Guiding Principles

• We are committed to all students graduating from West Linn-Wilsonville schools with a range of post-secondary options – including college/university, vocational training programs, employment, apprenticeships, and military service.
• Gathering data about students’ experiences in school and their post-school engagement can be valuable for improving our programs and planning for the future.
• We value relationships, so whenever possible the exit interviews and follow up surveys should be conducted by adults who know the student.

Procedural Guidance

State Laws related to gathering data on Post School Outcomes

School Districts must collect data one year after leaving school on the percentage of students served by special education (at the time of graduation) who are

1. Enrolled in higher education
2. Competitively employed, or
3. In some other postsecondary education or training, or some other employment

 This includes all students who leave school, including

• Students who graduate with a regular diploma
• Students who graduate with a modified or extended diploma and do not choose to receive Adult Transition Services
• Students who have completed Adult Transition Services (age 21)
• Students who finish high school without a diploma
• Students who drop out

 ODE requires that districts gather this data every year.

 There are two parts to the Post School Outcomes data collection

1. Exit Survey – for students who will be leaving school in the current school year (usually graduating HS or aging out of Adult Transition Services)
2. Follow-Up Survey – for students who left school the previous year

Exit Survey

The district must gather data for all students served by special education who will be completing their secondary education this school year. For most students, this means graduating HS or aging out of Adult Transition Services.

• Students who transfer to another school (public/private, in-state/out-of-state) do not need to be interviewed in our Exit Survey. (They will be interviewed by the school they graduate from.)
• If students exit special education services before graduation, they are not part of the Exit Survey or Follow-Up Survey
• Before conducting the Exit Interview, we need to obtain signed consent from the parent (or the student if they are over 18). The Agreement to Participate form is available on the ODE website under ODE Resources -> Exit -> PSO Agreement to Participate

 Who should conduct the Exit Interview?

• Case Managers are responsible for conducting the Exit Survey for their students a part of the process of preparing students for graduation. This is in addition to the final Summary of Progress and Prior Written Notice documenting the end of special education services.
• If another staff member (Transition Specialist, Instructional Assistant, Counselor) has a particularly strong relationship with the student, they could conduct the Exit Interview. But in general, the Case Manager should conduct the interview.

 When should Exit Interviews be conducted?

• The Exit Interview collection opens in January. The data collection closes at the end of September, but the interviews need to be conducted before the student leaves school in June.
• We can begin gathering data about student’s post-secondary plans as part of transition conversations at IEP meetings, but we need to conduct a formal Exit Interview in the last semester of their final year in the district.
• Fall is a great time to gather contact information and get signed parental permission to interview students if they are not 18, or will not turn 18 before graduation.
• Spring is the time to gather work experiences, interview to learn about goals and pre-exit experiences of students.
• Right before the end of the school year, have the student fill out the PSO post card that we will send out the following May. Explain that someone from the school will be calling to check in with the student one year after graduation.
• Throughout the year take every opportunity to educate students and family. Talk about how the District is interested in how high school and transition program experiences supported students’ post-secondary goals. Talk about how we value student feedback as a way to continue to improve services for students.

Follow-Up Survey

The district must contact all students who left school the previous year (graduation, finishing Adult Transition, drop out). The purpose of this survey is to determine how many students are engaged in higher ed, employment, etc. one year after finishing school.

• The District is required to contact all students for the Follow-Up Survey (or document why they could not be contacted). We are required to gather responses from at least 85% of students one year after they leave school services.
• The names and contact information of students to be interviewed are available on the secure ODE district web site. All Districts must record contact details for 100% of leavers and need to interview 85% of all leavers. Follow up interviews must be 365 days after graduation.
• Send out the POST CARD notification (that students filled out the previous year before graduating) as a reminder to students that someone will be calling.
• Use probing questions! Learn about work experiences, additional schooling, outside agency connections. How well did their school experience prepare former students for life after school? What do our students want the district to know?

Who should make the calls for the Follow-Up Survey?

• The Follow-Up phone calls should be conducted by staff that had some personal connection with the student during their time at High School or Adult Transition. The primary responsibility for the Follow-Up survey is with case managers. However, it could also be done by a transition specialist or instructional assistant if that person had a relationship with the student.

When should we make the calls for the Follow-Up Survey?

• The data collection opens June through September. The list of students are posted in April, but calls cannot begin until 365 days after graduation. That means the calls will mostly be done during the 2 weeks in June between graduation and the end of the teacher contract.
• If we are unable to complete the Follow-Up Survey before the end of the teacher contract in June, it is ok to finish the calls in September. The information gathered must be about the 12 month period after graduation.

Strategies for Contacting Hard-to-Find Youth

• Provide pre-notification
  • Let students know before they graduate that we will be following up – particularly as part of the Exit Interview
  • Talk about the post-school outcome data in Achievement Center as part of transition planning conversations
  • Send the PSO postcards in May to alert students that we will be calling soon
• Share what the district has learned from past students
• Include PSO information with other information that we send to students as they are preparing to graduate
• Have students identify who should call them during their last IEP meeting
• Create familiarity with the process, practice the interview, talk about helping future students

Resources

Case Managers and Transition Specialists log in to the PSO survey through the ODE district website: https://district.ode.state.or.us/home/

If you need login information for the ODE district website, contact the Student Services office

The PSO page on the ODE website also has resources to help make the process more efficient, including a telephone script, PSO postcards, and strategies for contacting hard-to-find youth.

FAQ’s

Do we conduct an Exit Interview for students graduating with a modified or extended diploma who are unsure whether they will be continuing with Adult Transition Services within the district?