Opportunity: Learning to Contribute

At Thurston High School, Jessica Horton administered and refined the survey that special education students, their families, and teachers use to assess a student’s readiness to transition from high school to the job market or postsecondary education. With specific steps and realistic goals for action, students mapped out critical employment training or college plans that will lead to successful work and satisfying careers.

“I think working one-on-one with employment skills is one of the best things you can offer high school students, whether they have a disability or not,” says Jessica. “When you are seventeen, it’s very challenging to identify what you might like for a career. Then you graduate from high school, and there you are: Now what are you going to do? Everyone has that experience.”

“For students who don’t have family support or who have a disability, the challenge is even greater,” says Mike Johnson, community transition specialist for Springfield Public Schools. Johnson supervises the placement of practicum students like Jessica and oversees the project, called TRIANGLE—which stands for Transition Results through Individuals, Agencies, and General Education. Programs like TRIANGLE that are accessible to all students are cost effective because they don’t duplicate services. “All students experience transition from high school to real life, whether in steps toward college or a path to work,” says Johnson. “Every student really needs an individual plan identifying dreams and goals and the concrete steps to pursue them.”

:: Creating Connections For Success