For three decades, the MPS School-to-Work Transition Program (STWTP) has placed students who have specialized education needs at worksites across Milwaukee.
Students develop work skills and independent living skills while earning credit toward their high school diploma.
Every placement is designed with an individual student’s needs, strengths, and learning goals in mind, as identified by their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Families work with transition coordinators and a student’s special education or IEP teacher to determine placement. Worksites for South Division’s STWTP students include the Milwaukee Public Market, Milwaukee County Zoo, and Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin.
District-wide, STWTP supports students with special education needs, ages 11 to 21, across these interconnected employment readiness programs:
Community Assessment and Training Program (CATP)
An MPS transition coordinator works with a school’s special education faculty to identify and place eligible students. Students earn elective credits, learn vocational skills, and receive specialized and supervised instruction based on their individualized education plan (IEP) and transition plan. Students report to worksites for two hours each school day during the semester. MPS provides transportation between home/school and the worksite.
On-the-Job Experience/Training (OJE/T)
Transition coordinators, IEP, or CATP teachers identify students who are almost ready for competitive employment — often after one or two semesters in CATP. Through On the Job Education, students practice and demonstrate employment readiness skills. They gain independence arranging their own travel to worksites by car, public transportation, or specialized transportation services. Students earn elective credits during two- or three-hour shifts on school days. Students with more advanced work experience are eligible for On the Job Training placements that pay minimum wage.
Employment Training Program (ETP)
Students ages 18-21 who earn positive CATP assessments and demonstrate advanced employment readiness skills receive an additional layer of instruction and support. Employment training specialists can connect students to local businesses for potential employment opportunities after graduation.
Project Search
Students in their last year of high school may be eligible for immersive work experiences at one of four Project Search worksites: Children’s Wisconsin, Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee County Zoo, or Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport. The school-day schedule includes two hours of class time at the worksite, lunch, and job rotations. Students develop in-demand skills in restaurant, retail, warehouse, and customer-service settings.
Preparing for High School, College, Career with IEP/Transition Plans
It’s never too early to ask questions and make plans that prepare students for a successful journey to graduation day, and onward to college or career. This section provides a general transition-planning guide for students from eighth grade to senior year. The timeline will be different for each student.
First Steps
- Start saving money.
- Create a personal e-mail account to facilitate correspondence with colleges/universities, potential employers, etc.
- Identify transition needs and career planning goals through the IEP process.
- Remediate and/or compensate for basic skill deficits.
- Learn how to use any assistive technology necessary for academic success.
- Continue to explore this technology throughout high school.
Developing Self-advocacy Skills
- Find effective ways to explain your disability and how your disability impacts your learning.
- Practice with a teacher or a counselor.
- Communicate strengths and weaknesses (courses and types of assignments that were easier or more difficult).
- Explain strategies and assistive technology that help you learn best.
- Explain academic areas where you may need accommodations (extended test-taking time, note taker, lecture notes, books on tape, and so forth).
- Learn which accommodations are used at the postsecondary level and avoid using accommodations in high school that are not used at the postsecondary level.
- Explain current services provided (accommodations, assisting technology or extra help that has been successful).
- Approach instructors at the beginning of the course regarding what accommodations you need.
- Understand and be able to explain your legal rights (IDEA, ADA, Section504).
- Understand and communicate what is a reasonable accommodation.
- Actively participate in your IEP meetings by sharing your interests and postsecondary goals with the team. Make sure transition plans are documented in your IEP.
Pre-High School
- Develop measurable postsecondary goals at the age of 14 (or younger if determined by the IEP team) in the areas of education/training, employment and, if appropriate, independent living.
- Plan out your high school classes (general education and/or college prep classes). Many colleges/universities have academic requirements for specific courses in English, math, sciences, social sciences, and foreign language.
- Develop a list of postsecondary options of interest.
- Develop an understanding of disability and learning styles.
- Develop study skills.
Ninth Grade
- Contact a guidance counselor and design a four-year class schedule.
- Develop a clear understanding of the nature of your disability and how it affects your learning.
- Take courses or participate in groups that promote skills in time management, studying, assertiveness training, stress management, and exam preparation.
- Prepare for all classes.
- Explore career options (interest inventories, career fairs, discussion with school personnel and parents).
- Participate in job shadows of the different careers which interest you.
- Develop skills for academic independence (time management, study skills, note taking, etc.).
- Participate in extracurricular activities (athletic and nonathletic).
- Continue to remediate and/or compensate for basic-skill deficits.
