resolution. She performed her Reader’s

Theater, called Barnyard Trouble, in front of her class. The final portfolio was extremely

successful.
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Student Introduction

Student Privacy Agreement

The parent and student both agreed and signed the permission form on 9/9/2019. I signed

the student privacy agreement on 9/11/2019. For privacy purposes, I will use the pseudonyms

Mia and Maplewood Elementary for my student and school.

IEP Review
Mia is ten years old. She is in the fifth grade. Mia is a very kind and determined student.

She has many friends and knows how to decide between what's right and wrong. She has made

significant growth this year in her reading abilities, showing confidence, and understanding her

reading abilities. She works hard in class and thrives when receiving positive praise for hard

work. She is motivated to try difficult tasks.

Mia struggles with reading and math. Even though there have been improvements, she

still needs support inside and outside the classroom to access the content. Mia’s delay in

expressive/receptive language skills impacts her overall communication ability in the classroom.

Mia should continue to develop her auditory comprehension and ability to retell important

information in sequence, as well as improve her use of grammar and use of increasingly complex

sentences.

Mia likes shopping and spending time with her friends. She also enjoys helping her mom

around the house with cooking and cleaning. Mia really likes school. She wants to do good in

school and go to college.

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Mia receives 80 minutes of direct SPED instructional services inside the general

education classroom weekly. Mia also receives 80 minutes of direct SPED instructional services

outside the general education classroom weekly. Mia receives 120 minutes of direct speech and

language therapy outside the general education classroom monthly. Mia also receives 45 minutes

of ESL instruction daily. Mia is in the general education class at least 80% of the time, which is

the least restrictive environment. The following is a list of Mia’s accommodations: (1)

preferential seating (ex. by teacher, strong reader, etc.), (2) checks for understanding, (3) read

aloud test, quizzes and classroom items, (4) extended time for classwork and projects, (5) small

group instruction in addition to whole group, (6) sentence starters for answering classwork, tests,

quizzes, (7) expand on student’s sentences to encourage the development of more complex

language structures, (8) when the student makes a grammatical error while speaking, rephrase

student’s sentences, modelling accurate grammar, (9) allow for increased oral response time,

(10) allow for increased processing time when giving directions or presenting new information.

The following are Mia’s ACCESS Scores: Listening 6.0, Speaking 2.3, Reading 2.0,

Writing 3.6, Comprehension 3.2, Literacy 3.2, and Overall score 3.3. Based on Mia’s ACCESS

scores, she is qualified as LEP and will continue receiving CLD services. Mia scored 708

(Partially Met) on CMAS Math and 692 (Did not Meet) on CMAS ELA. Scantron is a district

benchmark assessment for reading and math. Mia scored 2318 on Scantron math (the district

average was 2348) and 2163 on Scantron reading (the district average was 2373). DIBELS is a

benchmark reading assessment used at Maplewood Elementary. Mia read 52 correct words per

minute with 87% accuracy and was able to say 15 words about what she read. She scored 6 on

DAZE.
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Mia has reading, math, and speech goals on her IEP. The following are Mia’s IEP goals:

“(1) By Mia’s next IEP, when given a grade level text Mia will be able to read 80 words/minute

with 98% accuracy. (2) By Mia’s next IEP, when given a word problem involving multiplication

and division Mia will solve the problem correctly in 3/5 trials. (3) Mia will improve her

expressive and receptive language abilities as measured by the following objectives: Mia will

demonstrate 80% accuracy in providing the irregular past tense form, when given the present

tense, with no cues. After being read a 2-3 paragraph piece of informational text, Mia will state

the main idea and paraphrase three details, using complete sentences, with 80% accuracy, given

minimal cueing.”

Student Interview

Family, friends, and school are all really important to Mia. She likes helping her mom

around the house with chores (specifically cooking and cleaning). Her family also goes to church

together every Sunday. Mia has a lot of friends at school and enjoys spending time with them.

Now that she is in the fifth grade, she seems to be showing more of an interest in boys. Mia

wants to do well in school. She likes reading (even though it can be hard sometimes) and is

proud of the growth she has made. Mia also likes shopping and spending time outside.

Mia thoroughly loves coming to school. She likes her teachers and enjoys making them

proud. She knows that school is important for her future. Mia keeps trying even when things are

difficult; her perseverance is a strong attribute that will help her in the future. Thankfully, she is

also comfortable asking for help when she needs it. Mia thinks reading is her strength and math

(specifically division) is her struggle.

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She thinks it is important to do well in school so she can go to college and then get a job.

Mia has expressed interest in being a teacher or a veterinarian when she grows up. She wants to

help people or animals. She is confident that if she keeps trying her best she will be able to go to

college.

Although she does not know the term IEP, she knows she works with the special

education teacher and the speech pathologist because she needs a little extra help. She also

knows that the team meets every year to discuss how she is doing. Mia went to her most recent

IEP meeting. She gave input on her strengths and struggles. She knew the meeting was to discuss

her progress, goals, and what best helps her in the classroom.

