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Fall 2025 | Updates and resources to support inclusive education and post-school success for students with disabilities.
Fall Newsletter
November 6, 2025
Greetings from CCTS! We hope your school year is off to a great start.
October marked the 80th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a time to celebrate the talent, value, and contributions of workers with disabilities. This year's theme, "Celebrating Value and Talent," recognizes that inclusion in the workplace benefits everyone by strengthening communities, driving innovation, and expanding opportunity.
At CCTS, we share that vision every day by supporting educators, families, and agencies across Washington State to prepare students with disabilities for meaningful futures after high school. Through training, data, and collaboration, we work to ensure every young person has the opportunity to use their strengths to thrive in employment and life.
As we recognize NDEAM, we’re eager to share resources and updates in this Fall Newsletter, including:
- Updated self-paced training modules for our Developing Job Shadow Experiences Canvas course—now expanded to include strategies and examples for students with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities.
- CCTS Presentation Library includes links to our most commonly requested trainings for educators, directors, and families. Topics center on secondary transition planning strategies.
- The Post-School Survey for 2023-24 leavers closed on November 1. The data gathered by school districts plays a vital role in understanding the postsecondary experiences of students with disabilities. Thank you for your time and continued partnership in conducting surveys!
Together, we celebrate the determination and creativity of people with disabilities who enrich every sector of our workforce—and we continue building pathways toward a future where everyone belongs and contributes.
Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month
80 Years of Recognizing the Value and Talent of Workers with Disabilities
October 2025 marked the 80th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), which recognizes the contributions of people with disabilities in the American workforce. What began in 1945 as a weeklong observance for people with physical disabilities was designated NDEAM by Congress in 1988 and has since evolved to include people with mental health conditions and other nonobvious disabilities.
- Learn more about NDEAM from the Office of Disability Employment Policy
- Watch on YouTube
- About NDEAM (3:25), Celebrating Value and Talent (1:00) | Watch video with Audio description (1:28) | NDEAM
- How to Help Employees With Disabilities Thrive | The Way We Work, a TED series (5:08)
- A Disability-Inclusive Future of Work | Ryan Gersava, TED (5:53)
- Disability Inclusion in the Workplace | David D'Arcangelo, Disability Policy Expert (11:23)
Developing Job Shadow Experiences
Updated self-paced training modules
CCTS is excited to announce updated content in our free Developing Job Shadow Experiences self-paced Canvas course, a key resource for transition teams.
In alignment with the goals of the Inclusionary Practices Technical Assistance Network (IPTN), these updates strengthen our collective work to disrupt exclusionary systems and expand access to meaningful career exploration for all students, including those with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD).
The revised modules now include:
- Practical tools for differentiated instruction, assistive technology planning, and reflection
- Expanded guidance for collaborating with families, IEP teams, and adult service agencies to ensure access and alignment with transition goals
These updates reflect the IPTN’s vision of a more inclusive future where all students have the same opportunities to explore different careers and build workplace readiness skills through job shadowing experiences.
View the Developing Job Shadow Experiences course
CCTS Presentation Library
Materials from our most frequently requested trainings
Recordings and/or presentation slide decks of our most frequently requested trainings are available on the CCTS website. These include:
Effective Transition Plans and Services
- Connections between post-school outcomes and IEP transition planning
- Components of IEP transition planning
- Aligning High School and Beyond Plans with IEP transition plans
- Additional resources for transition planning
Introduction to CCTS and T-Folio
- Overview of transition training materials and tools
- CCTS’s T-Folio Curriculum
Tools for Effective Transition Planning
- Connections between post-school outcomes and IEP transition planning
- Components of IEP transition planning
- Aligning High School and Beyond Plans with IEP transition plans
- Flexible course offerings
- Additional transition planning resources
Transition Planning Resources for Families
- Introduction to the foundations of IEP transition planning
- Links to additional training, tools, and resources
View CCTS Presentation Library
2025 Post-School Survey Data
Data from the 2025 Survey (2023-24 leaver year) available in January 2026
CCTS extends a big thank you to all the school, district, and ESD representatives who reached out to their former students to gather post-school outcome (PSO) data for the 2025 survey. While we are still reviewing the data, statewide:
- There were 8,600 special education leavers from the 2023-24 academic year.
- Over 8,500 surveys were completed, with a response rate above 75%.
CCTS is eager to finalize data and share reports in the new year. Stay tuned for an email update when data are published for districts, counties, ESDs, and the state.
Learn more about the Post-School Survey and PSO data
To learn more about post-school outcomes by county, ESD, or demographic categories (exit status, gender, disability, race/ethnicity, language proficiency), visit the Post-School Outcome Data page on the CCTS website.
CCTS Presentations and Training
Free Transition Training Materials
Each of CCTS’s self-paced training courses can be accessed free of charge from the CCTS website. Courses include modules and activity workbooks that can be completed individually or with a group.
- Writing Effective Transition Plans (10 modules)
- Student-Led IEPs (7 modules)
- Developing Job Shadow Experiences (4 modules)
- Partnerships for Inclusion: Special Education and Career Technical Education (6 modules)
Visit CCTS’s Secondary Transition Training page for details.
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