(105 ILCS 5/2-3.83) (from Ch. 122, par. 2-3.83)

Sec. 2-3.83. Individual transition plan model pilot program.

(a) The General Assembly finds that transition services for special education students in secondary schools are needed for the increasing numbers of students exiting school programs. Therefore, to ensure coordinated and timely delivery of services, the State shall establish a model pilot program to provide such services. Local school districts, using joint agreements and regional service delivery systems for special and vocational education selected by the Governor's Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities, shall have the primary responsibility to convene transition planning meetings for these students who will require post-school adult services.

(b) For purposes of this Section:

(1) "Post-secondary Service Provider" means a provider of services for adults who have any developmental disability as defined in Section 1-106 of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code or who are persons with one or more disabilities as defined in the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act.

(2) "Individual Education Plan" means a written statement for an exceptional child that provides at least a statement of: the child's present levels of educational performance, annual goals and short-term instructional objectives; specific special education and related services; the extent of participation in the regular education program; the projected dates for initiation of services; anticipated duration of services; appropriate objective criteria and evaluation procedures; and a schedule for annual determination of short-term objectives.

(3) "Individual Transition Plan" (ITP) means a multi-agency informal assessment of a student's needs for post-secondary adult services including but not limited to employment, post-secondary education or training and residential independent living.

(4) "Developmental Disability" means "developmental disability" as defined in Section 1-106 of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code.

(5) "Exceptional Characteristic" means any disabling or exceptional characteristic which interferes with a student's education including, but not limited to, a determination that the student has a severe or profound mental disability, has mental disability but is trainable, is deaf-blind, or has some other health impairment.

(c) The model pilot program required by this Section shall be established and administered by the Governor's Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities in conjunction with the case coordination pilot projects established by the Department of Human Services pursuant to Section 4.1 of the Community Services Act, as amended.

(d) The model pilot program shall include the following features:

(1) Written notice shall be sent to the student and, when appropriate, his or her parent or guardian giving the opportunity to consent to having the student's name and relevant information shared with the local case coordination unit and other appropriate State or local agencies for purposes of inviting participants to the individual transition plan meeting.

(2) Meetings to develop and modify, as needed, an Individual Transition Plan shall be conducted annually for all students with a developmental disability in the pilot program area who are age 16 or older and who are receiving special education services for 50% or more of their public school program. These meetings shall be convened by the local school district and conducted in conjunction with any other regularly scheduled meetings such as the student's annual individual educational plan meeting. The Governor's Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities shall cooperate with and may enter into any necessary written agreements with the Department of Human Services and the State Board of Education to identify the target group of students for transition planning and the appropriate case coordination unit to serve these individuals.

(3) The ITP meetings shall be co-chaired by the individual education plan coordinator and the case coordinator. The ITP meeting shall include but not be limited to discussion of the following: the student's projected date of exit from the public schools; his projected post-school goals in the areas of employment, residential living arrangement and post-secondary education or training; specific school or post-school services needed during the following year to achieve the student's goals, including but not limited to vocational evaluation, vocational education, work experience or vocational training, placement assistance, independent living skills training, recreational or leisure training, income support, medical needs and transportation; and referrals and linkage to needed services, including a proposed time frame for services and the responsible agency or provider. The individual transition plan shall be signed by participants in the ITP discussion, including but not limited to the student's parents or guardian, the student (where appropriate), multi-disciplinary team representatives from the public schools, the case coordinator and any other individuals who have participated in the ITP meeting at the discretion of the individual education plan coordinator, the developmental disability case coordinator or the parents or guardian.

(4) At least 10 days prior to the ITP meeting, the parents or guardian of the student shall be notified in writing of the time and place of the meeting by the local school district. The ITP discussion shall be documented by the assigned case coordinator, and an individual student file shall be maintained by each case coordination unit. One year following a student's exit from public school the case coordinator shall conduct a follow up interview with the student.

(5) Determinations with respect to individual transition plans made under this Section shall not be subject to any due process requirements prescribed in Section 14-8.02 of this Code.

(e) (Blank).

(Source: P.A. 102-972, eff. 1-1-23.)