Assessment

Assessment Plan

Assessment Education Career Independent Communication Social Rec. and

Living Interaction Leisure

CMAS X

Scantron X

Dream Sheet X

Life Skills Inventory X

Self-Determination
Checklist X X
Elementary Student
Self-Assessment

ACCESS X

Observation X

Interest Survey X
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Rationale

I chose CMAS and Scantron for educational assessments. Scantron is a benchmark

assessment students take at the beginning, middle, and end of the year. CMAS is taken every

spring. I wanted more than one data point for educational assessments to be able to compare

scores. These standardized assessments both test literacy and math abilities. It is useful to know

how a student is performing compared to their grade level peers. The ​National Secondary

Transition Technical Assistance Center states that​ “achievement tests provide results that can be

linked to most occupational requirements while helping to identify potential areas needing

remediation or accommodation (e.g., reading comprehension)” (p. 7).

I selected the Dream Sheet for the career assessment because it helps the student make a

vision for their future. The Dream Sheet has the student identify their strengths, relevant

resources, and action steps for achieving their goal. ​The ​Age-Appropriate Transition Assessment

Guide s​ ays that ​“interviews and questionnaires allow you to gather information to be used to

determine a youth’s needs, preferences, and interests relative to anticipated post-school

outcomes” (p. 5). A Dream Sheet was one of their examples of how to accomplish that.

I chose a Life Skills Inventory for the independent living assessment. There are several

categories on the Life Skills Inventory. Within each category there is a list of can do statements

about the topic to determine if the person is basic, intermediate, advanced, or exceptional in that

area. This inventory would give a good indication of Mia’s abilities in a wide variety of skills

necessary for independent living. Due to Mia’s age, she will not be living on her own for a while;
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however, transition is an ongoing process so this inventory could help identify areas to work on

and be given again in the future to track improvements.

I selected the Self-Determination Checklist - Elementary Student Self-Assessment as a

career and independence assessment. ​The ​Age-Appropriate Transition Assessment Guide n​ otes

“​self-determination assessments help determine a student’s aptitude and opportunity for specific

components of self-determination such as goal-setting, problem solving, self-advocacy,

self-evaluation, persistence, and self confidence. Self-determination skills have been associated

with independence” which is why I put this assessment in that category (p. 9). Due to the

simplicity of the Self-Determination Checklist, it is a good way to start the process of gathering

information about self-determination at a young age.

I chose ACCESS for the communication assessment due to the speaking and listening

components. Mia receives a score for each of these domains which helps provide insight about

her communication abilities. The ACCESS scores in these domains could be compared over the

years to see trends.

I selected an Observation during recess for the social interaction assessment. Recess is a

great time to watch Mia interact with her peers. There has been a lot of drama between the girls

at recess lately. It is interesting to watch how Mia responds to these social situations.

I chose an Interest Survey for the recreational and leisure assessment. This will help

identify Mia’s strengths, preferences, and interests which guide the transition process. It is

important that Mia’s strengths, preferences, interests, and needs are what drives her

post-secondary goals.
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Assessment Data Analysis

The assessments allowed me to gather a significant amount of information on Mia. The

CMAS Student Performance Reports showed that Mia scored higher in Mathematics than in

Literacy. She is in the 11th percentile for Literacy and the 20th percentile in Mathematics. The

reports also offered more specific information about her performance in the subclaims. It shows

how Mia performaned in comparison to the district and state average. The CMAS Student

Performance Reports helped highlight areas Mia could benefit from additional help. The

Scantron Report also showed that Mia performed stronger in Mathematics than in Reading.

Mia’s performance on the Scantron Mathematics test put her at a 4.6 grade level equivalent,

which is labeled average-low. Mia’s performance on the Scantron Reading test put her at a 2.5

grade level equivalent, which is labeled below average. The most helpful part of the Scantron

Report is the suggested learning objectives. The Dream Sheet showed me that Mia’s main focus

is graduating high school. She was able to fill out the Dream Sheet all by herself, which shows

she has a good understanding of how she can make her dream happen. The Life Skills Inventory

showed me that Mia is at the advanced skill level in food management and interpersonal skills.

She is at the intermediate skill level for personal appearance and hygiene. The rest of the

categories she scored at the basic level, which is understandable since she is ten years old. It

would be interesting to give the Life Skills Inventory each year and monitor growth. The

Self-Determination Checklist demonstrated that her self-determination skills are quite strong.

She did not rate herself a 1 (rarely or never) on any of the statements. She did struggle with

answering the open-ended question on the Self-Determination Checklist. The ACCESS Report

showed she scored a 6.0 on Listening, which is the highest level of proficiency. It also displayed
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she needs more help with Reading and Speaking. There is a chart that lists what students at those

levels can generally do. The Observation during recess was focused on social interactions. Mia is

extremely social and has a large number of friends. She was never alone during recess and

behaved in a developmentally appropriate way. The Interest Survey showed Mia is currently

involved in a lot of different leisure activities. She has done many activities in the past and

showed interest in trying seven new activities.