- Determine what types of courses are necessary for admission to colleges/universities and technical colleges (keep in mind, modified and/or special education courses may not be acceptable for admission to some postsecondary institutions).
- Investigate academic requirements for the career you are interested in and evaluate the need for changes in your courses.
- Investigate assisting technology tools (communicative device, unique computer needs, TTY, and so forth). Learn to use as many kinds of software as you can (word processing, spreadsheets, web site design, power point, etc).
- How and when do I develop a timeline for transition planning to postsecondary education?
Tenth Grade
- Continue academic preparation and remediation/compensation strategies, and identify any assisting technology needs.
- Identify interests, aptitudes, and accommodation needs.
- Continue career exploration and investigation.
- Continue or develop self-advocacy skills (asking for help, communicating needs to instructors, explaining disability and its impact, etc).
- Meet with a guidance counselor to discuss colleges/universities and technical colleges and their requirements. Review/update your high school course plan accordingly.
- Find out if the college/university or technical college you are interested in requires or recommends you take the ACT, SAT, or other placement exams. If they do, make preparations to take the appropriate exam.
- Attend college, job/career, and transition fairs.
- Visit colleges/universities, technical colleges, and other postsecondary education training options. Visit and meet with the disability services staff.
- Gather information about college/university/technical college programs and about services offered for students with disabilities.
- Investigate eligibility requirements and services available through the WI Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) and other adult service providers such as the Department of Human Services, Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC), Managed Care Organizations (MCO), Center for Independent Living (CIL) and Workforce Investment Act (WIA) partners.
- Participate in volunteer and paid work experiences.
Eleventh Grade
- Continue academic preparation and remediation/compensation strategies, assisting technology needs, and self-advocacy skills.
- Focus on matching interests/abilities and career goals to appropriate postsecondary education choice.
- Identify appropriate postsecondary choice (what college/university or technical college you want to attend).
- Take ACT, SAT, or other entrance exams with or without accommodations (must apply for accommodations ahead of time).
- Share your postsecondary goals with your IEP team.
- Identify people to write recommendations for you.
- Invite DVR counselor and other appropriate adult agency representatives to your IEP meeting to discuss services and how they can help you reach your postsecondary goals. Complete DVR application to begin the eligibility and Order of Selection (OOS) process at least two years prior to graduation.
- Tour college/university and technical college campuses, making sure to visit and meet with the disability services staff.
- Investigate disability services offered by various postsecondary education providers to determine which meet your needs.
- Determine what information is required by the college/university or technical college you want to attend for disability documentation to access disability services. Begin to assemble this information with the assistance of your parent(s)/guardian(s) and IEP case manager.
- Develop a draft Summary of Performance (SoP) with your case manager to share at time of application for services, for both adult services (DVR, etc.) and college/university/technical college disability services.
- Obtain documentation of disability from current assessments within two years of graduation date (formal measures of intelligence, formal and informal measures of academic achievement and functional performance, medical records, nature and extent of disability).
- Learn to use local public transportation options.
- Obtain a picture identification card or driver‘s license.
- Prepare applications for appropriate adult services.
Twelfth Grade
- Strengthen self-advocacy skills.
- Know your legal responsibilities after the age of 18.
- Prepare a transition to postsecondary packet for disability documentation that may include: evaluation reports, transcripts, test scores, current IEP, SoP (Summary of Performance), medical records, writing samples, and letters of recommendation. It is important to check with the individual college/university or technical college to determine required documentation of disability as these differ from institution to institution.
- Role-play interviews.
- Talk with students who are receiving disability services at colleges/universities, technical colleges, and other postsecondary education training settings about their experiences.
- Prepare and submit applications for college/university, technical college, or other postsecondary education training program.
- Complete application for financial aid.
- Investigate and apply for scholarships.
- After acceptance to a college/university or technical college program, contact the disability services office to disclose disability and to schedule a meeting to learn how to access accommodations and prepare for the transition.
- If determined eligible, jointly develop your Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) with a DVR counselor, which identifies goals, services, and responsibilities. Develop service plans with other adult service agency providers as appropriate.
- Purchase or explore funding options (DVR, Family Care/MCO, IRIS, other county agencies) to purchase any personal technology such as computers, Smart Pens, specialized software, or other assistive technology needs.
- Obtain finalized copy of your Summary of Performance (SoP). Schools are required to provide students with an SoP, which includes a review of academic achievement, functional performance, and recommendations, to assist the student in achieving his or her measurable postsecondary goals prior to school exit.