Introduction
For this paper, Transition Partnership Program (TPP) or Workability Program was chosen due to its relevance to modern American society. The legislators developed this program in response to the 1986 Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act and the 1983 Amendments to the Education for the Handicapped Act. The California Department of Education completed a two-year study in 1981 that provided substantive information concerning the status of vocational programs for students with disabilities (“Special education/transition partnership program (TPP),” 2022). It shows that the necessity of caring for people with disabilities and assisting them in their integration into society was a priority in the United States decades ago.
The study’s results investigating the integration of students with disabilities into the community indicated that these students were not adequately prepared for the labor market. It foregrounds the need to develop a more detailed and person-centered approach to working with students with disabilities. For instance, the WorkAbility program provides comprehensive pre-employment skills training, employment placement, and follow-up for high school students in special education. These measures facilitate the transition from education to independent living that includes work, participation in community life, and post-secondary education. The discussed program aims at reflecting the interests of every participant and satisfaction of individual needs. Through the Transition Partnership Program (TPP), services are provided to young people in the Los Angeles Unified School District during their junior and senior high school years (“Special Education/transition partnership program (TPP),” 2022). These steps show that the integration of students with disabilities into society by enhancing their educational opportunities is a complicated process that requires the systematic attention of social workers.
Program Stakeholders
The stakeholders participating in the discussed program are parents, students with disabilities, and community members. Social workers need to include all participants to achieve good results because the holistic approach allows them to analyze the situation from different perspectives. Moreover, parents, community members, and students with disabilities can take further actions to achieve the goals set by the program, which makes the positive outcomes more realistic.
Program Theory
Transition Partnership Program (TPP) or Workability Program is to provide individualized instruction and support to students with disabilities transitioning from high school to college or a career. During this program, the students receive pre-employment preparation, opportunities to participate in work experiences, and career planning to assist students in reaching their vocational goals. It might help social workers to fill the existing gaps in preparing students with disabilities for subsequent employment or continuing higher education (“Special education/transition partnership program (TPP),” 2022). Therefore, the program theory aims to make society more inclusive in general and provide students with career and education opportunities, which corresponds to the principles of social justice.
Program Goal
The program’s goal is to assist students with disabilities in overcoming challenges in their transition from high school to further education/training and meaningful employment. Moreover, it aims at teaching students to use support services that work with people with disabilities to help them integrate into society better. Individuals with disabilities often do not know that they can receive help from particular social organizations or are hesitant concerning their rights and opportunities. The program helps identify specific aims that help students with disabilities improve their education and career and create a practical plan for it (“Special education/transition partnership program (TPP),” 2022). It shows that the program’s goals are consistent with the program theory, which connects the vision and the beneficial actions of the Transition Partnership Program (TPP) or Workability Program.
Three Program Objectives
Students who participate in the Transition Partnership Program (TPP) or Workability Program learn about the practical issues connected with their future employment. For instance, they increase their career awareness and exploration, develop their career interest assessments, career counseling and guidance, pre-employment skills, job application assistance, and assistance with creating a resume. They also learn how to write a cover letter, express their gratitude in the text, and participate in the mock interview practice to understand the hiring process better. Students with disabilities who participate in the program receive guidance and support from a Department of Rehabilitation counselor, mobility training, participation in work-based learning, self-advocacy, and self-determination training (“Special education/transition partnership program (TPP),” 2022). The essential thing is that they continue to receive support for up to two years after high school graduation, which allows them to develop their competencies and find their first job. The prolonged support gives them the feeling that they are not alone, and they can always expect that they will receive assistance.
Program Strategies and Activities
It is possible to develop two strategies and seven activities that social workers can apply while implementing the discussed program. The evaluation approaches, in this case, are goal-oriented and outcome-oriented. They focus on setting the program’s goals to help students with disabilities find work and pursue their careers. The evaluation of the program’s outcomes supposes that the success of students with disabilities in pursuing their career paths shows whether the actions undertaken by social workers were practical. Program logic and theory of change are equally effective strategies in evaluating the work of the Transition Partnership Program (TPP) or Workability Program. The program should include recruitment, assessment, counseling, pre-employment skills and training, vocational training, student wages for try-out employment, and placement in unsubsidized employment (“Special education/transition partnership program (TPP),” 2022). They reflect the steps social workers should take to achieve the program’s goals successfully. These actions determine the points of concern that require precise attention from the side of the social workers.
Program Logic Model
Three Evaluation Questions
The logic model for transition supposes that all actions should be focused on helping students with disabilities to live independently and contribute to life in the community. Therefore, the program should answer three questions that are critical in the evaluation:
- The first question is whether the discussed program helps students with disabilities to achieve the articulated results, including independent living and contribution to community life.
- The second question is whether the skills that the program develops are essential work habits and values that help the participants develop the necessary skills for employment.
- The third question is whether academic, authentic work experiences and extracurricular activities give possible results for students with disabilities.
These questions seek to examine the program’s feasibility and determine whether the existing measures help students with disabilities develop the competencies that increase their chances of employment. These questions disregard the evaluation of the costs for these activities and focus mainly on the practical results for the participants. The main concern is that students with disabilities might show good results during academic, authentic work experiences, and extracurricular activities, but they might fail in factual life circumstances. The question about the readiness of students with disabilities to compete on equal terms with other job seekers is open because these students do not have any preferences in this sphere. Instead of it, they try to adapt to the market’s requirements and integrate into the community as its equal members.
Proposed Data Collection Plan
I will answer the evaluation questions based on the results of the discussed program because it gives objective information about the topic. It is possible to compare the information from the student, educators, parents, and employer because they evaluate the jobseeker from different perspectives. This approach to the data analysis will make the investigation more centered around the practical needs of the student with disabilities because it shows social workers the weak sides that require more attention.
The critical detail is that this approach to data collection is biased due to the personal opinion of the respondents and their personal views on the particular student with the disability. The summative approach to evaluating the information will help me gather as much data as possible. It is the basis for the subsequent categorization of the data and making conclusions based on facts and assumptions of various people.
Conclusion
I plan to represent these findings from the evaluation report to social workers who interact with students with disabilities to improve the Transition Partnership Program (TPP) or Workability Program. It is critical to present the findings in a structured way, using categories and clear recommendations. In general, this program is critical to preserve because it encourages students with disabilities to develop their skills and make everything possible to live independently. These individuals need emotional and practical support from others, and people who work on the Transition Partnership Program (TPP) or Workability Program give them motivation for positive changes.
Reference
Special education / transition partnership program (TPP). (2022). San Mateo Union High School District. Web.