State Guidance & Policy Relating to Transition from Part C

This page includes state examples of transition-related resources for:

• Interagency Agreements and Resources
• Training Materials
• State Guidance
• Policies
• Forms
• State Initiatives and Special Projects
• Parent Resources/Handbooks

Interagency Agreements and Resources

FL - Developing Interagency Agreements: The Road Map for Transition (PDF: 1,607kb) provides guidance for developing agreements

ID - Appendix 5 (PDF: 219kb) of the SDE Special Education Manual provides a template for developing local agreements. Go to pages A5-27 through A5-30

IL - Intergovernmental Agreement By and Between the Illinois Department of Human Services and the Illinois State Board of Education Regarding Early Intervention Client Data Transfer Upon Transition (PDF: 1,094kb)

IN - Indiana Interagency Memorandum of Agreement Regarding Provision of Services to Young Children with Special Needs and Their Families 2006 (PDF: 489kb)
Detailed resources for local MOA preparation and development are available. (http://www.indianatransition.org/)

KS - Guidelines for Developing Local Interagency Transition Agreements (Pre IDEA 2004)

KY - Interagency Agreement Process 2005, Interagency Self Assessment Tool and Resources for local agreements. Organized by birth to age six focus for interagency coordination.

RI - Interagency Agreement Between Rhode Island Department of Human Services and Rhode Island Department of Education (PDF: 22kb)
[This agreement was provided to NECTAC by Brenda DuHamel, RI Department of Human Services. The agreement has a signature date of November 30, 2005 and is valid for three years.]

TX - Memorandum of Understanding between Part C & Part B (PDF: 212kb)

WV - Website for Local Interagency Agreement and Collaborative Procedures Development for county programs provides templates and resources.

WI - Interagency agreement between Part C (Department of Health and Family Services) and Part B (Department of Public Instruction). (Pre IDEA 2004). Includes provisions for using and sharing data. Agreement between the Department of Health & Family Services - Birth to Three, the Department of Public Instruction and Wisconsin Head Start, including Migrant and Sovereign Tribal Nation Head Start programs (PDF: 37kb) . Training resources and local examples for developing interagency agreements are available.

For more information on Interagency Agreements visit the NECTAC page on Interagency Coordination.

Training Materials

CT - Online course developed collaboratively by Part C and Section 619 on Transitioning From Birth To Three Services To Special Education. Login using email address.

Connecting The Dots (PPT: 1534kb) Iowa's Online Transition Training, presented at the 2007 OSEP National Early Childhood Conference featured a demonstration of online training regarding transition practices at age 3 developed by the Iowa Department of Education and the North Central Regional Resource Center. It is designed to support states in addressing compliance by assisting service coordinators and LEA staff in understanding the early childhood transition process.

IL- Statewide Collaborative Transition Training Presentation (PPT: 4,582kb)

MA - Department of Early Care and Education Workshop 2007 (PDF: 448kb)

MD - Maryland Department of Education online course

ND - Training Powerpoint: Understanding Early Childhood Transition: A Guide for Families and Professionals (PDF: 145kb)

VA - Transition Workshops 2007 - Provides powerpoint presentations, hand-outs and a question and answer document from regional Transition Workshops conducted in 2007.

State Guidance

FL - Early Steps Policies and Procedures page. Scroll down and click on Transition for program Plan and Policy Guide

GA - Frequently Asked Questions by Families about Sharing Information with Local School Systems (PDF: 122kb) regarding child find and notification.

IL- Guidance resources includes a FAQ for Part C and Part B procedures (PDF: 43kb) , a memorandum for the Transition Tracking System for children moving from Early Intervention to Early Childhood Special Education (PDF: 35kb) and an Early Intervention to Early Childhood Special Education Tracking form. (DOC: 77kb)

IN - Includes guidance, a memorandum for roles and responsibilities (PDF: 155kb) and specific forms for referral, consent and notification.

KS - Guidelines for Evaluating Transitions

LA - The Early Childhood Transition Process/English (PDF: 175kb) and 2006 Early Childhood Transition Process Brochure (PDF: 194kb)

NE - Nebraska's Individual Family Service Plan. Describes the rationale for the transition plan and offers a timeline for successful transition planning.

NM - Facilitating Smooth and Effective Transitions for Children and Families in New Mexico (PDF: 993kb) emphasizes the need for community transition planning and details regulatory responsibilities.

ND - Guidelines: Understanding Early Childhood Transition: A Guide for Families and Professionals (PDF: 443kb)

- Part B/Part C Joint Prior Written Notice (PDF: 18kb)

WV - Early Childhood Transition Steering Committee provides resources on Extended School Year, a side-by-side comparison of Part C, Head Start and Part B requirements and a transition checklist (PDF: 81kb) and revised Part C procedures (PDF: 49kb) including child find and notification.

WI - Early Childhood Transitions. This Department of Public Instruction bulletin specifically addresses the transition from birth to 3 programs to school special education services. Timeline Chart (PDF: 20kb) for transition steps and responsibilities.

