Kati Ferguson Extension Faculty
Address:	303 Dolgen Hall	Phone: (607) 254-8897
	Cornell University	Fax: (607) 255-2763
	Ithaca, NY 14853	Email: kmf73@cornell.edu

Ms. Ferguson joined Cornell University's Employment and Disability Institute (EDI), School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University in September, 2008. She is currently working as the Project Coordinator for the Model Transition Project. Ms. Ferguson received her master’s degree from George Washington University in Transition Special Education with a concentration in Vocational Evaluation. Ms. Ferguson has an extensive background in transition program development for students with disabilities preparing to exit high school and enter the world of work or higher education. She was the Transition Director at the Northern Suburban Special Education District in Highland Park, IL where she worked with over 20 school districts on program development in the areas of career development, job readiness training, student portfolio development and individualized transition coordination. She also worked for the Illinois Office of Rehabilitation Services where she served as the high school transition specialist. In this position she managed six school districts vocational education programs, coordinating and implementing state funded rehabilitation services. Most recently she has been involved in special education school improvement efforts through her position as the Special Education Training Resource Center Coordinator for the Oneida, Herkimer, Madison BOCES region. In this position, she facilitated school based teams through a data analysis and quality improvement process targeting specific areas of need and systemically addressing such areas through on-going technical assistance and professional development, specifically addressing program quality and student outcomes as mandated under The Individuals with Disabilities Act 2004.

In addition to preparing youth for successful transitions, Ms. Ferguson is interested in drop out prevention and increasing graduation rates for students with disabilities utilizing evidenced based transition planning, imbedding the principles of transition into current curriculum and academic standards and researching the impact of direct instruction and its association with self-determination/self advocacy skills within students with disabilities.

Education

• M.A. 2001 – The George Washington University, Education & Human Development
• B.S. 1994 – Brockport State College, Business Administration