Transition ISSP Goals in Newfoundland: From School to Adult Life

One of the highest-stakes decisions in a NL student's special education journey happens in senior high — and most parents don't realize the decision is being made until it's already been made. How the ISSP is written in grades 7 through 10 directly determines whether your child graduates with a High School Diploma or a School Achievement Certificate. Those two credentials are not equivalent, and the difference has lasting consequences.

Here is what transition planning under the NL Pathways framework actually means, what ISSP transition goals should include, and what parents need to know before agreeing to alternate course coding.

The Pathways Framework: What's at Stake

Newfoundland and Labrador uses a Pathways to Programming framework that categorizes courses by their relationship to the prescribed provincial curriculum:

Pathway 1 & 2: Standard provincial curriculum, with or without accommodations. No impact on graduation credential.

Pathway 3 (Modified Courses): Provincially prescribed courses modified by reducing depth or deleting certain outcomes. These courses appear on the transcript with a fifth digit of 6 or 8 (e.g., Mathematics 1262 rather than Mathematics 1201). Modified courses can still satisfy graduation requirements for a standard diploma — the modification is to the depth of treatment, not the course identity.

Pathway 4 (Alternate Courses): Courses completely different from the prescribed curriculum, identified by a subject code beginning with 70 (e.g., 70 1279). These count toward the student's total credit volume but do NOT satisfy specific graduation core requirements. An alternate math course does not count toward the mandatory math credits for a diploma. An alternate English course does not satisfy the English Language Arts requirement.

Pathway 5 (Alternate Curriculum): A functional curriculum focused on daily living, personal development, and career awareness — designed specifically for students with moderate to profound intellectual disabilities.

The consequence: students who accumulate primarily Pathway 4 or 5 credits without meeting minimum core requirements receive a School Achievement Certificate rather than a High School Diploma. The certificate acknowledges that the student met their individualized ISSP goals, but it does not carry the same post-secondary access as a diploma. Many university and college programs, trades training, and employment pathways require a diploma — not a certificate.

This decision is embedded in the ISSP. When the PPT writes ISSP goals in senior high using Pathway 4 alternate course codes, they are — with or without explicitly saying so — setting your child on a Certificate pathway. Parents must be informed of this distinction before consenting to alternate course programming.

When to Start Transition Planning

Meaningful transition planning in NL should begin no later than Grade 7 (the move to intermediate school) and should intensify at the Grade 9/10 juncture, when senior high course selection begins. The PPT is responsible for ensuring transition planning is embedded in the ISSP before these key milestones.

Transition planning must address:

• Educational pathway: Diploma vs. Certificate trajectory, with a clear record of parent understanding and consent
• Post-secondary goals: What does the student want to do after high school? College, university, trades, employment, independent living, supported living?
• Functional skills development: What skills does the student need to achieve their post-secondary goals?
• Agency and community connections: What programs, organizations, or supports will the student need to access after graduation?

For students whose post-secondary goal is employment or further education, every year of high school spent on Pathway 4 courses that do not satisfy core graduation requirements is a year that cannot be recovered.

What Transition ISSP Goals Should Look Like

Transition goals differ from academic skill goals because they address long-term outcomes rather than specific curriculum content. They should be tied to the student's own stated goals — not the school's assumptions about what is possible.

Self-advocacy goals:

• "By [date], [Student] will independently describe their diagnosed exceptionality and three corresponding accommodations to a new teacher or employer, with 80% accuracy during a structured role-play exercise, as measured by the IRT."
• "By [date], [Student] will independently request one accommodation by name in a classroom or employment setting during 3 out of 4 observed opportunities."

Employment and vocational skills:

• "By [date], [Student] will complete a two-week work experience placement and submit a reflective journal entry describing two challenges encountered and the strategies used to address them."
• "By [date], [Student] will complete a job application form independently with 90% accuracy, including resume formatting and cover letter structure, as measured by the IRT."

Independent living and community navigation:

• "By [date], [Student] will independently plan and execute a public transit trip from school to a community destination and return, on 3 out of 3 scheduled trials."
• "By [date], [Student] will prepare a simple three-item meal from a written recipe with no adult prompting, in 4 out of 5 trials."

Post-secondary preparation:

• "By [date], [Student] will research and summarize two post-secondary programs relevant to their stated career interest, including admission requirements, accommodation services available, and cost, presented as a written or oral report to the PPT."
• "By [date], [Student] will contact Memorial University's Blundon Centre for Accessibility Services and complete the pre-registration inquiry process independently, as verified by confirmation email submitted to the IRT."

The Diploma vs. Certificate Conversation

This conversation must happen explicitly at the PPT table — in writing, with parent consent documented in the ISSP. It should not be assumed or implied through course coding.

Ask these questions directly:

• "Is my child currently on a trajectory to graduate with a diploma or a certificate? Can you show me the credit pathway on paper?"
• "If we continue with the current course mix, what is the minimum GPA and credit structure needed to qualify for a diploma?"
• "What would need to change in the ISSP to maintain a diploma pathway?"
• "Has my child been informed of the difference between a diploma and a certificate, and what are their thoughts?"

If the PPT cannot answer these questions clearly, escalate. The principal and IRT should be able to produce a written credit audit at any point in senior high.

After Graduation: Connecting to Adult Services

For students receiving a School Achievement Certificate, the transition from school to adult services requires advance planning. Key NL resources:

Vera Perlin Society: Career development, life skills training, and recreational programming for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Referrals can be initiated while the student is still in high school.

ASNL Transitions Program: Employment-focused programming for autistic adults transitioning out of the school system.

NL Housing Corporation and Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development: For students who will require supported or assisted living arrangements as adults — the waitlist for supported housing programs is long and referrals should begin before graduation.

The transition section of the ISSP should include documented referrals to adult services, not just goals to be met within the school walls.

For a detailed walkthrough of the NL Pathways framework, transition goal templates aligned to the RTL policy, and the credit-audit questions to bring to your next PPT meeting, the Newfoundland & Labrador IEP & Support Plan Blueprint gives you the full picture of what your child's ISSP should contain — and the tools to make sure the school's plan matches your child's actual future goals.

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