All students are between the ages of 18 to 21, have a disability, and are eligible for special education services. The students have completed their 12th grade year in a high school, but still have transition needs and have not received a high school diploma.

Transition Plus Services is a community-based program for secondary students with disabilities ages 18 to 21. The mission of the program is to provide individually designed instruction and service coordination to address transition needs of students as they move from school to community, home, and work environments.

Students receive instruction in the areas of employment, home living, community participation, recreation and leisure, post-secondary learning, and functional academics. Curriculum is related to independent living and is practiced in the community whenever possible such as bus training, work site skills, social skills, organizational skills, community recreation, and other independent living skills. While functional academic skills are taught, curriculum is not provided in academic areas such as the credit classes offered in a high school setting. Coordination is provided by case managers to ensure that students are connected to community agencies such as rehabilitation or social services.

Students who have both mental and physical impairments (moderate to severe range) receive service in a federal setting IV program called TREC. Mildly to moderately mentally impaired students receive service in a federal setting III or IV program called STEPS or REACH. Students with Students Needing Alternative Programming (SNAP), Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), Emotional/Behavioral Disorder (E/BD), or Other Health Disabilities (OHD) are served in a federal setting I or II program called FOCUS or STRETCH. Students also receive related services depending on their needs. E/BD federal setting III or IV service is in the CHEER Program. Service for all programs is provided in the classroom, in the community or on work sites whenever possible. Students are expected to participate in approximately 30 hours a week of employment or transition activities.

Transition Plus instructors are licensed appropriately to meet the disability needs of the students. Multiple special education licensures are encouraged as well as Work Experience Handicapped License or Teacher of Work Based Learning. School psychologists, social workers, speech clinicians, special education assistants, and transition support specialists also provide services.

Students are referred while in grade 12 in high school by their Individual Education Plan (IEP) Team. All students must have current IEPs and evaluations that support the need for transition services. The IEP team, including a Transition Plus Services staff member, makes the decision for enrollment during the senior year and develops a significant change plan in the spring of the 12th grade year.

Transition Plus/CHEER	3320 Elliot Avenue South, Mpls, MN 55407
Transition Plus/REACH/FOCUS	3320 Elliot Avenue South, Mpls, MN 55407
Transition Plus/STRETCH	Mpls Technical & Comm. College, 1501 Hennepin Ave S., Mpls. MN 55403
Transition Plus/STEPS/TREC	3320 Elliot Avenue South, Mpls, MN 55407
Transition Plus/BRIDGES	3320 Elliot Avenue South, Mpls, MN 55407

Colleen Paul-Trosen, Administrator	Transition Plus Programs	612-668-4100
Transition Plus Website