Narrative: d. 2. B.

DOE and DVR will collaborate on possible grant opportunities that have an impact on services to students. DOE will assist DVR to share information about vocational rehabilitation services with students with disabilities who may be eligible for VR and provide DVR with de–identified data on an annual basis of numbers and demographics of transition–age students with disabilities who have reached ninth grade in public and private schools across Maine. DOE will provide information to DVR on eligibility, availability, and accessibility of CTE (Career and Technical Education) programs.

 DOE will provide technical assistance to schools on IEP transition plan development. DVR will participate in DOE’s efforts to maintain students in school and to prevent and reduce drop–out rates among students with disabilities. The agency will collaborate with schools on the delivery of the "Career Exploration Workshop" curriculum for eligible students with disabilities. At least annually, an in–house training for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors on topics in best practices in working with transition–age youth will be provided.

DOE and DVR are committed to promoting competitive, integrated employment opportunities for all Maine youth with disabilities as they transition from high school. To meet the requirements of Section 511 of the Rehabilitation Act, DVR/ in consultation with DOE will undertake the following process for youth with a disability:

           Outreach and Identification – DVR will develop informational materials that describe services available for students and families who may be considering sub-minimum wage employment. These materials will include information on Pre- Employment Transition Services and individualized transition services available through DVR. DOE will assist by sharing this information with schools and families. Documentation – DVR will collect information to satisfy the requirement to document the completion of required activities under Section 511 for youth who are seeking subminimum wage employment. This documentation will include:

•  Youth’s name;
• Determination made or activity/services completed;
• Name of individual making the determination or providing the service/activity ; date determination made or required service or activity completed
• Applicable signaturesof DVR/VRC transmitting documentation to youth and dates; and
• Method via which documentation was transmitted to the youth(including if refusal, youth names, description of refusal and reason, signature of youth or guardian, signature of DVR VRC documenting the refusal, date of signatures, date and method).

VR will provide documentation to the youth of all activities completed (such as the Bridge Career Exploration Workshop or Discovering Personal Genius), regardless of whether they were completed under the VR program or IDEA. DOE will support the schools to provide documentation to VR no later than 30 days (after the completion of each activity) unless there are extenuating circumstances of all transition services completed by the youth under IDEA. It is the expectation that all documentation is exchanged and maintained in a confidential manner. MDOE assures that it will not enter into, nor permit any school to enter into a contract or othe rarrangement with an entitty as defined in 34 CFR 397.5 (d) for the purpose of operating a program under which a youth with a disability is engaged in work compensated at a subminimum wage.

Note: On March 18, 2020, Maine's Governor Janet Mills signed into law LD 1874 "An Act to Amend the Laws Governing the Subminimum Wage" which disallowed the payment of subminimum wages to persons with disabilities in the state of Maine and subminimum wage is no longer a possibility for students with disabilities exiting high school. Maine has no individuals working under subminimum wage certificates at the time of this plan.