These assessments identified areas of strength and weakness. Some of the strengths

identified from these assessments are her advanced skill level in interpersonal skills and food

management. Mia also scored the highest level of proficiency on the Listening domain on

ACCESS. Based on the Self-Determination Checklist and Dream Sheet, Mia has strong

self-determination skills for an elementary aged student. Mia has many friends and is actively

involved in multiple leisure activities. Some of the weaknesses identified from these assessments

are Mia’s literacy skills. CMAS and Scantron both indicate Mia is below average in reading. She

scored a 2.0 on the Reading domain on ACCESS. The most alarming piece of information was

that the Scantron Report says Mia’s reading ability is at the second grade level. Also, Mia scored

basic on the majority of categories on the Life Skills Inventory; however, I think this will

improve the older Mia gets.

There were some similarities and differences between the assessments. One of the

similarities I noticed is that Mia scored higher in Mathematics than Literacy on both CMAS and

Scantron. Another similarity is that her reading abilities were low on all the assessments. A

difference was that Mia said she needs the most help in Math, but that is the subject she scored
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the highest. Also, she scored a 3.6 in Writing on ACCESS, yet she earned 0% of points in

Writing on CMAS.

A general theme that I noticed across the data is that Literacy is the greatest concern. In

addition, the data collected is consistent with the IEP. Another theme is that Mia tries really hard

in everything she does, which is an important trait. Mia is passionate about her future and wants

to make sure she graduates high school.

I learned that reading things aloud to Mia was extremely helpful. For example, I read the

directions and each statement on the Self-Determination Checklist; in addition, I reminded her

what 3, 2, and 1 stood for each time. I also read the leisure activities and life skills aloud and

clarified anything she did not understand. On the Dream Sheet, I helped her with spelling when

she asked. Overall, if the assignment was not testing her reading, I found it beneficial to read the

information aloud to Mia.

Identified Instructional Goals

Based on the identified strengths and weaknesses, I have identified the following skills to

focus on: Reading Comprehension, Written Expression, Oral Expression, and Self-Awareness.

The goal is to practice all these skills in order to help them improve. The learning goals are as

follows: (1) Mia will read a story and answer comprehension questions about it (2) Mia will

write a summary of a story that explains the main idea and details in the correct sequence (3) Mia

will participate in a Reader’s Theater to practice oral expression (4) Mia will identify conflicts

and resolutions to practice self-awareness. I selected these skills based on her IEP and the data

collected from the assessments.

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Reflection

Overall, the process of gathering information went well. I am pleased with the amount of

information obtained and the assessments chosen. The information gathered was helpful for the

planning process because it helped identify areas of need. I used all of the information from the

various assessments to select skills to focus on with Mia. One thing I would have liked to do is

gather information from her parents. I think her parents could have provided relevant and helpful

information about Mia. I also would have interviewed her classroom teacher and special

education teacher to see what they believe is her biggest area of concern. In the future, although

it can be used as a baseline, I probably would not use the Life Skills Inventory with elementary

aged students. I think the majority of the skills are aimed for older students. However, like I

previously mentioned, it would be interesting to give the inventory every year and track

improvements. An idea would be to do the inventory in a different color pen every time and see

how many more boxes are checked as the student gets older. Even though I have some ideas for

improvements, I am proud of the results.

Transition Plan/ Instructional Outline and Rationale

Transition Plan Outline

I. Unit Title: Literacy Practice

II. Unit Learning Goals

A. Reading Comprehension - read a story and answer comprehension questions about it

B. Written Expression - write a summary of a story that explains the main idea and

details in the correct sequence

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C. Oral Expression - participate in a Reader’s Theater

D. Self-Awareness - identify conflicts and resolutions

III. Student Portfolio

A. What are your goals for the portfolio?

1. My goals for the portfolio are for Mia to continue practicing and improving her

reading, writing, speaking, and self-determination.

B. What will you create as a final product?

1. As a final product, Mia will create her own Reader’s Theater that deals with a

conflict and resolution. This project will show what she learned in all the lessons.

C. How will it be integrated into your lesson plans?

1. The final product will come at the end of the unit as a final assessment activity.

IV. Lesson Plan Ideas

A. Lesson 1 Title: Reading Comprehension

1. Curriculum: On our Way to English, by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, is the

curriculum used by the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Specialists. I will

use the 5th grade Student Edition Textbook and Activity Book.

2. Learning goals: Mia will read a story and answer comprehension questions

about it.

3. Brief summary of the lesson (What, where, when, how, length): This lesson

will take place in a small guided reading group during the language block. The

students will read a historical fiction story titled ​from Early Thunder.​ The student
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Activity Book has multiple choice comprehension questions about the story. We

will work on this for 30 minutes each day. This should last two days.

