KCDD Transition Coordinator Council

Children in a classroom

Transition Coordinators are an integral part of the team and process because they provide specific subject matter expertise to help students prepare for future career opportunities after school. Transition Coordinators act as a collaborator between the student, the community and the school district to ensure cohesiveness and success for a student’s future. 

Kansas continues to struggle to provide comprehensive and consistent transition coordination across the state and school districts. According to ThinkWork!’s 2022 data, Kansas was in the bottom 5% of all states regarding competitive, integrated employment (CIE) outcomes - with only 400 Kansans with disabilities reporting participation in CIE vs. 7,451 Kansans who are enrolled in day and employment services. KCDD is committed to building and enhancing a stronger network of transition coordinators across Kansas to ensure students with IDD are better prepared, supported and job ready upon graduation and transition to their communities. 

The Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities’ (KCDD) mission is to empower individuals with I/DD and their families to lead systems change, build capacity, and advocate for inclusive, integrated, accessible communities where everyone belongs and thrives. KCDD serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through advocacy, public policy, and education. Transitional services for students with I/DD are an extremely important service needed as they assist in the life planning for housing, higher education and employment.

For students with I/DD, the area of transition services is of the utmost importance and is a requirement for Individual Education Plan (IEP) teams across Kansas. Students receiving special education services are desperate for supports, resources and education on what is available to them as they move through the school system and prepare for post-high school life in their communities. These resources include but are not limited to: 

  • navigating Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) like job exploration, workplace readiness, postsecondary education counseling; 

  • obtaining Kansas Vocational Rehabilitation services; and 

  • accessing Kansas-based waivers and other federal and state benefits. 

KCDD’s Transition Coordinator Council 

In the fall of 2025, KCDD is launching a new KCDD Transition Coordinator Council (TCC) to educate, strengthen and inform policy change for the entire network of transition coordinators across the state of Kansas. The TCC will collaborate with KCDD leadership to increase knowledge of the IDD transitional services in our state.  

Specifically, the goals of the TCC include: 

  • Creating a network of support for transition coordinators across Kansas

  • Expanding education and training in the area of transition across all districts in Kansas 

  • Enhancing transition services and capacity between districts and agencies in depth and breadth of services

  • Providing input to KCDD on policy barriers, challenges and opportunities at the state level 

For more information, please contact the KCDD team at kcdd@kcdd.org.