Raising the Cap Series 
Educators New to Transition
Individualized Education Program (IEP) Overview
It is the policy of the State of Wisconsin to ensure that a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) is available to all children with disabilities who have qualified for an Individual Education Program (IEP) between the ages of three and have not yet reached 22 years of age within the state of Wisconsin. This includes students who are suspended or expelled from school. Once a student with a disability qualifies for special education and/or related services, the Local Education Agency (LEA) must provide those services in accordance with that student’s IEP. Public agencies initiate and conduct IEP team meetings for the purpose of developing, reviewing, and revising a student’s IEP. The LEA is responsible for the IEP process and appointment of IEP team participants. Transition planning is a part of the IEP.
Transition Planning Overview
Transition planning is the process of helping students with IEPs and their families think about their life after high school and identify long-range goals designing their high school experience. The process ensures that students gain the skills and connections they need to achieve these goals. This process is documented through the use of the online Postsecondary Transition Plan or PTP. This transitional process will include many facets of planning for the future and should be fully understood by all IEP team members each step of the way. Planning for the future is an investment in a student’s postsecondary success and the student should be at the center of the planning process. More information regarding the PTP can be found on the PTP webpage of this website.
If you are a new educator or new to transition and writing Postsecondary Transition Plans (PTP), the Transition Improvement Grant staff provide professional development opportunities to learn more about the steps of the PTP application from compliance to best practice, transition tools to increase student outcomes and valuable transition resources. These professional development opportunities can be found on the TIG calendar of events page.
Educators new to transition can also enroll in the Transition Planning online course created by the Transition Improvement Grant staff through the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. To register for this course, visit http://www.uww.edu/orsp/research-centers/citee/tig