4. Rationale for this lesson: Mia’s CMAS, Scantron, and ACCESS all highlight

that reading comprehension is an area of weakness. Furthermore, her lowest

subclaim performance in reading on CMAS was in analyzing fiction, drama, and

poetry. The story I selected is historical fiction. This lesson allows Mia time to

practice her reading comprehension.

5. Identify the products or skills that will relate to the transition portfolio: The

skill of reading aloud will transfer to the final product.

6. How will you know the learning goals have been met? I will know the learning

goals have been met when Mia is able to fluently read the story and correctly

answer the comprehension questions.

B. Lesson 2 Title: Written Expression

1. Curriculum: On our Way to English, by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, is the

curriculum used by the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Specialists. I will

use the same story from the 5th grade Student Edition Textbook as Lesson 1.

2. Learning goals: Mia will write a summary of a story that explains the main idea

and details in the correct sequence.

3. Brief summary of the lesson (What, where, when, how, length): This lesson

will take place in a small group during the language block. The students will be

writing a summary of the story we read together in Lesson 1. The duration of this

lesson will be one day and last 25 minutes.

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4. Rationale for this lesson: Mia did not get any points for writing on CMAS,

which means it is an area of concern. On CMAS, students are supposed to write

about what they read. Therefore, this lesson will help Mia practice this skill.

5. Identify the products or skills that will relate to the transition portfolio: The

skill of writing will be necessary for the final product.

6. How will you know the learning goals have been met? I will know the learning

goals have been met when Mia is able to write a correct summary of the story.

The summary must include 3 main details from the story in the correct sequence

and the main idea.

C. Lesson 3 Title: Oral Expression

1. Resource: I will be using the Reader’s Theater script found on this link-

http://www.thebestclass.org/uploads/5/6/2/4/56249715/doubletrouble.pdf

2. Learning goals: Mia will participate in a Reader’s Theater to practice oral

expression.

3. Brief summary of the lesson (What, where, when, how, length): This lesson

will take place in a small group during the language block. Students will each be

assigned a role and have time to read their parts. We will practice reading the

script together as a group multiple times before presenting. Then, the small group

will present their Reader’s Theater to the whole group. This will take place over 3

days. Students will work on this for about 30 minutes each day.
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4. Rationale for this lesson: Mia scored a 2.3 in Speaking on ACCESS. In

addition, she has receptive and expressive language goals on her IEP. This lesson

will allow Mia to practice her oral expression.

5. Identify the products or skills that will relate to the transition portfolio:

Participating in a Reader’s Theater will help Mia understand how they work. The

script can be used as an example when she is creating her own Reader’s Theater

for the final product.

6. How will you know the learning goals have been met? I will know the learning

goals are met when Mia successfully performs the Reader’s Theater in front of the

class.

D. Lesson 4 Title: Self-Awareness

1. Resource: I will use the Resolving Conflicts lesson plan found on this link-

https://www.education.ne.gov/nce/careerdevelopment/lesson-plans/self-awareness

-lesson-plans//?ndepdf=1&id=1527710704onswb&type=lessonplan&pdfnonce=3

1d0134217

2. Learning goals: Mia will identify conflicts and resolutions to practice

self-awareness.

3. Brief summary of the lesson (What, where, when, how, length): This lesson

will take place in a small group during the language block. Students generate a

T-chart of words that bring us up and words that bring us down. Then, we discuss

the “Sample ‘You-Message’” activity sheet. We discuss the 3 important parts of

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an “I-Message” and students do the “I-Message” activity sheet. This lesson will

take 45 minutes one day.

4. Rationale for this lesson: There have been multiple serious conflicts among the

fifth grade girls already this year. I thought this lesson could really help. Also, on

the Self-Determination Checklist, she said she only sometimes tells others what

she needs, likes, and enjoys doing. This lesson provides the simple sentence frame

“I feel ________ when you ________ because ________” which could help Mia

express herself.

5. Identify the products or skills that will relate to the transition portfolio: The

understanding of conflict and resolution are necessary because the final product

must contain a conflict and resolution. This lesson allows Mia to practice with

multiple scenarios.

6. How will you know the learning goals have been met? I will know the learning

goals have been met when Mia can explain conflict and resolution. Also, the

completion of the “I-Message” activity sheet.

Rationale

I selected these lessons based on the information gathered from all of the assessments.

The different assessments helped identify Mia’s strengths and weaknesses, which helped me get

a “comprehensive picture of the student” (​Wehmeyer, p. 44)​. Each lesson focuses on an area that

Mia needs improvement. I chose to focus on the following four skills for the lessons: Reading

Comprehension, Written Expression, Oral Expression, and Self-Awareness.

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I selected the Reading Comprehension lesson to give Mia an opportunity to practice

reading and understanding a story. Mia’s IEP and all of the assessments indicate she is below

grade level in reading. Even though she struggles with reading, she really loves doing it. I am

grateful she enjoys something that is difficult for her to do. For the lesson, she will be reading in

a small group that she is comfortable in. The students in the group are around a similar ability

level and are supportive. The identified learning goal is to be able to read a story and answer

comprehension questions about it. This lesson will help Mia accomplish that learning goal.

