Jonesboro, AR – (Contributed) – Sept. 25, 2025 – The RESTORE (Research, Education, Service, Transition, and Outreach through Reflective Engagement) Hub at Arkansas State University will host a Transition Symposium for Arkansas special education educators from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Oct. 17, at the Arkansas State University System Office located at 501 Woodlane St., Suite 600, Little Rock.
Guest speaker Talida State, Ph.D., BCBA, Deputy Chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning within the College for Education and Engaged Learning at Montclair State University, will open the symposium by presenting, “From Compliance to Purpose: Building Meaningful Transitions for Students with Disabilities.”
“Transition planning is more than a checklist; it is a critical opportunity to empower students with disabilities to envision and prepare for a meaningful adult life. This session will guide special education directors, teachers, and transition specialists in moving beyond compliance-driven goals to designing individualized, student-centered transition plans that foster independence, self-determination, and real-world readiness,” says State. “Participants will explore practical strategies for developing meaningful postsecondary goals, aligning instruction and services with students’ strengths and aspirations, and engaging families and community partners in the process. Together, we will reimagine transition not as a bureaucratic requirement, but as a bridge to purpose, possibility, and lifelong success.”
State holds a Ph.D. in Special Education from Lehigh University and is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Currently, she serves as the Graduate Program Coordinator for the BA/MAT, M.Ed. in Special Education, and Teacher of Students with Disabilities certification programs. State specializes in teaching courses focused on evidence-based assessment and intervention practices aimed at enhancing outcomes for all students, with a specific emphasis on students with academic, social, emotional, and behavioral needs.
State is a member of premier professional organizations such as the Council for Exceptional Children and the Association for Positive Behavior Supports, and she is a regular presenter at national and international conferences. She serves on the board of editors for the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, Journal of Behavioral Education, and Journal of School Mental Health.
After the guest speaker concludes, four state experts on disability services, policy, and barriers for individuals with I/DD will sit on a discussion panel. The four invited discussion panelists are Joe Baxter, Bonnie Boaz, Johnathan Taylor, and Brian Evans.
Baxter is the commissioner of Arkansas’ Office of Rehabilitation Services. Arkansas Rehabilitation Services’ (ARS) mission is to prepare Arkansans with disabilities to work and lead productive and independent lives. To achieve its mission, ARS provides a variety of training and career preparation programs. They have 19 field offices across the state, serving all 75 counties, where individuals can receive assistance with accessibility and training needs leading to successful employment, according to dws.arkansas.gov.
Transition Services (ATS) Coordinator at the Arkansas Department of Education Bonnie Boaz graduated from the University of Arkansas, Little Rock, with a master’s degree in orientation and mobility for the blind and visually impaired. For several years, she worked with individuals with visual impairments, helping them acquire the independence and mobility needed to reach their goals and become successful.
In 2001, she began working as a transition consultant, and in 2007, she became the coordinator for ATS, which is a group of six consultants that provide training and technical assistance to educators, agencies, families, and students to improve transition practices and ultimately, outcomes for students with disabilities in Arkansas. She coordinates services and events provided through ATS and helps establish the Arkansas Interagency Transition Partnership, for which she serves as chair on the executive committee. She directly serves special education teachers and other relevant staff within the public-school districts of Pulaski County, according to leaacademy2020.sched.com.
Jonathan Taylor is the executive director of the Arkansas Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD). He joined the GCDD staff in August of 2021. Before that, he was a retail field manager with a decade of successful experience in competitive, integrated employment. Over the last several years, Taylor has taken a progressively larger role in promoting disability inclusion in Arkansas.
He is currently the Co-Chair of Disability: In Arkansas and is the Chair of the State Rehabilitation Council. In 2018, he was the recipient of the distinguished leadership award for his work promoting and advocating for the inclusion of Arkansans with disabilities into the workplace and community. Taylor was also appointed to a two-year term on the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disability in September of 2024.
Brian Evans is the father of a daughter with Down syndrome and has experienced services throughout a good portion of the lifespan for those with I/DD from the view of a family member. He serves as Speaker of the House for the 95th General Assembly. He is serving his fourth term in the Arkansas House of Representatives, where he represents District 68, which includes the city of Cabot, as well as portions of Lonoke County.
Evans is employed in logistics and serves as President of L&L Freight Services, Inc. He is the former chairman of the board of the Transportation Intermediaries Association. Speaker Evans previously served 10 years on the Cabot School Board. He attended the University of Central Arkansas and Arkansas State University, and he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, according to arkansashouse.org.
A watch party of the event will be held at Centennial Hall of the Carl Reng Student Union on the A-State-Jonesboro campus. Those who watch from this location will also be able to receive continuing education credits. Refreshments will be provided, and the symposium is free for attendees. However, to receive continuing education credit, please fill out the registration form here.