Kulsoom Basharat

PAPA 6514
Interview Assignment

Kulsoom: Hi Nora, thank you so much for meeting with me. As I mentioned in the email, I am
researching job placement programs for young adults with disabilities and whatever information
or feedback you provide me with will only be used for a class assignment.
Nora: I am happy to help.
Kulsoom: So, I would like to learn more about your background as well as the background of
some of the programs offered in your school. Can you please provide me with some information
as to what is offered at your school?
Nora: Sure. Each of the high schools has a transition teacher and job coach who work with
students on their transition plans, which include skills, job interests, post-secondary training, and
so on, work experience opportunities inside and outside of school, and other post-secondary
prep. In addition, there is a new program. I think its called Discovery that starts in the middle
schools to find out students interests and skill areas early so that they can be placed in jobs that
match their interests and abilities for experience, training, and hopefully paid employment. Dr.
Melissa Hartmann is the supervisor in charge of transition in the county, and one of the folks
who works with her is Mary Young who is very knowledgeable about transition in our school
district.
Kulsoom: Can you please tell me about the role you have in the program?
Nora: I am one of the teachers in the self-contained MD/ID/AUT program here at Park View.
Most of the students follow a functional skills curriculum to teach them life skills, which
includes employment skills. I teach small self-contained classes ranging from functional skills
that focus on telling time, counting coins, and writing names, to pre-algebra/algebra support
whatever the students need to graduate with the appropriate skills and diploma.
Kulsoom: How long have you been involved in program?
Nora: About six years.
Kulsoom: And how many students and teachers participate in the program?
Nora: We have about 25 students in the MD/ID/AUT program and IBS (Intensive Behavior
Support) program, but other students in the school are involved in job training.
Kulsoom: Can you tell me exactly what programs are offered in your school?
Nora: We have programs for different disability categories, for example students with multiple
disabilities, emotional disability, behavioral problems, autism, and so on. Each of these programs
provides support for the students whose disabilities prevent them from participating more fully in
the gen education curriculum.
Kulsoom: Are there any kind of certification requirements that teachers have to meet?
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Kulsoom Basharat
PAPA 6514
Interview Assignment

Nora: VA license to teach special ed, and if in ID or ED programs, there has to be proper
endorsement.
Kulsoom: Do any of the programs you mentioned promote social interaction among peers?
Nora: There are functional skills classes that focus on social skills, plus any students who have
peer interaction goals in their IEPs will have this skill addressed. In addition, students do take
classes in the general education environment.
Kulsoom: Taking a deeper dive- what kind of social interaction activities are available to
students?
Nora: We teach modeling and practicing of skills such as entering a room, greeting, asking and
responding to questions. We use video recording to see ourselves plus watching peer models,
they participate in regular education classes with non-disabled peers such as tech education,
drama, art, gourmet foods, and so on.
Kulsoom: Ok. In your opinion, how effective are those programs?
Nora: Well it varies with the child and the activity.
Kulsoom: Now in terms of course material, is there a specific kind of curriculum offered to
students with disabilities in order to prepare them to enter the job force?
Nora: Most of the MD/ID students participate in daily CBI, which is Community-Based
Instruction. My class for example goes to the local rec center and cleans floors, windows, and
equipment. We also go to a shred/recycle center and sort materials to be recycled. A rotating
group of three also goes each week to the PAES lab, I never can remember what it stands for but
where job skills are assessed in a variety of areas such as cooking, food prep, sewing,
alphabetizing, using calculators/cash registers, using tools/nails, and measuring. The other class
picks up recycling from the local elementary schools and cleans at gymnastics and rec centers. In
addition, most high schools have a copy center like we do and that is run by the job coach where
students in our special programs process copy jobs for staff and teachers, plus do shredding and
laminating. Other schools also do coffee and lunch services, drop off and pick up staff dry
cleaning, and provide other services for staff.
Kulsoom: In your opinion, how useful or effective are the activities you just mentioned in
preparing the student with disabilities for employment?
Nora: Well I dont know how effective it is because I havent had any students graduate and go
into the work force because they can stay until theyre 22. They do learn some job-specific skills,
they also learn to fill out applications and participate in an interview, plus other behaviors needed
to be successful in the work place such as soft skills like being on time and getting along with
others.
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Kulsoom Basharat
PAPA 6514
Interview Assignment

