Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year and thereafter, students with disabilities will be able to earn a New York State (NYS) Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) commencement credential. The CDOS commencement credential will replace the Individualized Education Program (IEP) diploma and will recognize each student’s preparation and skills for post-school employment as well as provide all special education students with an opportunity to exit school with a credential that recognizes the student’s work readiness skills.
Effective transition planning and services for students with disabilities include appropriate assessment of each student’s needs, preferences, strengths and skills, realistic identification of post-secondary goals, development of an infrastructure to support instruction in the CDOS learning standards; participation in career exploration and work and community-based learning experience, increased opportunity for students to earn a diploma, and collaboration among regional partners responsible for the transition process and early referral to adult agencies.
Most students with disabilities will be able to graduate with the NYS CDOS commencement credential as a supplement to their regular diploma (regents or local diploma). Students who are unable to earn a regular diploma because of their disability may graduate with the NYS CDOS commencement credential as their only exiting credential, provided they meet the requirements for awa
One of the key options to obtaining his new CDOS commencement credential is the development of a career plan. The career plan must include documentation of the following:
- The students self-identified career interests
- Career-related strengths and needs
- Career goals
- CTE coursework and work-based learning experiences that the student plans to engage in to achieve his or her goals
(Special Education Field Advisory-James P. Delorenzo, June 2013)
Conover Online and NYS CDOS Commencement Credential
These new requirements demand new tools to help meet the NYS CDOS commencement credential requirements. Our Conover Online system was developed to meet such a demand. Here are some quick facts about Conover Online:
- Includes transition assessments, social/emotional learning and functional skills development
- Creates a career plan or portfolio
- Provides clear documentation of career interests, skills and strengths, course of study and career plan
- Provides clear documentation of career readiness skills through our Social/Emotional and Functional Skills Systems
- Cloud based—no installs and easy access to student data
- Runs on all computers and mobile devices
- Specially developed for the special needs learner with full audio, branching to different skill levels, closed-captioning, and much more
Best of all is the price – it is only $5.00 per credit! A credit is access for one student to one program for as long as it takes to complete.
You can find out for yourself how easy and cost-effective it can be by reviewing our Conover Online brochure.
We would be glad to offer you a free webinar and/or free access to the system. Just contact us and give us a date and time and we will schedule a short 20-30 minute webinar.
