DCDT West Coast Transition Symposium

Dr. John McNaught, President of DCDT, Co-Director TTAC VDOE @ James Madison University and Dr. Daniel Biegun, President Elect Virginia DCDT, Intellectual Disability Specialist, Training & Technical Assistance Center, Old Dominion University

John has been working in the field of special education for over 20 years. He started his career at a residential wilderness school for at-risk youth and youth with emotional disabilities. John also worked in a public high school as a special education teacher and supervised a community based work-study program for students with disabilities. He was one of the first individuals in the state of Virginia to implement student-directed IEP meetings, and he worked diligently as an educator to bring the student’s voice to the forefront. For the past fifteen years, John has worked at the Virginia Department of Education’s Training and Technical Assistance Center at James Madison University as a coordinator, focusing on transition and self-determination and as co-director of the center for the past seven years. John is a founding member of the Virginia Department of Education’s I’m Determined Project and has served as the State Director for the past twelve years. Under his leadership, I’m Determined has grown from 9 pilot schools to over 70 participating school divisions in Virginia and over 40 states across the nation. John is currently the President-Elect of CEC’s Division on Career Development and Transition.

Dr. Daniel Biegun is Vice President/President Elect of the Virginia chapter of DCDT.  He currently supports teachers across Virginia as an Educational Specialist for the state’s Department of Education. Areas of focus include Universal Design for Learning, self-determination, transition, and equitable content instruction for students with intellectual disabilities.

Daniel has more than 20 years of experience in the field of education.  He is able to approach post-secondary transition as both an educator and as the father of a middle schooler with an IEP.  Daniel holds a Master of Education degree from Old Dominion University and a Doctor of Education degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.  When no t working with teachers, Daniel enjoys coaching his son’s youth soccer team.

Jennifer Bumble, Assistant Professor of Special Education, University of Missouri and Matthew Flanagan, Senior Research Staff, The George Washington University 

Looking to take your transition programming to the next level? Community resource mapping is an innovative approach to identifying and “mapping” potential collaborative partners—the services and supports that facilitate post school success for students with disabilities and their families. Using digital community resource maps, practitioners can:

• Enhance person-centered transition planning
• Create virtual student portfolios for career exploration, independent living, community engagement and postsecondary education or training
• Build a library of resources to help youth and families identify community services and supports.

Amy M. Pleet-Odle, Ed.D. has nearly five decades of experience in education. Her publications provide a framework for improving teachers’ effectiveness in working with families and empowering youth. As a parent of young adults with disabilities, she awakens professional sensitivity to parent perspectives.

Janet Barakat, West San Gabriel Valley Special Education Local Plan Area Program Specialist

This presentation will focus on developing interagency partnerships to promote positive post-school outcomes. It is directed at secondary special educators, transition specialists, and Vocational Rehabilitation providers. Throughout the presentation, attendees will learn about common barriers and develop strategies for overcoming those barriers. We will explore what it looks like in the classroom and what types of activities support Pre-Employment Transition Services. Attendees will walk away with strategies to develop an interagency partnership and a supplemental curriculum used by the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation in California.

The majority of the teaching population are white females—in stark contrast to the student body at large who is far more diverse than homogenous. Implicit biases are hidden beliefs that everyone holds—judges, police officers, teachers—and it is imperative as educators that we address their impact upon our interactions and planning with our students. This process of self-reflection and contemplation can be uncomfortable, but it is necessary to advance teaching practices in support of our students. This presentation will explore ways in which implicit bias seep into the fabric of our classrooms and teaching, provide teachers with practical strategies to address implicit bias, and move into the development of annual transition and postsecondary goals that are more culturally responsive, meaningful for our diverse students, and truly individualized to our students’ needs. Furthermore, we will provide take-away strategies on how to work with families of diverse backgrounds. Participants will leave with a better sense of self and actionable steps to improve their own teaching practice when they return to their classrooms.