Ages: 14 to 21 years Testing Time: 15 to 30 minutes Administration: Individual
The (TPI-3) provides school personnel with a systematic way to address critical transition planning areas that are mandated by the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act of 2004. It also accounts for individual student preferences, interests, strengths, and needs. Key information is gathered from students, parents, guardians, and school personnel through the use of core and specialized rating scales and open-ended questions. The TPI-3 can serve as the main vehicle for identifying transition needs or can complement existing procedures that are being used in a school district. In many cases, it can serve as a framework for acquiring more detailed assessment information. The most important outcomes are identifying transition preferences, interests, strengths, and needs, regardless of methodology; developing necessary plans; and acting on resultant goals. The TPI-3 has five key components, each of which is described below.
Administration and Resource Guide
This guide includes an overview of the instrument, detailed administrative procedures, guidelines for completing interests and preferences forms, guidelines for completing each of the core rating forms, suggestions for interpreting and using the results of the TPI-3, an elaborate case study showing how to move from assessment to planning and action, guidelines for using a new form designed for students with significant support needs, and suggestions for completing a functionally useful summary of performance. The guide also includes a detailed description of how the instrument was developed, and information about technical features.
Forms
The TPI-3 contains nine forms:
Student Preferences and Interests Forms (Basic and Advanced): The Basic form is used at the beginning of the transition planning process, while the Advanced form is used closer to the time when the student is leaving school.
Home Preferences and Interests Form: The Home Preferences and Interests Form permits parents/guardians to communicate their preferences for their son/daughter.
Student, Home, and School Core Rating Forms: The Student Core Rating Form and Home Core Rating Form are written at a lower readability level than the School Core Rating Form and present all 57 competencies for independent assessments from the student, home, and school regarding perceived competencies.
Profile and Further Assessment Recommendations Form: This form provides a way to display the results obtained from the individual rating forms and plan any further assessments that might be needed.
Modified Form for Students With Autism or Other Significant Support Needs: New to this edition, this form is for students unable to understand and respond to written or oral presentations of the competency items and levels of support needed. Parents/guardians and a school representative complete this form together or independently.
Summary of Performance Exit Form: New to this edition, this form provides the school an organized format for summarizing each graduating or exiting student’s current needs, preferences, and interests related to postschool life.
Informal Assessments for Transition Planning–Second Edition
This resource contains more than 818 sub-competencies for the 57 TPI-3 items. The resource also contains 52 informal instruments (with directions on how to use the instruments) that are related to the 57 TPI-3 items. The purpose of the book is to continue providing a way to confirm transition preferences, interests, strengths, and needs to enhance transition planning.
Transition Instruction Guide
This guide provides engaging activities and resources to help students reach their transition goals. Lessons include interactive activities using the community, family, and Internet resources to involve students in real-world situations. The guide aligns instruction directly with the 57 transition skills identified with the TPI-3.
Online Resources
The TPI-3 now includes online access to additional resources that are useful for transition planning. The resources are: optional scripts for administering the TPI-3; additional case studies; a reference guide for linking TPI-3 items to services in the community; selected translations of the Home Core Rating Form, item descriptions for the Home Core Rating Form, and item descriptions for the Home Interests and Preferences Form.