Special Education Transition Programs
District 287 has seven transition programs that serve 18-21 year old students with low incidence disabilities. These programs are located in five locations. Program components include academic or functional skills instruction, vocational skill development that includes post-secondary opportunities through the career-technical programs, community-based learning, and training in personal responsibility and self-advocacy. The components of these programs are also available as services to districts that may want to purchase to enhance their own transition programs.
Through Intermediate District 287 Transition programs, students will successfully master academic and life-skill goals through individualized interventions, which lead to academic learning, reintegration and successful life experiences. This will be achieved by each student experiencing belonging, mastery, interdependence and generosity through community and vocational-based experiences. The Transition programs seek to provide services for young adults as they progress from an educational setting toward living and working as independently as possible in the community.
FOCUS (Functional Occupational Curriculum for Unique Students) for ages 16-21
Most students have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and demonstrate significant verbal or physical acting out behavior. Student ability level ranges from average to gifted ability. They have a high need in the transition areas and some life areas are impacted by chronic mental illness. Some students with a chronic mental illness diagnosis are more likely to exhibit serious and persistent behavior in the community, home, school and work.
Site: South Education Center, 7450 Penn Ave South, Richfield, MN 55423
Ph: 612-355-5800
Intersect for ages 18-21
The target population includes young adults who meet the eligibility criteria of Developmental Cognitive Disabilities (DCD). They have attended a high school special education program and continue to be eligible to receive special education services in order to obtain an Individual Education Plan (IEP) driven diploma. In addition to DCD, many students have one or more additional disabilities, such as, Speech/Language, Autism, Physical Impairment, Other Health Disability, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Vision Impairment, and/or Emotional/Behavioral Disorder.
Site: South Education Center, 7450 Penn Avenue South, Richfield, MN 55423
Ph: 612-355-5800
InVEST (In Vocational, Educational and Social Transition) for ages: 17-21
Students are receiving special education services primarily for Emotional Behavioral Disorder (EBD), and may include students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Most life areas are impacted by chronic mental illness. Some students with a chronic mental illness diagnosis are more likely to exhibit serious and persistent behavior in the community, home, school and work. Student ability level ranges from borderline to gifted ability, although the typical students falls in the average range. InVEST students will learn skills to manage their mental health or illness in order to achieve a level of safe self-sufficiency.
InVEST Transition North
Site: Northwest Tech Center, 7008 Northland Drive, Suite 100, Brooklyn Park, MN 55428
Ph: 763-536-0872
InVEST Transition South
Site: South Education Center, 7450 Penn Ave South, Richfield, MN 55423
Ph: 612-355-5900
InVEST Program information web page
Phase for ages 18-21
Students meet the eligibility criteria of Developmental Cognitive Disabilities (DCD) or Severely Multiply Impaired (SMI). They have attended a high school special education program and continue to be eligible to receive special education services in order to obtain an Individual Education Plan (IEP) driven diploma. In addition to DCD, many students have one or more additional disabilities, such as, Speech/Language, Autism, Physical Impairment, Other Health Disability, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Vision Impairment, and/or Emotional/Behavioral Disorder.
Phase North
Site: Edgewood Education Center, 6601 Xylon Ave North, Brooklyn Park, MN 55428
Ph: 763-533-3821
Phase Southwest
Site: South Education Center, 7450 Penn Ave South, Richfield, MN 55423
Ph: 612-355-5800
STRIVE Transition (Skills Training with Responsibility Interdependence and Vocational Education) for ages18-21
These young adults are eligible for special education program in the area of Developmental Cognitive Disabilities (DCD), Mild to Moderate, and needs in the Emotional/Behavioral Disorder (EBD) area. The student often has an additional diagnosis in a mental health area and continues educational eligibility based on their disability.These students have needs in the five areas of transition and also need instructional and behavioral strategies that require a higher student-to-staff ratio than is typically provided in transition programs. Students benefit from and respond to community-based instruction.
STRIVE Transition North
Site: Edgewood Education Center, 6601 Xylon Ave North, Brooklyn Park, MN 55428
Ph: 763-533-3821
STRIVE Transition South
Site: Bren Road Educational Center, 11140 Bren Road West, Minnetonka, MN 55343
Ph: 952-653-1655
SUN Transition (Students with Unique Needs) for ages 18-21
Students are eligible for special education in the category of Developmental Cognitive Disabilities (DCD), usually qualifying as severe/profound DCD, Autism, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities (EBD). SUN Transition students also often have a diagnosis in a mental health area. They need intensive and customized staff-to-student ratio and transition curriculum. This program is designed to educate students requiring customized programming which includes having additional staff expertise, intensified staff support with reduced ratios and environmental space design that accommodates unique behavior and sensory needs.
SUN Transition North
Site: Edgewood Education Center, 6601 Xylon Ave North, Brooklyn Park, MN 55428
Ph: 763-533-3821
SUN Transition South
Site: South Education Center, 7450 Penn Ave South, Richfield, MN 55423
Ph: 612-355-5800
VECTOR Basic & VECTOR Low Incidence (Vocational Education Community Training & Occupational Relations) for ages 18-21
VECTOR Basic and Low Incidence serves students with cognitive level ranges from Developmental Cognitive Disabilities [DCD] (mild) to above average. Students served in the VECTOR Basic program design require only very limited services from disability specific specialists. The VECTOR Low Incidence program design provides disability specific services, based on individual student needs, in the following disability category areas: Physically Impaired (PI), Other Health Impairments (OHI), Deaf/Hard of Hearing (D/HH), Deaf/Blind, Visually Impaired (VI), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Developmental Cognitive Disabilities (DCD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Most of these students, in the Low Incidence program design, have at least one secondary disability, and they typically require specialized support services such as a Sign Language Interpreter, Educational Audiology Specialist, Low Incidence Specialist (Deaf/Hard of Hearing [D/HH], Blind/Visually Impaired [B/VI], or Physical/Health Disabilities [P/HD] teacher), Materials Production Specialist, Occupational Therapist (OT), Physical Therapist (PT), Behavior Support, etc.
VECTOR North - Basic & Low Incidence
Site: Northwest Tech Center, 7008 Northland Drive, Suite 100, Brooklyn Park, MN 55428
Ph: 763-536-0872
VECTOR South - Basic & Low Incidence
Site: South Education Center, 7450 Penn Ave South, Richfield, MN 55423
Ph: 612-355-5800
VECTOR Program information web page