The Virginia Transition Outcomes Project
(VTOP) is part of a national project designed to assist states to meet the transition mandates
in IDEA 2004. Virginia's initial year of participation was in 2003. There are currently sixty-one
participating school divisions statewide. Results show significant improvement in the transition
planning process. The purpose of VTOP is to evaluate the effectiveness of transition services
provided through the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process, increase graduation rates
and improve post-secondary outcomes for students with disabilities.
What is the VTOP process?
When a Local Education Agency (LEA) volunteers to participate, the school division agrees that the project is a priority. The LEA selects a VTOP team to participate in initial and final file reviews, implementing an action plan in the interim. Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) TTAC supports the efforts of the LEA as the process unfolds. Some details of this project to note:
- Statewide and local training is offered to all VTOP teams.
- When choosing IEP files to review, the youth with disabilities must be fourteen years of age and can be in either middle or high school by the initial file review date.
- Following the initial file review, the VTOP team analyzes the data and shares results with the LEA. The LEA uses this data to develop/implement a plan to improve transition practices.
- The timeline for participation in the process varies from between twelve and eighteen months from initial to final file review.
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Compliance with the law, promising practices and continuous improvement related to transition
services are emphasized.
Region 1 and 8 School divisions involved in VTOP
Amelia, Appomattox, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Cumberland, Goochland, Hopewell City, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Richmond City, Surry
State Performance Plan Indicator 13
“Percent of youth aged 16 and above with an IEP that includes coordinated, measurable, annual IEP goals and transition services that will reasonably enable the student to meet the postsecondary goals.”
VTOP was initially designed to be a self-monitoring tool, although it is now being used to address the language of Indicator 13 of the State Performance Plan (SPP). Reported data for this indicator comes from a portion of the VTOP file review checklist.
