Delaware Transition Assessment Tools: What the IEP Team Should Use and Why

The transition section of a Delaware IEP is only as strong as the assessments behind it. Federal Indicator 13 requires that every transition-age IEP includes measurable postsecondary goals based on age-appropriate transition assessments — and Delaware monitors compliance aggressively. When the DDOE audits IEPs for Indicator 13, the most common failure point is not missing goals. It's missing or inadequate assessments to justify those goals.

What Indicator 13 Actually Requires

Indicator 13 is a federal compliance metric that measures whether transition-age IEPs include:

1. Measurable postsecondary goals in education/training, employment, and (where appropriate) independent living
2. Transition services that will reasonably enable the student to meet those goals
3. Evidence that goals are based on age-appropriate transition assessments
4. A course of study aligned with the postsecondary goals

Delaware's transition planning trigger — age 14 or eighth grade — means these requirements activate earlier than in most states, where the federal minimum of age 16 applies. That gives families more time to build assessment data, but it also means schools need to conduct initial assessments earlier.

Types of Transition Assessments

Transition assessments can be formal, informal, or student-directed:

Formal assessments use standardized instruments with normed scoring:

• Interest inventories (e.g., the Harrington-O'Shea Career Decision-Making System, the Self-Directed Search)
• Aptitude measures (e.g., ASVAB Career Exploration Program)
• Adaptive behavior scales (e.g., the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, the ABAS-3)
• Self-determination assessments (e.g., the AIR Self-Determination Scale)

Informal assessments are observation-based and situational:

• Situational work assessments — observing the student in real or simulated work environments
• Teacher and parent interviews about the student's daily functioning
• Environmental analyses of potential postsecondary settings
• Portfolio reviews of the student's work samples and achievements

Student-directed assessments capture the student's own perspective:

• Person-centered planning interviews
• Student-completed interest and preference surveys
• Self-advocacy skill checklists

The Course of Study Connection

The course of study in the IEP must align with the student's postsecondary goals — and transition assessments drive that alignment. If assessments show a student has strong interest and aptitude in skilled trades, the course of study should map to a Career Pathway through one of Delaware's career and technical education programs (NCCVT, Polytech, or Sussex Tech). If assessments point toward competitive employment with support, the course should include community-based instruction, work-based learning placements, and vocational skills classes.

Delaware requires students to complete a Career Pathway as part of the 24-credit standard diploma. For students on the DAAS pathway, the course of study is individualized through IEP goals rather than credit requirements — but it still needs to connect logically to what the assessments revealed about the student's strengths and interests.

When Assessments Should Happen

Assessment is not a one-time event. The DDOE expects ongoing, progressively detailed assessments:

• Eighth grade / age 14: Initial interest inventories, basic preference surveys, introductory self-advocacy assessments
• Grades 9–10: Formal career interest instruments, adaptive behavior measures, initial situational assessments in school-based work settings
• Grade 11: Comprehensive vocational assessments including community-based situational observations, formal self-determination measures, and assessments aligned with DVR Pre-ETS goals
• Grade 12 / exit year: Exit-level functional assessments that inform the Summary of Performance

What to Do When Assessments Are Missing

If the IEP transition section lists postsecondary goals but cites no assessments — or references only a single interest survey from three years ago — the plan is out of compliance. Families should:

1. Request specific assessment data in writing at the IEP meeting
2. Ask which formal and informal instruments were used and when they were administered
3. If the answer is vague, request Prior Written Notice documenting why the school has not conducted age-appropriate transition assessments

The Delaware IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide includes an IEP Meeting Prep Checklist that maps assessment requirements to each grade level, so families know what to expect and what to demand at every annual review.

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