I chose the Written Expression lesson because CMAS indicated that writing is an area of

concern. Mia did not get any points on CMAS for writing. The CMAS Student Performance

Report indicates that students must use details from what they read in their writing. This lesson

will allow Mia to practice her response to literature skills. This lesson will help Mia achieve the

identified learning goal of writing a summary of a story that explains the main idea and details in

the correct sequence. One of the speech goals on Mia’s IEP is to state the main idea and

paraphrase three details using complete sentences. This lesson will also help Mia with that goal.

Also, this lesson builds upon Lesson 1 because it uses the same story. Writing about what she

read in Lesson 1 will help further her understanding of the story. Thus, this lesson incorporates

Reading Comprehension and Written Expression.

I selected the Oral Expression lesson based on Mia’s IEP goals and ACCESS scores. Mia

scored a 2.3 in Speaking on ACCESS, which means there is room for improvement. In addition,

her IEP has goals to improve her receptive and expressive language abilities. This lesson will

allow Mia to practice improving those oral skills. This lesson will help Mia achieve the identified

learning goal of participating in a Reader’s Theater. This lesson will also help with Mia’s
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reading. ​Keehn, Harmon, and Shoho note ​“Readers Theater incorporates rereading, a

well-documented intervention shown to increase fluency” (​Keehn, Harmon, & Shoho, p. ​339).

Therefore this lesson will also simultaneously work on more than one area of concern. This

lesson is crucial because it offers an example of a Reader’s Theater. Mia can use it as a model for

the Reader’s Theater she will create for the final product.

I chose the Self-Awareness lesson because it will help Mia express herself. Based on the

Self-Determination Checklist Mia completed, I decided she would benefit from a lesson focused

on self-awareness. Also, this lesson will help start her transition instruction. Furthermore, I think

this lesson could help with the fifth grade girl drama that has been happening. Since Mia has

many friends, she has been caught up in the conflicts. This lesson will directly pertain to her

current life and therefore I believe she will be highly interested. I selected this lesson because I

like the simple sentence frame “I feel ________ when you ________ because ________”. I think

this language will help Mia express herself. This lesson will help Mia achieve the identified

learning goal of identifying conflicts and resolutions. This lesson is necessary for the final

product because the Reader’s Theater she creates must have a conflict and resolution. This lesson

also culminates the lessons because it combines all of the areas of concern in one lesson. Mia

will be reading, writing, and speaking during the Self-Awareness lesson.

Some of the lessons build upon one another. For example, the Reading Comprehension

and Written Expression lessons build upon each other. Also some lessons focus on one skill but

also incorporate others. For instance, the Oral Expression lesson also incorporates reading. The

Self-Awareness lesson is last because it uses all the skills practiced in one lesson. All of the

lessons work towards the bigger goal of supporting student independence. The Transition
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Coalition Enhancing Employment Outcomes Module discusses a timeline for the career phases.

Since Mia is in fifth grade, she is in the Awareness of Employment part of the timeline. Most of

the lessons focus on basic academic skills, which is part of the list. The self-awareness lesson

will help her work towards explaining what help she needs to complete her work (​Transition

Coalition, 2017).

If I had more time, I would love to do more activities centered around careers. Mia

seemed overwhelmed about deciding what she wants to do when she grows up. She also seemed

curious and unaware of the requirements for the jobs she was interested in. It would be nice to

research some career options. While I was looking up self-awareness lessons, I saw some

interesting career activities. Unfortunately, I did not have the time or resources to accomplish

them. However, I am sure Mia will be ready when the time comes to learn more about potential

careers. She is such an eager and hardworking student that wants to do well.

Instructional Reflections

1. ​Lesson Title​: Reading Comprehension

● Were you able to complete this lesson?

○ I completed this lesson the week of November 4th.

● Did this lesson go as planned? List any surprises or unforeseen challenges.

○ This lesson went as planned and was successful. It happened during guided reading

small group time. The students took turns reading the story. I helped with any

words the students were unable to read correctly. In addition, we discussed any

words the students did not understand. It took the entire guided reading group time

to read the story. Therefore, they answered the comprehension questions about the
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story the next day. The only unforeseen challenge was that the students did not

remember the story as well as I had hoped so I had to give time to reread. After they

reread the story independently, they were able to answer the comprehension

questions. I used this as a teachable moment and explained how rereading to find

the answer to a question is a skill good readers use.

● What was the student reaction to the lesson?

○ I told the students that we were going to use this story for multiple activities

throughout the week and they were excited. The students enjoyed participating in

the lesson.

● Was the learner(s) engaged? How do you know?

○ The students were very engaged throughout the entire lesson. I know this because

they all were eager to be the next person to read or answer a question. In addition,

all of the students were following along even if it was not their turn to read.

● Was the learning goal met? How do you know?

○ The learning goal was met because Mia was able to fluently read the story and

correctly answer the comprehension questions.

