Online Community: Google Doc Transition Assessments

Last week I presented at the Iowa Secondary Transition Parent & Educator Conference. The presentation discussed the benefits of using Google Doc transition assessments and provided an opportunity for those in attendance to explore and test the public site. Check out the prezi.

Public Site

I have added links to a site used by districts for transition assessment. The forms and the associated data files can be accessed by the public. Please remember to use student ID# or other coded methods of identification. The data side can not be edited. However, the spreadsheets can be downloaded to your computer. Click here to go to the public site.

Quick Book of Transition Assessments - Transition Skills Assessment

Quick Book of Transition Assessments, produced by Robin Cline, Dave Halverson, Bev Petersen, Barb Rohrbach, has many great tools for transition. In addition to assessments it also contains checklists for different grade levels and sample letters . The assessments range in length, giving you the opportunity to gain general knowledge of a student and/or information on specific domains of transition. Quick Book of Assessments – Transition Skills Assessment: Student contains seventy questions divided into domains covering the transition spectrum. The responses include 0=no, or no experience in this area , 1=yes, with help or modifications, and 2=yes, no problem. The original assessment has teachers and parents answer the same questions which allows for comparison. If you would like to see the data side of this form click here.

Sharing Google Doc Transition Assessments

I have finally learned how to share Google Documents with the associated form. I have shared all the google documents discussed on the blog with seven other districts. These districts now have the ability to modify the forms to meet their needs and keep the data confidential. Please help create an online community to share Google Doc Assessments. If you would like a copy of one of the assessments on the blog, send me an email at kurtis.broeg@gmail.com. If you would like to share a document with the blog, follow the process described below:

1. Make a copy of the document.

2. In the sharing menu, change the ownership to kurtis.broeg@gmail.com

Google Doc Forms Missing From Shared Documents.

In an attempt to share a google doc transition assessment with an educator residing in my building, I discovered that the forms are not traveling with the shared documents. I apologize for making the assumption that they would travel together. I have gone back and edited my post to include both a link to the form and the document in which data from the form will be recorded. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a way to share both form and associated document. The user will have to create their own form and associated document. My suggestion is to start with the form and save time by cutting and pasting from the shared forms. I created a site in which educators from my district can use the Google Doc transition assessment forms. Due to confidentiality issues, I am unable to share this site with everyone. However, by using the links in the posts, you will be able to see how data from the forms is recorded in the associated Google Docs. I encourage you to create a site for your district.

School and Community Social Skills Rating Assessment

The School and Community Social Skills Rating Assessment is a one hundred item assessment that covers social skills in the following categories: classroom, school building, personal, interaction initiative, interaction response, community, and work. The original form on Iowa Transition Assessment asks the evaluator to check all the behaviors that describe the student. The Google Doc version asks the evaluator to check either Yes, No, or “Behavior not observed". Under the “Form” drop down menu, the the responses can summarized which gives the Google Doc version the major advantage of analyzing responses to one hundred items by multiple evaluators. The summary provides a pie chart indicating the responses for each behavior. Completion of the assessment before the team meeting will provide information on behaviors that need to be addressed. Alternatively, the assessment can be used to determine that no supports or goals are needed in the areas of Living or Working. To see the document that the data from the form will be collected, click here.

SPIN Transition Planning Template

The SPIN Transition Planning Template was introduced to me at a Transition Assessment Workshop conducted by the Grant Wood Area Education Agency Transition Team consisting of Jill Ries and Mary Crandall. SPIN is an acronym for Strengths, Preferences, Interest, and Needs. The form contains a table to list SPIN information as well as a matrix to list the assessments and results relating to the ten domains of assessment. This is definitely a form you should download and place in the files of every student with an Individual Education Plan(IEP). My hope is that it will become considered “best practice” for every student with an IEP as it would greatly assist the transfer of a student to a different roster.