Harris County Department of Education (HCDE) prides itself on seeking solutions for unique student populations at its four Special Schools while filling the gaps in public education in the region.
At HCDE’s two Academic and Behavior Schools (East and West), that means giving staff the tools needed to best serve students, aged 5-22, with autism spectrum, intellectual, developmental and behavioral disorders.
ABS West staff and students unveiled their newest resource this week with a grand opening celebration for the new Adult Transition Program Production Workroom. HCDE Leadership were gifted with custom t-shirts at the ribbon cutting on Friday, February 27.
The new workroom features two shirt and one hat heat press machines as well as a 3D printer. Staff will lead students in creating finished products. Once fully operational, program participants will learn more on-the-job training and employable skills. The long-term goal is selling products with revenue going back into the program.
“We want our students to be seen as people who can contribute to society,” ABS West Principal Jatata Hutton said. “They can learn, they can facilitate job skills and they can advocate for themselves. This program actually empowers students and empowers families to see their students outside the limitations that society places on them.”
HCDE’s Adult Transition Program, offered at both ABS East and West, is for students aged 14-22 with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). These plans feature customized goals for students. The transition program is built on the belief that with the right support, students with disabilities can lead independent, fulfilling lives. It features a three-pronged approach focused on education and training, independent living skills and employment/workforce readiness.
Students in the program are tasked with small “jobs” around campus, such as shredding papers, wiping tables or sorting and folding laundry. These pre-employment skills are an introduction to working with business partners like the Houston Food Bank and Goodwill. In collaboration with these partners, students are placed in low-risk work environments where they can train and learn various roles while reinforcing skills they learn in the classroom and around campus.
Principal Hutton served at a similar program in Humble Independent School District where students produced a variety of items that were then sold in a spirit store at the district’s administration building. Upon joining HCDE in 2023, Hutton knew he wanted the same for his Adult Transition Program students at ABS West.
Through grant funding, Hutton and his staff were able to secure new equipment and supplies for the production workroom.
The new lab takes teaching, learning and implementation of employable skills to another level. It bridges skills students already have, like folding and sorting laundry and remembering to wear protective gloves on a worksite, to those they’ll acquire such as best practices around heated machinery and using a timer for each shirt or hat on the press.
“This is wonderful,” Adult Transition Teacher Priscilla Bradshaw said. “We have academic and behavior deficits, but once we started teaching them and letting them do real hands-on work, it became easy. We’re always up for a challenge and now we’re at the next phase.”
As the program grows, the skills will too, a factor Hutton and staff are ready for their students to master.
“My hope is that each kid experiences success and stretches beyond the possibilities that society says they can’t do or they’re not expected to achieve,” Hutton said. “And my hope is that these families really feel the impact. We talk about ‘Being the Impact,’ so I hope they feel that impact.”