● What went well overall?

○ The students taking turns reading went really well overall. All of the students were

respectful and followed the directions. In addition, they were all participating

throughout the guided reading group.

● What can be improved (lesson, delivery, timing, methods used, etc):

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○ In order to save time, I could have reread the story to the students the second day. I

had them all reread the story in their heads because they did not remember

everything we read the previous day.

● What changes would you make in the future?

○ I would have students orally practice sequencing the events of the story. This would

better prepare them for Lesson 2 where they have to write a summary of the story.

● Additional notes or comments:

○ I would have liked more time to discuss the genre of the story (historical fiction).

2. ​Lesson Title​: Written Expression

● Were you able to complete this lesson?

○ I completed this lesson the week of November 4th.

● Did this lesson go as planned? List any surprises or unforeseen challenges.

○ Overall this lesson went as planned except it took longer than expected. I thought

spending 25 minutes one day would be enough time, but it was not. I was surprised

how long it took the students to write a proper summary of the story. They needed a

lot more support than I was expecting. I ended up using the Thinking Map called a

Flow Map to help them sequence the main events of the story. In addition, I

provided several sentence stems. These unforeseen challenges informed me the

students need more support with writing (which is helpful information to know).

Writing is something we will continue to work and focus on.

● What was the student reaction to the lesson?

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○ The students typically summarize stories verbally. Most of them were interested in

the idea of writing it down. Some of the students were not excited because they do

not like writing. However, Mia was excited about writing a summary of the story.

● Was the learner(s) engaged? How do you know?

○ The learners were engaged because they were all working hard on the assignment.

The supports (such as a graphic organizer and sentence stems) helped the struggling

students feel successful and then they enjoyed the activity. I know they were

engaged because they were focused on writing and asking for help instead of giving

up.

● Was the learning goal met? How do you know?

○ The learning goal was met because Mia was able to write a correct summary of the

story that included the main idea and 3 supporting details in sequence.

● What went well overall?

○ Overall, the graphic organizer and sentence stems went well. The students were

proud of their summaries and wanted to share them.

● What can be improved (lesson, delivery, timing, methods used, etc):

○ If this is the first time students are doing this, they need more explicit modeling and

instruction. I thought that since they verbally summarize stories all the time the skill

would transfer but it did not.

● What changes would you make in the future?

○ In the future, I would model this skill in a whole group setting to expose them to the

expectation prior to this lesson. I also would allot more time for this lesson.
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● Additional notes or comments:

○ The students should be explicitly guided through this process step-by-step before

they are expected to do it alone.

3. ​Lesson Title​: Oral Expression

● Were you able to complete this lesson?

○ I completed this lesson the week of November 18th.

● Did this lesson go as planned? List any surprises or unforeseen challenges.

○ This lesson did go as planned, but it took longer than expected because the students

wanted the performance to go well. The students needed more time to practice than

I anticipated. I was surprised that even my shy students enjoyed the Reader’s

Theater. The only unforeseen challenge is that we did not have enough time or

resources for props.

● What was the student reaction to the lesson?

○ The students were really excited when I told them they would be performing a play.

Some of the students seemed a little nervous, but the more we practiced the better it

got. They could not wait to figure out what character they were going to be and read

their lines.

● Was the learner(s) engaged? How do you know?

○ The students were definitely engaged in the lesson. I know this because they were

taking their roles very seriously. Also, there were not any behavior problems. They

were on task because they would be performing in front of their classmates.

● Was the learning goal met? How do you know?

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○ The learning goal was met because Mia successfully performed in the Reader’s

Theater in front of her class.

● What went well overall?

○ The entire lesson went well overall. The best part was the performance. They were

using way more expression than they usually do. It was very entertaining for

everyone.

● What can be improved (lesson, delivery, timing, methods used, etc):

○ Honestly, the only thing that I think could have been improved would be the use of

props and/or costumes.

● What changes would you make in the future?

○ In the future, I would plan that this lesson takes an entire week.

● Additional notes or comments:

○ I want to do more Reader’s Theater with my students because this lesson was such a

big success.

4. Lesson Title​: Self-Awareness

● Were you able to complete this lesson?

○ I completed this lesson the week of November 11th.

● Did this lesson go as planned? List any surprises or unforeseen challenges.

○ This lesson went as planned and was very successful. I was surprised with how

much the students were willing to open up and discuss their feelings. There were no

unforeseen challenges in this lesson.

● What was the student reaction to the lesson?

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○ The emotional emojis hooked their attention. The students were excited to talk

about their emotions and show what they know. The students usually have these

types of conversations during Morning Meeting.

● Was the learner(s) engaged? How do you know?

○ The learners were engaged because they were all listening, paying attention, and

participating.

● Was the learning goal met? How do you know?

○ The learning goal was met because Mia could explain the meaning of conflict and

resolution. In addition, she successfully completed the “I-Message” activity sheet.

● What went well overall?