Kulsoom: Can you please tell me about the employment or internship options available at your
school?
Nora: Students at our school can work in the copy center, cafeteria, main office, pre-school,
and/or any other place within the school that needs helpers. They collect recycling and
shredding, too. In the past they have done the laundry for some of the athletic team uniforms and
working in the library. Some businesses in the area like Loudoun Water have offered internships
to our students and others in the county. Some of our CBI sites have also offered summer
internships or paid part-time jobs to our students. Old Navy has offered mini-camps to our
students to show them what a salesperson does there.
Kulsoom: How are the students with disabilities compensated?
Nora: Students who are 16 and provide a clean TB test and Social Security card receive
minimum wage from the county for all hours worked to a max of 30 hours each month. If they
have paid outside employment, they may participate in work experience activities at school but
are not paid for them by the county.
Kulsoom: Do these jobs or internships ever materialize into permanent jobs?
Nora: Have not seen that yet here at our school. Some of the other schools like Heritage high
school in Leesburg have had students move from volunteer work like watering plants at an office
site to a paid position at that company doing the same thing. Some students move on to ECHO,
but Im not sure how that works.
Kulsoom: How does family involvement play a role in the program?
Nora: Sometimes they have to provide transportation if outside of work experience program like
a paid summer job. Families also offer ideas or suggestions of their childs interests or types of
jobs they see their child doing.
Kulsoom: After being involved in the program these past six years, can you tell me in your
opinion, what are some of the strengths in the program?
Nora: Our program here is not a strong one. The classroom teachers do as much as they can to
provide experiences and opportunities for our students, but there is not a strong, coordinated
effort to develop job training and placement here. Some high schools, like Heritage, really focus
on transition and work much more fully with the community to take advantage of opportunities
to place their students.
Kulsoom: In that case, can you share some ideas on how they can grow and improve?

Kulsoom Basharat
PAPA 6514
Interview Assignment

Nora: We need our transition teachers to get out into the community and make opportunities
happen for our students. They need to take advantage of programs and internships that are
already out there and create new ones.
Kulsoom: After completion of the program, do you keep in touch with the students?
Nora: After graduation, the transition teacher is required by law to follow up on our disabled
students.
Kulsoom: What are their lives like post-graduation?
Nora: For our multiple disabilities kids, some work, most dont. Many have difficulties finding
jobs, then have trouble keeping them. Some go to ECHO which only hires disabled people, so
they likely do okay.
Kulsoom: Well thank you so much for your time and sharing your thoughts with me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kulsoom: Hi Jake, thank you for meeting with me. Just to let you know, any information you
share with me will only be used to complete an assignment I have for a class I am taking.
Jake: Youre welcome!
Kulsoom: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and what your role is in the program?
Jake: I am a student in the program. I work at a location during the school days and in the
summer time.
Kulsoom: Ok, how long have you been in the program?
Jake: Since 9th grade, I am a senior now.
Kulsoom: What kind of program is offered in your school and which ones do you participate in?
Jake: I can work at the copy center, lunch room and in the summer at waste management
facility.
Kulsoom: When you are at the copy center or work in the lunch room, do you have a chance to
interact with people of your own age?
Jake: Yes, I have to work with other students to get the job done. We get treats like candy and
do arts and crafts. In the summer we even go on field trips like to the movies. Its so much fun!
Kulsoom: Do you feel these programs are effective? Like do you feel you learn a lot or being in
the program helps in any way?
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Kulsoom Basharat
PAPA 6514
Interview Assignment

Jake: Yeah. I have learned a lot about my friends and I have fun too.
Kulsoom: Can you tell me a little more about the type of work you do on the job?
Jake: I help teachers with copying and book binding and I clean the lunch room.
Kulsoom: Do you get any money or rewards for doing your job?
Jake: I get paid.
Kulsoom: How do you know which job is right for you?
Jake: My teacher decides where I would be a good fit based on my skills.
Kulsoom: Do you think these jobs give you experience to use for other jobs?
Jake: Yeah. Our teachers help us apply at different places.
Kulsoom: Does your family or friends help you?
Jake: My mom helps me a lot.
Kulsoom: Do you think there are ways to help the programs become better?
Jake: I think it would be nice if we could get different jobs instead of what we have.
Kulsoom: Jake, is there anything else you would like to share with me about program?
Jake: I have had a great time. Its nice to have money. I like to save a lot of it.
Kulsoom: Thank you for your time Jake. You gave me a lot of great information.