River Terrace Education Campus DC: Transition Programs for Students with IEPs

What Happens at River Terrace Education Campus

The River Terrace Education Campus in northeast DC houses the DCPS Workforce Development Center (WDC) — one of the District's primary post-secondary transition sites for students with IEPs who are between 18 and 22 years old.

Students who pursue an IEP Certificate of Completion rather than a standard high school diploma can continue receiving FAPE through the end of the school year in which they turn 22 under 5-A DCMR § 3001.4. The WDC at River Terrace is where many of those extended services actually happen.

The campus runs community-based instruction programs that put students into real work environments across DC — not simulated classroom exercises. Students rotate through job sites with support from transition specialists, building the kind of on-the-ground experience that DDA and RSA providers look for when setting up adult services.

Who Qualifies for the Workforce Development Center

Not every student with an IEP ends up at River Terrace. The WDC may be appropriate for students who:

• Remain eligible for FAPE through the age-22 exit, including students on a Certificate of Completion pathway
• Need intensive employment training and independent living skills development

The IEP team determines placement. If your student is approaching 18 and their current school doesn't offer robust transition programming, ask the team whether a transfer to the WDC makes sense. DCPS runs the referral process internally through its Division of Specialized Instruction.

What the Programs Actually Cover

The WDC curriculum is built around three domains that mirror what OSSE requires in every secondary transition plan:

Employment. Students participate in job sampling, supported employment placements, and workplace readiness training. RSA Pre-ETS counselors can coordinate with the campus when students are already receiving Pre-Employment Transition Services.

Independent living. Programs cover transportation navigation, meal planning, personal finance, and community safety. For families applying to DDA, the skills documented during these programs become evidence in the Person-Centered Questionnaire that drives the Individual Service Plan.

Postsecondary education. Students interested in community college or certificate programs work on self-disclosure skills, accommodation requests, and the shift from IEP-based supports to Section 504 and ADA protections.

How River Terrace Connects to Adult Agency Handoffs

The practical value of River Terrace isn't just the training — it's the timing. Students at the WDC are in the exact window when critical adult agency applications need to happen:

• DDA intake should be submitted by age 18. The 2022 Developmental Disability Eligibility Reform Amendment Act (D.C. Law 24-117) expanded eligibility to individuals with developmental disabilities who don't have an intellectual disability diagnosis, and extended the onset limit to age 22. Families should gather the documentation the DDA Intake and Eligibility Determination Unit requires.
• RSA VR referral should happen at least two years before expected school exit. Students at River Terrace often transition from Pre-ETS into formal Vocational Rehabilitation, and coordination with RSA's Transition Unit can support development of the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE).
• SSI adult redetermination hits at 18. Families should connect with a benefits counselor before the birthday to prepare medical and educational documentation for the adult disability standard review.

Project SEARCH as a Companion Program

Project SEARCH Capital Area Region (PSCAR) is a separate but related program that some River Terrace students also access. PSCAR places students in immersive internship rotations at host business sites, typically in hospital, government, or corporate settings.

The distinction matters: the WDC is a DCPS-operated school program, while Project SEARCH is an employment-focused internship model. Each has its own referral pathway.

What to Do Before Your Student Transfers

If River Terrace or the WDC is being discussed at your student's IEP meeting, take these steps:

1. Confirm the graduation pathway decision is documented. The IEP should clearly reflect the Certificate of Completion track and include the signed Graduation Pathway Decision Form from 9th grade.
2. Verify RSA coordination. Ask whether a Pre-ETS Consent Form has been submitted to [email protected] and whether the student has an assigned VR Specialist.
3. Start the DDA application. Don't wait for the transfer — the eligibility determination process takes time, and you want services ready when FAPE ends.
4. Review the transfer of rights timeline. At 18, educational decision-making rights transfer to the student. If your family is considering a Supported Decision-Making agreement under D.C. Code § 7-2133, execute it before the transfer happens.

The DC IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide walks through each of these steps with specific timelines, agency contact points, and the documentation you need at every stage — from the age-12 DCPS planning trigger through the final exit at 22.

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