Moving the Needle: Changing Postsecondary Readiness for Students with Extensive Support Needs

This session introduces an approach to close the gap between academic and career readiness instruction for students with Extensive Support Needs (ESN). We share links between academic content standards in grades 6-12 and skills needed for over 30 occupations. Participants will apply the links to instructional scenarios.Participants will be able to: 1. Understand results of a study on how current special educators’ approach academic and career readiness instruction and employment opportunities for students with ESN. 2. Describe how the expectations in extended academic content standards are relevant for postsecondary occupations including competitive integrated employment. 3. Use links between academic standards and occupational data to enhance integration of academics and career readiness instruction in middle and high school.