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Guilford County Schools details transition programs, highlights Project Search internships for students with disabilities
Summary
District staff outlined transition planning requirements under IDEA and described Project Search internships and community partnerships that aim to move students with significant disabilities into competitive employment; presenters emphasized individualized IEP supports and job coaching partnerships.
Guilford County Schools staff presented a focused update on transition programs for students with disabilities at the Nov. 12 board meeting, describing how Individualized Education Program (IEP) transition plans, community partnerships and internship models prepare students for postsecondary life and employment.
The presentation briefed the board on two primary curriculum pathways available to Exceptional Children (EC) students — Future Ready standards and the Occupational Course of Study (OCS) — and explained that transition planning under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires student participation in IEP meetings and development of postsecondary goals aligned to transition assessments.
Tara Santiago, identified in the presentation as the district’s senior executive director of Exceptional Children’s Services, outlined school-based and community-based experiences intended to build employability skills. She highlighted that students participate in on-campus enterprises such as the Whirly Cafe and off-campus placements with employers including Goodwill, Food Lion, Embassy Suites and health systems.
The presentation included details about Project Search, an internationally recognized model that places eligible students in a series of unpaid internship rotations with supported employers. Staff said GCS hosts two Project Search sites — one at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro and another at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in High Point — and reported 18 students currently participating in the program.
On supports and safety, district staff said accommodations are determined individually through the IEP team and that training for general-education teachers and assignment of teacher assistants are used where the IEP indicates they’re needed. When a board member asked how the district addresses safety in CTE or vocational settings for students who cannot read safety labels, a presenter replied: "We take each of those on an individual basis," and described IEP 'blueprints' and the possibility of additional adult support in the classroom.
Staff also described partnerships with state and local agencies. The district works with what staff called EIPD (Employment and Independence for People with Disabilities, formerly vocational rehabilitation) to provide counselors and pre-employment transition services; The Arc of Greensboro and other community partners supply job coaching at internship sites.
Project Search graduates were cited as examples of employment outcomes: staff listed graduates working in cafeteria services, linens departments and retail stockrooms. Staff said employment outcomes are monitored through an agreed-upon employment outcome deadline following program completion.
What’s next: Staff will continue monitoring employment outcomes for recent cohorts and maintain training and support systems to align IEPs with safe, meaningful work experiences for EC students.
