This template was developed by the National Transition Documentation Summit © 2005 based on the initial work of Stan Shaw, Carol Kochhar-Bryant, Margo Izzo, Ken Benedict, and David Parker. It reflects the contributions and suggestions of numerous stakeholders in professional organizations, school districts, and universities, particularly the Connecticut Interagency Transition Task Force. It is available to be freely copied or adapted for educational purposes. The model template has been formally ratified by the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT), Division on Learning Disabilities (DLD), and Council on Educational Diagnostic Services (CEDS), Learning Disability Association (LDA), the Higher Education Consortium for Special Education (HECSE), and the Council for Learning Disabilities (CLD).
The Summary of Performance
is required under the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act of 2004. The language as stated
in IDEA 2004 regarding the SOP is as follows:
For
a child whose eligibility under special education terminates due to graduation
with a regular diploma or due to exceeding the age of eligibility, the local
education agency “shall provide the child with a summary of the child’s
academic achievement and functional performance, which shall include recommendations
on how
to assist the child in meeting the child’s postsecondary goals” §Sec.
300.305(e)(3).
The
Summary of Performance, with the accompanying documentation, is important to
assist the student in the transition from high school to higher education,
training, and/or employment. This information is necessary under Section 504
of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act to help establish
a student’s eligibility for reasonable accommodations and supports in
postsecondary settings. It is also useful for the Vocational Rehabilitation
Comprehensive
Assessment process. The information about students’ current level of
functioning is intended to help postsecondary institutions consider accommodations
for access. These recommendations should not imply that any individual who
qualified for special education in high school will automatically qualify for
services in the postsecondary
education or the employment setting. Postsecondary settings will continue to
make
eligibility decisions on a case-by-case basis.
The
SOP is most useful when linked with the IEP process and the student has
the opportunity to actively participate in the development of this document.
The
SOP must be completed during the final year of a student’s high school
education. The timing of completion of the SOP may vary depending on the student’s
postsecondary goals. If a student is transitioning to higher education,
the SOP, with additional documentation, may be necessary as the student applies
to a college or university. Likewise, this information may be necessary as
a student applies for services from state agencies such as vocational rehabilitation.
In some instances, it may be most appropriate to wait until the spring of a
student’s final year to provide an agency or employer the most updated
information on the
performance of the student.
Part 1: Background
Information—Complete this section as specified. Please note: this
section also requests that you attach copies of the most recent formal and
informal
assessment reports that document the student’s disability or functional
limitations and provide information to assist in post-high school planning.
Part 2: Student’s Postsecondary Goals—These goals should indicate the post-school environment(s) the student intends to transition to upon completion of high school.
Part 3: Summary
of Performance—This section includes three critical areas: Academic,
Cognitive, and Functional levels of performance. Next to each specified area,
please complete the student’s present level of performance and the accommodations,
modifications, and assistive technology that were essential in high school
to assist the student in achieving progress. Please leave blank any section
that is not applicable.
An accommodation
is defined as a support or service that is provided to help a
student fully access the general education curriculum or subject matter. Students
with impaired spelling or handwriting skills, for example, may be accommodated
by a note-taker or permission to take class notes on a laptop computer. An
accommodation does not change the content of what is being taught or the
expectation that the student meet a performance standard applied for all students.
A modification is defined as a change to the general education curriculum or
other material being taught that alters the standards or expectations for students
with disabilities. Instruction can be modified so that the material is presented
differently and/or the expectations of what the student will master are changed.
Modifications are not allowed in most postsecondary education environments.
Assistive technology is defined as any device that helps a student with a disability
function in a given environment, but does not limit the device to expensive
or “high-tech” options. Assistive technology can also include simple
devices such as laminated pictures for communication, removable highlighter
tapes, velcro, and other “low-tech” devices.
The completion
of this section may require input from a number of school personnel, including
the special education teacher, regular education teacher, school psychologist,
or related services personnel. It is recommended, however, that one
individual from the IEP Team be responsible for gathering and organizing the
information required on the SOP.
Part 4: Recommendations to Assist the Student in Meeting Postsecondary Goals—This section should present suggestions for accommodations, adaptive devices, assistive services, compensatory strategies, and/or collateral support services to enhance access in a post-high school environment, including higher education, training, employment, independent living, and/or community participation.
Part 5: Student
Input (Highly Recommended)—It is highly recommended that this
section be completed and that the student provide information related to this
Summary of Performance. The student’s contribution can help (a) secondary
professionals complete the summary, (b) the student to better understand the
impact of his/her disability on academic and functional performance in the
postsecondary setting, (c) postsecondary personnel to more clearly understand
the student’s strengths and the impact of the disability on this student.
This
section may be filled out independently by the student or completed with the
student through an interview.