Evergreen Transition Program Frequently Asked Questions
Evergreen Transition Program FAQ
1. What is the Evergreen Transition Program?
The Evergreen Transition Program serves young adults with disabilities, ages 18-21. Young adult learning is met through specially designed instruction that helps support IEP goals in the following areas: vocational training, community safety, life skills, adaptive skills, communication & social skills, self-advocacy, and metro
training. Many of these skills are practiced in the community so that young adults can generalize what they have learned in a “real-world” setting. We try our best to emulate an adult work setting as much as possible to get students out of “high school mode” and to start helping them think of themselves as a young self-determined adult (to the most extent possible).
2. What is Evergreen & how is it determined that young adults attend Evergreen?
The decision to attend Evergreen is an IEP team decision during a student’s time in high school. This is usually discussed early on during the high school years, and even often while a student is attending middle school. Evergreen is an IEP-based program, not a credit retrieval program. Young adults who attend Evergreen will receive the same diploma that they would receive if leaving high school at 18. They are entitled to attend up until the end of the year they turn 21 if determined by the IEP team. Some young adults graduate or exit before 21 per their needs and graduation path.
3. What is the difference between high school and the Evergreen Transition Program?
Evergreen is largely a community-based program, as the young adults are generally out several days a week applying what they have learned in the classroom in a real-life setting (jobsites, shopping, and other community trips). While in Evergreen, young adults do not join the high school assemblies nor follow a high school bell schedule. For the most part, community experiences dictate schedules.
4. Will my young adult have graduated before coming to Evergreen? What about their diploma?
No. During their senior year, students may walk at their high school graduation ceremony and receive the empty diploma case, however they will not receive the official diploma until they graduate from Evergreen. We hold our own graduation ceremony each year in June. Young adults receive a diploma from the high
school they attended. If students have met required graduation requirements, their graduation date on the IEP will reflect the year they leave Evergreen, not the year they leave high school. If students are not working on meeting graduation requirements and have opted out of some required credits, they will still receive a diploma but will not have a graduation date stamped on their official school transcript.
5. What is the attendance procedure?
If your child is absent, please contact the classroom teacher directly via phone or email. If your child can communicate this directly to the teacher themselves, we encourage them to do so as this is what they would need to do at a paid job or attending a college class.
6. Is there standardized testing in Evergreen?
Primarily no-most young adults have already participated in all mandated testing while in high school. However, if a student still needs testing, they can participate in the appropriate testing while attending the Transition Program as designated on their IEP.
7. What are the curriculum/instructional programs used at Evergreen?
While a large portion of instruction in Evergreen occurs hands-on in the community, there is instruction that takes place within the classroom and is highly individualized to meet the needs of students per their IEP and based on their post-secondary goals. This instruction works around student work schedules, college class schedules, and participation in day programs part-time. Some of the curriculum/instructional programs that teachers use include: Skills to Pay the Bills, Unique Learning, Consumer Math, News-2-You Current Events, as well as supplemental materials/resources such as Student CNN new videos, Attainment, Everyday Communication, and a variety of other social, vocational & functional academic supplemental materials. Teachers also work closely with related service provides (ie: SLPs, Ots, PTs) in the program to create meaningful teacher-made coursework that supports student IEP goals both in the classroom and in the
community. Since we are not a one-size-fits-all program, there is no one set curriculum that works for all learners.
8. What do young adults’ IEP goals look like at Evergreen?
The overall focus in the Evergreen program is ultimately to gain meaningful employment as well as to gain independence with Adaptive, Communication, & Social Skills that will allow young adults to generalize skills in the community. While young adults still work on academics, these goals are typically geared in a very
functional direction. For example, a writing goal may include working on a resume, and a reading goal may include reading a bus schedule or shopping list. A math goal may include a budgeting or computing tax and tip. These are just some examples. Besides employment, some students go onto college or even social/recreational day habilitative programs and have coursework designed to support those paths as well. For students who are working on a college-bound path, since there are a variety of college programs with different structures/goals, their instruction to prepare for these paths is highly individualized.
9. How much time do young adults spend at jobsites?
This completely depends on the student. Most new young adults spend the first few weeks at Evergreen participating in vocational assessments. Once teachers are familiar with student’s skills, and have had input from families and most importantly the student, they are then placed at a jobsite. Some young adults may
even take longer to be placed at jobsites if the IEP team believes that they are not yet ready to participate safely in a community outing. Depending on the jobsite availability and the student’s work stamina, they may work anywhere from 1 day a week to 4 days a week. Some students work longer shifts than others. Again, it is individualized based upon the young adult’s level of performance & need.
10. When do they get a paid job?
Again, this depends. Young adults whom are eligible for DDA services (Developmental Disabilities Administration) can participate in King County’s School-To-Work Program. During this time, they work with our embedded employment vendor, the At-Work! Agency. After several assessments and work trials, the goal is to eventually be placed in a paid supported-employment position. For some young adults, this happens early on in the school year. For others it takes some time. The goal is for young adults to graduate with a paid job (this is not a guarantee, but a goal). DDA will provide long-term job support. Young adults whom are not eligible for DDA can still access short-term job support through DVR services (Department of Vocational Rehabilitation). If a student can work independently and is ready to get a paid job during their 1st year, we will absolutely support and encourage that as well!
11. Do all young adults work jobsites?
Most do (as even if college is the path…jobs occur after college typically so it’s purposeful training) but not all. We do have a few individuals who do not participate in vocational training or participate in a hybrid of services deemed appropriate by the IEP team. Some young adults participate in recreational/social activities with their peers during the school day, as well as go to the Bellevue Aquatic Center as part of their school day. Some students participate in WANIC or CTE programs within Bellevue as part of their coursework instead of a jobsite if the IEP team determines that it will effectively support their post-secondary goals such as the Culinary Program at Newport, or the Horticulture Program at Interlake. You can find a full list of those options here: Career & Technical Education – Bellevue School District (bsd405.org)
12. What will my young adult’s schedule be at Evergreen?
This is a complicated one! Overall, we follow the same start/end times as the high schools (8:00-3:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and 8:00-1:00 on Wednesday). While the majority of young adults attend full time at least at first, we do have a handful of young adults participating part-time to accommodate their work schedule. The decision of implementing a part-time schedule is an individualized decision with the student, parent/guardian, and school team. It is very common as students continue in ETP, especially during their 2nd and 3rd years, that as they start obtaining paid employment and/or start participating part-time in day programs, their enrollment with ETP switches to part-time. This is encouraged. and very natural. Our goal is to provide a seamless transition into adulthood and avoid a big gap in services as students leave us. Regarding day-to-day activities, the schedule is built together per the student, family and IEP needs.
13. How will my young adult get to school?
If they took the school bus to high school, then those services can continue. We also encourage young adults to take metro or walk to school if possible! Some young adults can take the King County Access bus as well. Evergreen staff can help train students become independent on metro. King County also has FREE metro training services available-click here for more info on either Access or transit training on metro.
14. What happens after students exit? Are there transition services available to help plan the future?
ETP Staff works very closely with families to ensure that young adults are connected to agencies as appropriate and have all available services as applicable (DDA, DVR, Guardianship, Medicaid, SSI, etc). Parents are invited to several meetings throughout their time in Evergreen with the teacher and program coordinator to check in and discuss status of services, plan next steps for post-secondary goal discussions, etc. It is our goal that we help not only transition young adults to a successful post-secondary future but help transition the families as well. Our ultimate goal is for young adults to have a solid plan in place when they graduate that involves participation in a paid job, recreational activities, continued learning (college, day programs, etc), and a meaningful future.