Vocational & Transition Specialist, Secondary position

Vocational & Transition Specialist, Secondary Position

The Vocational & Transition Specialist is a specialized special education role responsible for ensuring high-quality, student-centered transition planning and vocational development for students with disabilities beginning at age 14, in alignment with IDEA transition requirements and DESE/Federal Indicator 19.

This position ensures that transition planning is measurable, individualized, instructionally meaningful, and driven by student voice, and that transition services are grounded in ongoing, age-appropriate transition assessments that inform postsecondary goals related to education/training, employment, and independent living.

This position directly supports district compliance with Indicator 19, which requires that, for students aged 14 and older:

• Measurable postsecondary goals are in place
• Goals are based on age-appropriate transition assessments conducted by a qualified transition or vocational specialist
• Transition services and courses of study are developed and aligned to postsecondary goals
• Students are formally invited to IEP meetings where transition is discussed
• Transition planning reflects student preferences, interests, and strengths
• Students with disabilities have access to courses that support their transition planning

The Vocational & Transition Specialist ensures these elements are present in both documentation and practice.

• Serve as a district-level lead for Indicator 19 implementation, supporting schools in meeting both technical and qualitative expectations for transition planning.
• Support IEP Teams in developing measurable postsecondary goals related to education/training, employment, and independent living (as appropriate).
• Complete transition/vocational evaluations
• Ensure annual IEP goals, services, and activities are clearly aligned to postsecondary goals.
• Review IEPs for Indicator 19 alignment and provide coaching, guidance, and corrective feedback as needed.
• Support preparation for DESE monitoring, audits, and corrective action related to transition and vocational requirements.

• Ensure students age 14 and older are formally invited to IEP meetings where transition planning is discussed.
• Promote active student participation in transition planning through:
• Student-led or student-centered IEP practices
• Structured reflection on interests, strengths, and preferences
• Supported participation for students with communication, cognitive, or emotional disabilities
• Coach staff on strategies to authentically embed student voice and self-determination, including alternative and supported communication approaches.

• Ensure consistent use of age-appropriate transition assessments beginning no later than age 14 and updated periodically to reflect student growth and evolving interests.
• Support IEP Teams in selecting transition assessments that identify students':
• Interests
• Preferences
• Strengths
• Postsecondary aspirations
• Assist teams in interpreting transition assessment data and using results to:
• Develop measurable postsecondary goals
• Identify appropriate transition services and activities
• Align vocational experiences and instructional planning
• Promote assessment practices that center student voice, including self-reflection, interviews, inventories, and supported communication methods.
• Ensure transition assessment results are clearly reflected in IEP documentation and inform decision-making beyond compliance.

• Support IEP Teams in identifying and coordinating transition services, including instruction, related services, community experiences, and vocational activities aligned to postsecondary goals.
• Collaborate with school staff to ensure students' courses of study support identified postsecondary outcomes.
• Ensure transition services are individualized, developmentally appropriate, and connected to real-world preparation.
• Teach course(s) specific to transition services for SWD (eg., for BRIDGE, CONNECTIONS, and TBL)