Policies

Notification
These state examples of OSEP-approved notification policies include provisions for parents to refuse to participate in child find notification processes between Part C and Part B/Section 619. Please be aware that each state is in a unique situation and should consult with OSEP when developing its policies. OSEP's letter of clarification (PDF: 339kb) to Mary Elder of Texas is a reference on this issue.

• CT - Connecticut Birth to Three Form 3-8: Referral To Local School District (revised 2006) (DOC: 218kb) and related policy (DOC: 145kb) .
• VA - Transition Policies (2001) (DOC: 54kb) - Note the highlighted text in yellow. These are excerpts from Section 7 of VA's Policies and Procedures for Part C of IDEA, entitled Individualized Family Service Plans (PDF: 61kb) . See also, VA's responses to questions about transition referral (PDF: 20kb) .

• CT - Procedures Manual 2008: Transition (DOC: 133kb) - See page 7.
• IL - Early Intervention to Early Childhood Transition: Frequently Asked Questions (PDF: 43kb) - See question 4.
• IN - First Steps and LEA Guidelines for Transition Joint Memo (2005) (PDF: 170kb) - See page 8, situation 5.
• LA - Practice Manual: Chapter 9 - Early Transition, Transition at Age Three and Record Closure (2006) (PDF: 52kb) - See page 119.
• MD - Statewide Policies and Procedures for Transition from Part C to Part B and Other Community-based Services (2004) (DOC: 111kb) - See page 9.
• MO - Guidance Letter (2005) (PDF: 248kb) - See page 3.
  See also, First Steps Effective Practices Online Training - Module IV: Transition - Scan down to Late Referrals.
• NV - Transition Effective Practice Guidelines (2006) (PDF: 427kb) - See page 30.
• OH - Transition at Age Three (2006) (PDF: 387kb) - See page 2.
• WV - Transition Procedures from Part C to Part B (2006) (PDF: 48kb) - See #6 on page 5

Forms

IL - Early Intervention to Early Childhood Special Education Tracking form (DOC: 82kb) and Child Find Screening data collection form (PDF: 116kb)

IN - First Steps State Transition Forms

State Initiatives and Special Projects

Presentations and Handouts from the 2007 OSEP National Early Childhood National Conference included multi-level strategies for change and maintenance of an infrastructure which leads to positive child and family transition outcomes. Strategies discussed included approaches to general supervision, data collection and analysis, collaborative activities, policy clarification and personnel development.

• Effective Approaches for Building and Sustaining State Infrastructure: Connecticut (PPT: 8678kb) was presented at the 2007 OSEP National Early Childhood Conference.

FL - Florida Transition Project helps communities set up trained transition teams to develop a seamless system of transition among agencies providing services to young children with disabilities, birth to six years of age, and their families. It is funded through the Technical Assistance and Training System (TATS) by the Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services.

IN - Transition Initiative web site provides information on the support and training available to communities to assist in developing a community transition system. Presentations and Handouts from the 2007 OSEP National Early Childhood National Conference included multi-level strategies for change and maintenance of an infrastructure which leads to positive child and family transition outcomes. Strategies discussed included approaches to general supervision, data collection and analysis, collaborative activities, policy clarification and personnel development.

• Indiana's Memorandum on Transition Position Statement Initiative for Young Children and Families (DOC: 55kb)
• Smooth and Effective Transition of Young Children: Indiana's Joint Position Statement (DOC: 39kb)
• Early Childhood Transition: Effective Approaches for Building and Sustaining State Infrastructure: Indiana (PPT: 145kb)

KY - Kentucky Early Childhood Transition Project provides information related to transitions across the life span and represents a collaborative effort between the Commission for Children with Special Health Care Needs (CCSHCN), Kentucky Department of Education, Division of Exceptional Children, Special Education Cooperative Network (SECN) and the Interdisciplinary Human Development Institute.

NH - Supporting Early Childhood Transitions (SSECT) is a special project of the NH Parent Information Center jointly funded by the NH Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services.

WV - Early Childhood Transition Steering Committee key agencies are WV Birth to Three, WV Department of Education, WV Head Start and WV Division of Early Care and Education.

Parent Resources/Handbooks

AK - Step Ahead at Three (DOC: 1,052kb)

CT - Especially for Families

FL - Family Transition Booklet (PDF: 2,276kb)

GA - Transition at Age 3: Steps for Success (PDF: 1,058kb) . Also available in Spanish (PDF: 5,445kb)

ID - Transition at Age 3 Steps for Success Transition Guide: A Guide for Families in Idaho (PDF: 693kb)

IN - Transition to Early Childhood Special Education: A Guide for Parents of Children with Disabilities. Also available in Spanish (PDF: 268kb)

KY - "Step By Step" - A Family Guide for Transition into Preschool (PDF: 65kb)

LA - The Early Childhood Transition Process (PDF: 244kb)

NJ - Welcome to Transition. Scroll to the bottom of the page to access the actual booklet.

MA - Best Practices in Early Childhood Transition: A Guide for Families (PDF: 3,054kb)

RI - Transition from Early Intervention: A Family Guide (PDF: 4,199kb)

TX - Beyond Early Childhood Intervention. (PDF: 837kb) Also available in Spanish (PDF: 856kb)

WI - Transition Resources and Transition Timeline for Families and Providers (PDF: 18kb)