CARMEN ORTIZ

Carmin1 @optonline.net

You are a senior and a student of Economics. You are part of a group of students who have worked hard despite your limitations in reading, writing and math. You have reached your senior year and are looking forward to graduate this year. You are proud because even though you acknowledge you have a learning disability, you know the school has a priority to help you succeed, pass your Regents and or RCT’s and offers you the Transition Services to help you reach college or any other post-secondary training so that you may become employable.

Transitional Services are here defined as all the series of activities that are offered to all students as they begin High School. It includes the variety of curricular activities like Introduction to Occupation, Keyboard, Computer, Work Study Programs, and Top Jobs after school, Cooperative Technology and in general all subject areas plus the services that are offered by the Transition Coordinators. All these activities contribute to prepare the students to a smooth and productive change from student to a working citizen. The success will be measured in terms of number of students that will graduate and number of students that will attend college, or will be trained by the State Agency, the Vocational Services for Individuals with Disabilities and or number of students who are able to become employed due to their own search efforts.

A report to the ranking Minority Member committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions of the U.S. Senate in 2003 expressed that the States receive federal funds under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to help students with disabilities reach their postsecondary goals, and various federal programs offer services that can assist these youth. However, research has shown that youth with disabilities are less likely to transition into postsecondary education and employment.

In Economics, you have learned that the workforce is part of the factors of production. You have learned that in a market economy the process of production, supply and demand are forces that are interrelated because of the acquisition power of the individual. What the individual can buy depends on what he earns. So you as a prospective graduate are concerned as to how you will be able to participate in that workforce. Are High School students with Special Needs prepared to become part of that workforce?

OCCUPATIONS! OCCUPATIONS! OCCUPATIONS

WHICH OF THESE WOULD YOU LIKE?

The website www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal

is offering you the opportunity to investigate using the internet.

You will find out how the High Schools are providing you and others like you Transitional Services that will help you become employable after graduation. You will make an oral presentation and will hand in a three page hand written report using the Public Policy Steps and the worksheets to complete your task. You should include in your oral presentation as well as in your written report an Introduction, the Body which will specify the content of the report and a conclusion where you will summarize your exposition and express your opinion regarding the topic. The written report should be typewritten.

Define the problem

• Gather evidence
• Identify causes
• Evaluate a policy
• Develop solutions
• Select best solution
• Benefits & Costs

Worksheet1: "Defining the social problem"(MSWORD)

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Worksheet2: "Gathering evidence of the problem"(MSWORD)

Worksheet3: "Identifying the cause of the problem"(MSWORD)

Worksheet4: "Evaluating Existing Public

Worksheet5: "Developing public policy solutions"(MSWORD)

Worksheet6: "Selecting the best public policy solution" (MSWORD)

You will find out:

1... How prepared seniors with Special needs are to become employable after graduation?

2. What types of vocational skills are provided to students with special needs?

3. How has the Idea law facilitated transitional services to the students with special needs?

4. What Policy would you present in addition or as an alternative to improve those services? .

:

You will be divided in four groups and each will research the internet to answer the questions mentioned in the task

Following the Public Policy steps you will organize your presentation assigning tasks to each member of the group to report on

1. Definition of the problem regarding the transition services offered to seniors with special needs.

2. Evidence that supports the idea of an existing problem in the Transition process.

3. Causes of the existing problem

4. Your Evaluation of the existing policy for Transition

5. Solutions to the problem as alternatives to what is being offered.

6. Your selection for the best policy

7. You will report on the benefits and costs of the policy selected.

Two groups will work on the first four questions. The other two groups will work on questions 5 to 7. T he students will compare the reports of the groups with similar questions. once their oral reports are given to point out similarities and differences. Based on the oral reports and the discussion in class, each group will then edit their written reports to add necessary information or eliminate information not pertinent. After the oral presentations and discussion in class, each group will hand in the handwritten report with a cover sheet including the problem identified and the names of the students of the group. It must also have a bibliography.

Each student who actively participated in the group will receive the same grade as his fellow members of the group if the oral report follows the following criteria:

CRITERIA	4 Excellent	3 Good	2 Needs Improvement	1 Poor.	0 Did not complete report or did not do it.
Content is appropriate and relevant.
Organization follows the sequence according to the Public Policy Steps.
Expression is clear.
The students evaluated information gathered following logical reasoning
Total

The written report will receive a grade for each member of the groups based on the following:

C RITERIA	4 Excellent	3 Good	2 Needs Improvement	1 Poor	0 Did not complete the written report or did not hand it in.
Writing is legible
Content is relevant
Organization follows the sequence of the Public Policy Steps
The students expressed their judgment based on logical reasoning and related the information to themselves as prospective participants of the workforce
TOTAL

As an Economics student and a Senior, you have been able to obtain information that will give you insight as to the services that will help you go through the process of Transition from a High School student to a future citizen with responsibilities. You have been able to see what are your options and the possibilities of benefiting of post-secondary education or vocational training to become employable. You have also gained information that will permit you as a future citizen to contribute with ideas to modify or change services that will benefit you and others to become better prepared for the world of occupations. You will be more confident as you approach your graduation.

Congratulations.

You can access the following websites to research about Transition:

www.dol.gov/oasam(. GAO-03-773 Special Education Federal Actions Can Assist States in Improving Postsecondary Outcomes for Youth – July 31 )

www.reedmartin.com./transition.htm

http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/ada/adahoml.htm

http://www.idonlin.org

http://www.doc.state.nc.us/transition.htm

http://www.nichy.org/pubs/outprint

http://www.cpacinc.org/pdfs/Transition

You can also access the following internet resources to search for similar topics:

Google

Yahoo

Ask Mr. Jeeves

SOCIAL STUDIES

Standard 4:   ECONOMICS:

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of how the United States and other societies develop economic systems and associated institutions to allocate scarce resources, how major decision-making units function in the United States and other national economies, and how an economy solves the scarcity problem through market and nonmarket mechanisms.

Career Development and Occupational Studies

Standard 1:   Career Development

Students will be knowledgeable about the world of work, explore career options, and relate personal skills, aptitudes, and abilities to future career decisions.

Standard 2:   Integrated Learning

Students will demonstrate how academic knowledge and skills are applied in the workplace and other settings.

Standard 3a: Universal Foundation Skills

Students will demonstrate mastery of the foundation skills and competencies essential for success in the workplace.

ENGLISH:

Standard 2:   Language for Literary Response and Expression

Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances from American and world literature; relate texts and performances to their own lives; and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for self-expression and artistic creation.