Situated through the lens of transition-focused education and data-informed decision making, this state contract provides training and coaching supports to the state-and local educational agencies in evidence-based practices for transition planning, services, supports, instruction, and predictors of postschool success to help improve outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities. 

The National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative (NTACT:C) assists State Education Agencies, Local Education Agencies, and State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies and other service providers to implement effective practices and strategies that will promote collaboration among agency personnel and help ensure students and youth with disabilities graduate from high school with the knowledge, skills, and supports needed for credential attainment, postsecondary education, training, competitive integrated employment (CIE), and independent living, including meaningful community engagement through the promotion of effective practices grounded in research for all students and youth with disabilities, considering individual youth and family strengths.

 The University of Oregon - which will lead the existing partnership of George Washington University, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of Maryland, University of Kansas, and Portland State University - received a Grant Award Notification from the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services on Wednesday, September 24, for the first year of funding beginning October 1, 2025 outlining performance through September 30, 2030! 

The goal of this project is to develop and refine an employability social skills curriculum for justice-involved youth with disabilities served in community-based juvenile services programs. Using a Participatory Action Research approach, the project engages stakeholders—including educators, juvenile justice personnel, vocational rehabilitation professionals, workforce developers, and youth themselves—through structured interviews, focus groups, and design team meetings. These activities identify barriers to employment, inform curriculum revisions, and guide the integration of authentic work-based learning opportunities. The project will proceed through iterative development and pilot testing across 30 community corrections sites, with the goal of producing a flexible, evidence-based intervention that improves employment-related social skills, career self-efficacy, and long-term vocational outcomes for marginalized youth. 

Funding Source: National Institute of Disability Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research Grant #: 90IFDV0039-01-00 

We provide technical assistance and professional development to support the re-entry of students and youth provided education services while in residential settings such as juvenile correctional facilities, hospitals, and Long-term care and treatment programs.  The goal is to support a successful transition from the defined setting back to school and or the workforce.  We work with all providers of education services to these residential placements through hosting Community of Practices, training new transition specialists, and holding trainings and meetings for re-entry staff and administrators learn about the services and their counterparts across the state of Oregon.

Funding source:  Oregon Department of Education 

Project THRIVE addresses employment barriers faced by transition-age youth and young adults with disabilities (18+) by identifying employer-side challenges to hiring, retention, and advancement. Grounded in a Participatory Action Research approach and building on prior survey research, the project conducts semi-structured interviews and focus groups with employers, employed young adults with disabilities, workforce and rehabilitation professionals, and transition service providers. Insights from these stakeholder perspectives inform the development of targeted employer training modules. 

The primary outcome is a defined set of training content areas that will guide future module development and pilot testing, supporting broader efforts to improve disability-inclusive employment practices. 

SSET staff coordinate the annual Oregon Statewide Transition Conference in collaboration with the Executive Steering Committee. Held annually in late winter/early spring (February/March), the 1.5-day conference provides current and relevant information on a variety of special education and secondary transition related topics. Presenters include individuals with lived experiences, local practitioners, local and state agency personnel, and national experts. It's typical audience of approximately 500 attendees includes educators, vocational rehabilitation professionals, service providers, and parents. Vendors provide a wide range of resources and services designed to support success for individuals experiencing disabilities. 

This contract supports the secondary transition efforts of the Oregon Department of Education. SSET staff maintain the TransitionOregon.org website by working with a developer to ensure access, security, and functionality; updating website structures; verifying content accuracy, accessibility compliance (reformatting when necessary), and legal distribution criteria; disseminating and tracking use through Google Analytics.  We provide in-person/live technical assistance and training for Indicator B14 Post-School Outcomes data collection for the Exit and Follow-Up Interviews to 163 local school districts, and create a variety of training and support resources, including detailed step-by-step training documents, 1-page quick access documents, and just-in-time videos. We coordinate with a program developer to update and maintain an efficient on-line and mobile application for collecting valid and reliable PSO data. We analyze B14 data to determine response rate, representation, non-response bias, engagement outcomes, and reasons for not engaged; and draft the Indicator B14State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report for review and finalization by the department. Applying a data-informed decision-making process, we provide consultation and facilitation services to support use of post-school outcome data, improve transition programming, and implementation of the predictors of post-school success to increase the likelihood of students’ achieving positive post-school outcomes.  We have coordinated, organized, and formatted the Transition Resource Handbook, and analyzed B13 Compliant Transition Components of the IEP data. 

This study explores the Career and Technical Education (CTE) experiences of students with disabilities in Oregon. We are using historical CTE and post-school outcome data to determine whether enrolling in CTE increases the probability of students with disabilities achieving a positive post-school outcome (i.e., engaged as defined by Indicator B14 Post-School Outcomes).