HEB ISD School & Family Magazine Winter 2015 | Page 11

HEB ISD Adult Transition Program MARC
The Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District is committed to
preparing ALL students for the future. Students with special needs aged 1822 who have met their academic requirements can participate in an adult
transition program called MARC - Moving to Adult Roles and Communities.
MARC’s mission statement: HEB ISD is committed to providing quality
transition services which foster independence, develop employability
skills, promote self-determination and prepare the student for
integration into their community.
The process begins long before students are eligible to enter the MARC program. At age 14, a “PersonCentered Planning” meeting is held to start mapping out the student’s future. The in-depth meeting is a
process of discussion and self-evaluation where a student can discover the future they desire. The result
of the meeting is a road map to their future complete with targets and achievable goals. Family and
friends are often involved to provide added assistance in the design of the road map. In addition to the
plan, students get tangible experience and begin to learn work skills by doing on-campus jobs. The oncampus environment teaches students how to follow multi-step directions and work on communication
and social skills.
At the high school level, students move to the next phase, Community Based
Vocational Instruction (CBVI). CBVI teaches work skills, appropriate work
behaviors, and job cultures in natural environments and does so through
coaching and partnerships with local businesses that utilize their place of
business as an extension of the HEB ISD classroom. If a student continues
to have transition needs after the 12th grade, they enter the MARC program
to continue to work on employability skills, independent living skills, and/or
community participation.
Another aspect of the MARC program is volunteer training. Volunteer work provides a wonderful way for
these students to have a purposeful day and give back to their communities. The majority of students
who have special needs and who are on the path of competitive employment will only work part time. A
job coach helps facilitate this arrangement by escorting the student to the volunteer sites and places of
business.
Once students have successfully satisfied the MARC process and achieved their goals, they are matched
with an appropriate job in the community. A transition specialist with HEB ISD or an adult employment
agency works with local businesses to create part-time and full-time job opportunities. Once employed,
the new employee is not left alone, but is provided coaching for as long as needed.
Through careful planning and inte