○ The conversations that came up throughout this lesson went well overall. I was

surprised the students felt comfortable enough to share as much as they did. Also

the “I-Message” practice went well.

● What can be improved (lesson, delivery, timing, methods used, etc):

○ I would simplify the wording for the T-chart activity. Instead of “words that light us

up” and “words that scorch us down” I would use “words that bring us up” and

“words that bring us down”. Some of my students were confused by the wording

and I think simplifying it would be helpful.

● What changes would you make in the future?

○ In the future, I would do this as a whole group lesson.

● Additional notes or comments:

○ This would be a nice activity to do during Morning Meeting.

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Transition Portfolio

Description of Portfolio

As a final product Mia will create her own Reader’s Theater with a conflict and

resolution. She will perform her Reader’s Theater in front of the class. This project shows her

proficiency in the learning goals from the lessons. The goal for this project is for Mia to continue

practicing and improving her reading, writing, speaking, and self-determination.

Student Component

The Self-Determination Lesson helped Mia understand conflict and resolution (which is

necessary for the final product). The “I-Message” practice you see below is from the worksheet

that we did. It helped Mia develop her self-determination skills. This activity helped her practice

with various conflicts and resolutions.

The Oral Expression Lesson helped Mia practice her reading and speaking. In addition, it

provided an example of a Reader’s Theater. Mia used the Reader’s Theater below as an exemplar

of how to format her final product.

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After the Self-Determination and Oral Expression Lessons, Mia was ready to create her

final product. She used what she learned from all the lessons to create her own Reader’s Theater.  

Barnyard Trouble 
Mia’s Reader’s Theater is about four barnyard animals

named cow, pig, horse, and rooster. The conflict is that the

rooster is too loud in the morning and wakes up all the

other animals. After several silly attempts to solve the

issue, they figured it out. The resolution is the rooster

cannot say “COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO” until the sun is

all the way up in the sky because that is the perfect time

for all of the animals to wake up.

Mia wrote all of the lines for each of the characters. Mia was the rooster. She picked three

friends to play the other characters. They performed Barnyard Trouble in front of the class. It
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was a huge success. The class thought the Reader’s Theater was funny and entertaining to watch.

This was a great opportunity for Mia to practice her speaking. Also, her Reader’s Theater

showed her understanding of resolving conflicts.

Parent Information

I gave Mia’s mother the Parent Transition Survey you see below. I learned about this

survey in a module on the Transition Coalition website. I learned that Mia and her mother both

want her to go to a four year college and then have a full-time competitive job. I also discovered

that her mother is okay with Mia living at home five years after school. Lastly, I learned that

Mia’s mother needs more information about almost all of the listed agency. Mia is still young but

it is still good to know that her mother will be needing more information about those agencies.

I also conducted a Parent Interview (see the questions and responses below). The

interview was translated from Spanish to English. This interview helped me learn about their

family history, language preferences, and home life.

● Who is in your family?

○ Mia in 5th grade, brother in 7th grade, sister in 10th grade, and sister in 11th
grade
● How does Mia get along with her siblings?
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○ Mia is closest with her brother. All of the siblings get along well
● Where is your family from?
○ My husband and I are from Mexico. The kids were all born in Colorado
● Does she speak English and Spanish at home? Which one more?
○ Yes she speaks both English and Spanish at home. She speaks Spanish more
because my husband and I know very little English.
○ The kids speak English and Spanish to each other. Over the years they have
started speaking more and more English with each other.
● What language do you speak to her? Does she respond in the same language?
○ I speak Spanish to her and she responds in Spanish.
● How would you describe Mia’s behavior at home?
○ Mia is very well behaved at home. She helps around the house and respects our
rules.
● What does she like to do with her free time at home?
○ Mia likes to watch television, read, paint her nails, and text her friends.
● What responsibilities does Mia have at home?
○ Mia’s main responsibility is feeding and walking the dog. She also helps with
making dinner, grocery shopping, vacuuming, and doing laundry.
● What subject does she do the best at? What subject does she struggle with the most?
○ She is the best at Math and struggles the most with Reading.

Agency Information

As I mentioned above, Mia’s mother needs more information about almost all of the

agencies listed on the Parent Transition Survey. Mia is in fifth grade, which means many of those

agencies are not currently relevant. However, it is important that she receives that information as

Mia gets older. An agency that is not on that list that I eventually want Mia’s family to know

more about is the School to Work Alliance Program (SWAP). I discussed all of this with the

special education teacher at Mia’s school. She is the one I interviewed about SWAP for the

Community Visit assignment.

Rationale
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Transition portfolios are important because they allow students to practice their transition

skills. These portfolios allow students to be a part of their transition process. In addition,

transition portfolios can help students gain a better understanding of their needs, preferences, and

interests. Transition portfolios can “[help] students identify and verify their beliefs about their

education and transition strengths, make informed learning and development decisions, and

advocate for themselves” (Reusen, 1996, p. 53). Transition portfolios are a way for students to

take ownership of their learning and display their work. In addition, the skills they are using to

create transition portfolios can help prepare them for the real world; this is important because

“by providing students with opportunities to learn and use decision-making and self-advocacy

skills, teachers and others can better prepare them to become full participants in our democratic

society” (Reusen, 1996, p. 54). Transition portfolios are a helpful way for students to showcase

their talents.

