State Profile

New York

Putting Practice into Writing: Legislation, Policy, and Regulation

• A major educational reform effort to raise standards was established by the Board of Regents and formed the basis of the learning standards for ALL elementary, middle, and secondary school students, including students with disabilities.

• The Career Development and Occupational Studies Standards (CDOS) was developed as part of the reform effort and is aligned with the national School-to-Work (STW) legislation.

• The CDOS Framework integrates academic and vocational learning into a comprehensive delivery system for ALL students and consists of these standards.

- Standard 1: Career Development

- Standard 2: Integrated Learning

Necessary Skills—SCANS.

- Standard 3B: Career Major Option

• A framework for a Career Plan, based on the CDOS standards 1-3A, is currently being rolled out for use with ALL students.

• The CDOS standards and Career Plan are closely integrated with transition planning activities for students with disabilities.

Winning Combinations: State and Local Leadership and Partnerships

• Special education, and others representing students with disabilities, were always "at the table" and appointed to important state committees.

• The Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Workforce Preparation and Continuing Education, who is responsible for STW initiatives, believed the concept that "All Means All," i.e. STW was for everyone, including students with disabilities.

• The best linkages occurred where Transition Site Coordinators worked with other local STW partnerships.

• Training was done jointly between special education and STW staff, and outcomes for students with disabilities have been best when the Transition Site Coordinators were involved in the training.

• Inclusion practices helped to reduce barriers between special education and general education, and had a positive impact on STW activities.

• The Career Plan Pilot helped to bring diverse groups together (e.g., labor, general education, special education).

Connecting the Dots: Alignment of Resources and Programs

• Agencies pooled resources and staff at the state level (e.g., in the development of the Career Plan Pilot).

• STW funds were provided to the regional Transition Coordination Sites to enable Sites to share Best Practices learned from the Transition Systems Change initiatives with the local STW Partnerships.

• Special education teachers availed themselves of STW mini-grants to provide STW opportunities for students with disabilities in special classes.

Leading by Example: Activities From Individual Local Partnerships

• Joint training was done by coordinators from transition and STW.

• Local partnerships worked together to develop a training manual which shows how the transition requirements and the CDOS standards are aligned.

• Local STW coordinators provided training on CDOS standards.

• Training was available to all STW constituency groups: special educators, general educators, administrators, support service providers, families, and employers.

• "All Means All" is the mantra; students with disabilities have been included from the beginning.

• Many schools have begun career planning with students, and at one of the middle schools in the local area, all seventh graders have a career plan.

• In one region, STW internship coordinators receive training on working with students with disabilities and are often present for IEP meetings.

• Leadership provided at the state level ensured the inclusion of students with disabilities at the local partnership level.

Success and Challenges

• Success – Consistent leadership has been essential.

• Success – Technical assistance from state to local level has been individualized.

• Success – A belief that "All Means All."

• Challenge – STW is not funded by state legislation.

• Challenge – STW and transition need to be more prominent in preservice education.

• Challenge – The size and diversity of New York is a challenge.

What’s Next?: Sustainability

• The Career Plan and CDOS Standards may be a sustaining force of STW.

• The STW State Advisory Council and the local STW partnerships are exploring ways to become involved in the Workforce Investment Act activities, including the Youth Councils and programs.

• STW components are in the New York Workforce Investment Act State Plan.

Contact Information

New York School-to-Work Project, Jean Stevens, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Workforce Preparation and Continuing Education, New York State Education Department, 99 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234, (518) 474-8892, jstevens@mail.nysed.gov

Websites: http://www.nysed.gov/workforce/stw/, and  http://stw.boces1.monroe.edu, and http://web.nysed.gov/vesid/sped/trans/tranmain.htm

Nancy Lauria, Associate, VESID, New York State Education Department, Sara Knower, Associate, Office of Workforce Preparation and Continuing Education, New York State Education Department, Therese Zona, Rochester Area Transition Coordination Site, Monroe I BOCES, Kathy Heffron, Eastern Monroe County School-Business Partnership, Monroe I BOCES

May, 2000