Strategies: San Juan USD - Transition Program
Students participate in a variety of career interest assessments, to provide self- awareness and direction based upon the career clusters of highest interest. Students are exposed to career-oriented literature and multi-media; have the opportunity to research careers and interview workers about their jobs; learn about earning potential and training requirements in different careers; hear career-oriented speakers, and attend career-oriented field trips. Students meet with transition staff for individualized career counseling.
Students participate in an employment skills course, tied to California's Career-Technical Model Curriculum Standards. They learn about the employment process and job search, employer expectations, child labor laws and workplace safety. Students participate in a variety of hands-on experiences that connect school learning to the real world and align with their career goals. These include off-campus WorkAbility jobs, career-technical classes, student-run classroom businesses and individual entrepreneurship. In classroom businesses, students identify the business to be run; interview for positions; plan, produce and advertise products; serve customers and handle money. In individual entrepreneurship, funding from a community group is used to set up a revolving fund to lend Economics students $50 to start their own businesses. Students participate in an entrepreneurship curriculum that is tied to California Economics standards. They buy inventory; price, advertise and sell their product; repay the loan; keep any profit; and make a PowerPoint presentation about their business plan to a panel of "judges" that includes local business managers.
Students are trained in "student-led IEPs" and are encouraged to take an active role in developing the transition plan in their IEP meetings. Students are trained in self-advocacy and learn how to ask for needed accommodations in school and at work. Students learn about their rights and responsibilities upon turning 18; and those who have not been conserved are accountable for making their own transition based decisions.
Last updated: 11/18/2011