Transition Services Office
Lancaster, South Carolina
Contact
Tracey Snipes
Transition Coordinator
Lancaster County School District
625 Normandy Road
Lancaster, South Carolina 29720
Phone: 803-285-6088
Fax: 803-285-2720
Mission
The mission of the Special Services Transition Office is to provide meaningful services and activities to middle school and high school students with disabilities to help them adequately prepare for the future. Types of services offered include community-based instruction, assistance with finding and maintaining employment, instruction in self-advocacy, dissemination of transition-related information to students, parents, and teachers, and serving as liaison to community agencies.
Organization
Organization Type: Education agency: School
Geographical Area: County
Primary Setting: Middle or junior high school, High school, Resource room, Self-contained class in public school, Supported employment worksite
Funding: External funding source: JTPA grant, Partial funding from local foundation
Consumers
Target Population: Youth who have dropped out of school with disabilities, Secondary education students with disabilities, Teachers or faculty - Secondary education and postsecondary education, Community service providers, Parents, Business people or employer, Other youth - Middle school, Other: Special education teachers
Disability Areas: All disabilities
NTA Framework Categories
Description
Lancaster County, South Carolina, is located on the North Carolina/South Carolina border in the northern part of the state. The county-wide population is approximately 60,000. The Lancaster County School District (LCSD) is comprised of 18 schools, an early childhood education center, a vocational center, and an estimated enrollment of 11,100 students. Of these students, 1,434 (age 3-21 years) receive special education services through the school district.
School-to-work and home living skills training were generally incorporated into the district's special education curriculum during the 1970s and 1980s, but with the reauthorization of Public Law 99-142 in 1990, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), new mandates and regulations have had a positive impact on the direction of services for special needs students. The Lancaster County School District now has a full-time transition coordinator and a small, yet resourceful transition staff working on several transition-oriented projects throughout the district. Due to the vast array of service needs of students, transition training efforts range from services for "college-bound/postsecondary" students to competitive employment to semi-supported employment to sheltered workshops and enclaves and other forms of supported employment.
Through COPE (Committee on People Empowerment), a countywide interagency committee started by the transition staff (comprised of professionals; parents; community business, recreational, medical, and religious members; and other interested individuals) training efforts and the message for community support for our citizens with disabilities have transcended the school district. There is also a strong working relationship with other state agencies responsible for service provision, such as vocational rehabilitation, disabilities and special needs, juvenile justice, social services, etc., which underscores a "team approach" for assistance and training. The scope of transitional service opportunities is additionally enhanced on a local and regional level through collaborative ties with the University of South Carolina-Lancaster, York Technical College, Winthrop University, and other training programs in the metropolitan Charlotte, North Carolina region.
The Transition-To-Work Program, funded through a grant from JTPA, serves students with mild to moderate developmental disabilities (EMD, LD, ED), ages 16-21, typically during their junior and senior years of high school. Participants spend 42 hours in career exploration and 150 hours in job placement. Internship wages are paid beginning at minimum wage until employers pick up the participant as an employee. The ultimate goal of the program is for students to be on their employer’s payroll with benefits by their senior year.
Project IMPACT is a community inclusion program serving students 16-22 during their junior and senior years. Participants come one to two days per week to cook, clean, shop, prepare meals, do laundry, practice landscaping, participate in community training, dine in restaurants, etc. Service learning projects as well as jobsite training are also offered.
Project FUTURES, a transition planning education program, provides a systematic approach to transition planning education for all students with mild to moderate disabilities in grades 9-12. Areas addressed are self-determination and self-advocacy. Methods include classroom instruction (inclusion classes and resource class classes), visits to universities, tech schools and training programs, and assessment of career interests and abilities.
Other services include career exploration, occupational assessments, career counseling, and school and district based jobs.
Evidence of Success
Success Story
"C" is a former student and Transition-to-Work intern who has a moderate developmental disability and a mild physical impairment. He spent the majority of his school career in a self-contained classroom and, although he was always a pleasant student, was very shy and unable to advocate his needs.
"C" began his employment career in October 1994 as an intern at the local Piggly Wiggly grocery store. He was later hired by the manager and worked at Piggly Wiggly for two and a half years before landing his present job as a transporter in the X-Ray Department at the local hospital. Today he works full-time, receives employee benefits and, as he will tell you, is a taxpayer.
In addition to the success "C" has experienced at work, the other areas of his life are also going well. For example, "C" got his driver's license a few years ago and purchased his own car. He dates occasionally and has a network of friends and family who provide a great deal of support to him. "C" is very involved in church activities also. Additionally, he acts as one of the managers of the athletic teams at one of the district high schools and assists the school athletic trainer by attending various sporting events. Over the years "C" has learned to be assertive and to advocate his needs. He has compensated beautifully for his disability and has grown into a very mature and exceptional young man.
Products
COPE Committee on People’s Empowerment • Brochure
Project IMPACT: Learning the Skills of Successful Adulthood • Brochure
Project FUTURES • Brochure
Transition-to-Work Project: Students and a County Working Together for a Better Tomorrow • Brochure
Transition-to-Work Project • Packet presented at the DCDT International Conference, October, 1999
Tips On How to Survive Your Freshman Year (And Like It Too!)
Transition Services Plan and Teacher’s Glossary
Transition: A Planning Guide for Students and Parents • Booklet
Updated 11/3/00