Narrative: d. 1.

BRS continues to collaborate with the State Department of Education (SDE) and a number of entities to implement pre–employment transition services including the Connecticut Transition Community of Practice, the North East Transition Group, Transition Task Force, and CT–AHEAD/Higher Education Schools.

BRS collaborates with education administrators to sign a referral protocol yearly. With implementation of WIOA, 10 VR pre-employment transition service Pre-ETS (Level Up) counselors were assigned to provide Pre-ETS (Level Up) exclusively with students with disabilities.

SDE and BRS have staff that serve on each other's advisory committees (Transition Task Force and Level Up Committee). Program staff attends common training regarding the Individualized Education Plan (IEP), secondary transition services and WIOA. SDE and BRS collaborated to develop a statewide CT Transition Community of Practice (COP) with a broad stakeholder base as a single portal for transition resource development, professional development, and interagency collaboration. SDE and BRS initiated statewide strategic planning with agencies, school districts, families and other stakeholders.

Information on the formal interagency agreement with the State Department of Education (SDE) includes the following:

BRS has expanded focus to include both Level Up Committee and Transition Committee to focus on service delivery for students enrolled in high school and also collaborated with the State Department of Education (SDE) and a number of entities to implement pre–employment transition services including the Connecticut Transition Community of Practice, Transition Task Force, and CT–AHEAD/Higher Education Schools.

1. BRS entered into a MOU with SDE on 11/17/2017 and provides Pre-ETS (Level Up) to students starting at 16 years of age. 

1. The responsibilities of BRS under the formal interagency agreement are as follows:

1. Collaborate with the SDE in coordinating, providing, and documenting the provision of Pre-ETS (Level Up) to students with disabilities;
2. Provide vocational rehabilitation services to students and youth who meet the eligibility criteria of BRS;
3. Work with the Local Education Authorities (LEA) to make the best effort to develop an Individual Plan for Employment (IPE) for each student eligible for adult VR services before the student leaves the school setting;
4. Provide consultation and technical assistance to aid LEA in planning for the transition of eligible students;
5. Coordinate with the SDE for training and technical assistance regarding transitioning youth with disabilities and interagency service linkages, including but not limited to, presenting at statewide events and supporting the statewide transition website of the Connecticut Transition Community of Practice (COP);
6. Satisfy the documentation requirements of section 511 of WIOA and 34 C.F.R. 397 for students with disabilities who seek subminimum wage from employers who hold special wage certificates under the Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. 214 (c), including the provision of documentation of notice that Pre-ETS (Level Up) were available to that individual under 34 C.F.R. 361.48, documentation of an application for vocational rehabilitation services and the result thereof, and, if the individual was found eligible for vocational rehabilitation services, documentation that the individual had an IPE, was unable to achieve the employment outcome specified in the IPE, and had a closed case record meeting the requirements of 34 C.F.R. 361.47;
7. Collaborate with the SDE to provide trainings to schools about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers and Customized Employment for youth with disabilities;
8. Provide a VR staff member to participate on or support the SDE Transition Taskforce, the Connecticut Transition COP; the BRS Level Up meetings, and
9. Satisfy the career counseling and information and referral requirements of WIOA, including its documentation requirements, for each youth with a disability who seeks, or obtains, subminimum wage employment.

2. The responsibilities of SDE under the formal interagency agreement are as follows:

1. Provide general supervision of the implementation of the IDEA’s requirements for special education and related services to ensure a free appropriate public education for children and youth with disabilities;
2. Collaborate with BRS to coordinate, provide, and document the provision of Pre-ETS (Level Up) to students with disabilities;
3. Facilitate partnerships between BRS and LEA, including the identification of a contact person in each organization, as mutually identified by the parties, to facilitate communication;
4. Collaborate with BRS and LEA to develop new Pre-ETS (Level Up) services;
5. Assist BRS with training schools about STEM careers and customized employment for youth with disabilities;
6. Assure that IEPs developed by LEA for youth with disabilities aged 16 or over include plans for the provision of educationally-related “transition services” as defined in 34 C.F.R. 361.22(b)(4) and 34 CF.R. 300.43.  Educationally-related transition services shall also include such activities identified by the LEA as are based on the child’s needs, consider the child’s preferences, and are designed to facilitate movement from school to post-secondary activities, including employment;
7. For each student with a disability with an IEP or Section 504 Accommodation Plan that the LEA has reason to believe may pursue subminimum wage employment following their exit from the school system, SDE shall assure that LEA document the provision of transition services in accordance with the documentation requirements of 34 C.F.R. 397.30(b)(1), including, at a minimum, the child’s name, a description of the service or activity completed, the dated signature of the responsible educational official documenting the completion of the required service or activity, and the dated signature of the responsible educational official who transmits the documentation of the provision of transition services to BRS upon the request of BRS;
8. For each student with a disability that the LEA has reason to believe may pursue subminimum wage employment following their exit from the school system, SDE shall assure that LEA transmit documentation of the provision of educationally-related transition services to BRS by June 15 of the year in which the youth exits the school system. Such transmission of documentation to BRS shall include a cover sheet identifying the transmitted documentation that has been provided and shall be made in a manner that ensures confidentiality in accordance with the requirements of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act;
9. Collaborate with BRS to disseminate information about and train school personnel on how to coordinate services for students with disabilities as they transition to life after high school, including those students interested in supported, subminimum wage, or other employment in compliance with WIOA;
10. Coordinate with BRS to distribute information for LEA to provide to students referred to BRS beginning at age 16;
11. Provide information about BRS and related services on the SDE Secondary Transition and other relevant website pages;
12. Facilitate the provision of transition services through LEA, based on funding responsibilities identified in IDEA and WIOA;
13. Provide an SDE staff member to actively participate on and support or co-chair the BRS Transition Committee, SDE Transition Taskforce and the Connecticut Transition COP; and
14. Assure that neither the SDE nor the LEA will enter into a contract with an entity for the purpose of operating a program under which a youth with a disability is engaged in work compensated at a subminimum wage.