In their article, "Improving Interagency Collaboration: Effective Strategies Used by High-performing Local Districts and Communities" Noonan, Morningstar, and Erikson define interagency collaboration as a, “concept that encompasses formal and informal relationships between schools and adult agencies in which resources are shared to achieve common transition goals” (p. 133).  In addition, they identified 11 effective strategies for successful collaboration which are:

• Flexible scheduling and staffing

• Follow-up after transition

• Administrative support for transition

• Using a variety of funding sources

• State-supported technical assistance

• Ability to build relationships

• Agency meetings with students and families

• Training students and families

• Joint staff training

• Meetings with agency staff and transition councils

• Dissemination of information to a broad audience (Noonan et al. (2008).

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Transition planning is the process that brings together students, families, educators, and outside agencies, to help students with disabilities prepare for postsecondary education, employment, and independent living. “Many researchers have defined recommended transition planning practices as: student-centered planning, employment experiences during high school, family involvement and interagency collaboration” (Plotner, Shogren, Shaw, VanHorn, & Seo, 2017).  Interagency collaboration requires a joint effort between special educators, transition coordinators, administrators, families and agency staff.  Community transition teams or transition councils, which include representation from local educational agencies (LEA’s) community representatives, disability-related agencies, local colleges, families and students can be formed to improve postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities.  “Community transition teams focus on services at the local level and are better able to:

• Share resources

• Hold informational fairs

• Influence local policies and procedures” (Clark & McDonnell, 1994) (Noonan et al.).

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Interagency collaboration involves a joint effort of multiple individuals and agencies.  It relies on openness and knowledge sharing, as we work together to prepare our students with disabilities for adult life. “With the increased focus on supporting students with disabilities to successfully transition into adult environments, there is an increased interest in promoting the collaboration of multiple adult service stakeholders in transition planning and the development of postschool supports for youth with diverse needs.  There is also a growing interest on how transition teams can best work together to maximize service delivery to youth” (Plotner et al., 2017).

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There are four key stages of collaboration:

1. Information sharing

2. Cooperation

3. Coordination

4. Collaboration (Frey, Lohmeier, Lee, & Tollefson, 2006).

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For students with disabilities to have positive postsecondary outcomes, much needs to happen before they graduate from high school.  It requires the expertise and resources of several agencies in partnership with the LEA’s.  Interagency collaboration supports the students' goals for education, employment and independent living.

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One way LEA's foster regional collaboration is through the agencies that work together as a result of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). This act was the first major reform to a federal job training program in 15 years.  It is landmark legislation that is designed to strengthen and improve our nation’s public workforce system and help get Americans, including youth and those with significant barriers to employment, into high-quality jobs and careers and help employers hire and retain skilled workers.  "WIOA contains a number of important changes to the Rehabilitation Act aimed at elevating access to high quality workforce services to prepare people with disabilities for integrated and competitive employment post-school.  Specifically, WIOA promotes accessibility to employment and training services, which means greater need for agencies, such as vocational rehabilitation, to collaborate with Local Education Agencies (LEA’s)" (Plotner et al., 2017).

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As students with disabilities approach graduation, one agency to consider including in transition planning is the Centers for Independent Living (CIL).  "CIL's are a natural collaborator in the secondary transition process, particularly as they have established community relationships, expertise in disability rights and self-advocacy and are staffed primarily by individuals with disabilities" (Plotner et al., 2017).  They are authorized under the Rehabilitation Act, 1973, 1998 to provide 5 core services:

1. Individual and systems advocacy

2. Peer counseling

3. Independent living skills training

4. Information and referral

5. Transition (transition from high school to adult life and the transition from nursing homes/institutions to the community) (Plotner et al., 2017).

Interagency collaboration between LEA’S and adult service agencies must collaborate, communicate, and work together to improve students with disabilities postsecondary outcomes.