The goals are appropriate because they allow Mia to work on her areas of need. These

areas of need were determined from the assessment data and information I gathered from

working with Mia. The format chosen is appropriate because it displays what Mia learned from

all of the lessons. In addition, the goals and format are appropriate because of Mia’s age. The

module about employment on the Transition Coalition website discussed a timeline for career

phases. Mia is in the Awareness of Employment part of the timeline because she is in fifth grade.

Therefore, most of the lessons focus on basic academic skills which is listed in that section

(​Transition Coalition, 2017)​. The final product allowed her to work on her reading, writing,

speaking, and self-determination skills.

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As of result of putting together this portfolio, I hope Mia gained confidence in her

abilities. This project allowed her to learn more about herself. That means this portfolio project

helped her grow. Mia was so proud of herself when she finished her final product because her

Reader’s Theater was a success. Her annual IEP meeting is in the Spring. I plan to bring all the

information I gathered and help support her transition to middle school. I also hope to be a

mentor for Mia when she goes to middle school.

Final Project Reflection

Successes and Obstacles

Overall this project was very successful. ​I learned a plethora of information about my

student throughout this experience. For example, I discovered that Mia is a dedicated and

hardworking student that has future goals. I learned that Mia still needs to learn about how to

advocate for herself; I think that the fact that she is now attending her IEP meetings will help her

self-advocacy. Through observations and interviews, I learned that Mia has a lot of friends and

loves coming to school. During the IEP review, I learned she has a reading, math, and speech

goal on her IEP. Mia is an emerging bilingual student that speaks English and Spanish.

According to her ACCESS scores and her CLD teacher, she is a high performing LEP student. I

learned Mia is behind in reading and math. Her strongest area of need is reading. The interviews,

observations, assessments, and work samples helped me gather the most information.

One obstacle I faced was that there were not many transition assessments geared towards

elementary aged students. I figured there would be more resources because my student will be

transitioning to middle school next year. I made the resources work, but I feel they could have

been more informative and effective if they were made for elementary students.
TRANSITION ACTION PLAN 33

One change I might make would be to include a lesson that allows for career exploration.

Mia seemed interested in learning more about what jobs are available. It would be nice to have

been able to explore this more.

Impact on Future Teaching Practices

One of my favorite activities was the dream sheet. I plan on using that with more of my

students in the future. It is a simple activity that provides the teacher with valuable information. I

also believe it is important to get students thinking about their future at an early age. The

Transition Action Plan Project showed me the importance of data collection. The district Mia is

in uses a Competency Based System (CBS). Therefore, students are responsible for knowing

their data; this means students should know how they are performing academically and what

standards they are working towards. When asked, they should be able to express what they are

working on and why. Students create data notebooks to keep track of this information. Therefore,

Mia’s CMAS, ACCESS, DIBELS, and Scantron data were all in her data notebook. It also has

her present academic levels. Mia colors in the learning targets as she masters them. I was able to

have a conversation with Mia about her data. This was helpful for the data collection process and

it is a practice I plan to implement with my students. During the data collection process, I learned

that the more information you can gather the better. Data collection is crucial to better

understand your students. Overall this process has taught me how important it is to get to know

our students. In the future, I plan to conduct student interviews with all of my students to learn

more about them.

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Appendix

Assessment Summary Chart

Assessment Education Career Independent Communication Social Rec. and

Living Interaction Leisure

CMAS X

Scantron X

Dream Sheet X

Life Skills Inventory X

Self-Determination
Checklist X X
Elementary Student
Self-Assessment

ACCESS X

Observation X

Interest Survey X
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Assessment Protocol
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References

Keehn, S., Harmon, J., & Shoho, A. (2008). A Study of Readers Theater in Eighth Grade: Issues

of Fluency, Comprehension, and Vocabulary. ​Reading & Writing Quarterly​, ​24​(4),

335–362. doi: 10.1080/10573560802004290

National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (2010). ​Age-Appropriate Transition

Assessment Guide (​ 2nd ed.). University of North Carolina at Charlotte, A. R. Walker, L.

J. Kortering, C. H. Fowler, & D. Rowe.

Reusen, A. K. V. (1996). The Self-Advocacy Strategy for Education and Transition Planning.

Intervention in School and Clinic,​ ​32(​ 1), 49–54. doi: 10.1177/105345129603200110

Transition Coalition. (2017, June 6). Retrieved from

https://transitioncoalition.org/blog/ta_welcome-2/​.

Wehmeyer, M. L. (2001). Assessment in Self-Determination: Guiding Instruction and Transition

Planning. ​Assessment for Effective Intervention,​ ​26(​ 4), 41–49. doi:

10.1177/073724770102600405