Transitioning to PostSecondary Education

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Transitioning to Post-Secondary Education
Denise McGhee, M.Ed. Eastern New Mexico
University-Roswell
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Barriers to College Success

• Diminished support system
• Inadequate self-advocacy skills
• Inadequate accommodations

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Differences Between K-12 and College

• IDEA Entitlement
• Student has RIGHT
• to FAPE.
• Emphasis on success.

• ADAEligibility
• Attending college is a privilege, students must
  be eligible.
• Emphasis on equal access.

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Legal Differences

• IDEA
• Section 504
• ADA

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The Rehabilitation Act of 1973Section 504

• Mandates that any entity that receives federal
  funds must provide full access to programs and
  services for individuals with disabilities.
• Colleges and Universities, including private
  institutions, have been required to provide
  access and services to students with disabilities
  since 1973 because of participation in Federal
  Student Aid programs.

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Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

• Modeled on the Civil Rights Act
• All public services must be fully accessible to
  people with disabilities (regardless of
  participation in federal aid programs).
• Provides civil rights through fully inclusive
  equal opportunities for people with disabilities.
• Overseen by the Office of Civil Rights

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Laws That Protect Individuals with Disabilities
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WHO IS THE DRIVER?

• High School
• Parents/ Guardians
• Teachers
• Counselors
• College
• STUDENT

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REALITY CHECK

• Difference between
• Special Education Disability
  Service
• Teachers Providers
• high school faculty college
  faculty

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Teaching Self-Advocacy Skills is Key!

• Student needs to
• Speak for themselves
• Understand their rights and responsibilities
• Understand their own strengths and weaknesses
• Know about their disability
• Know what types of supports will help them

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Rights of Students with Disabilities

• Equal opportunity to participate in and benefit
  from programs offered at the college/university
• Equal opportunity to learn
• Equal access to information, services, buildings,
  and academic learning opportunities
• Evaluated based on their ability not their
  disability
• Have a right to appeal the institutions
  decisions concerning accommodations

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Responsibilities of Students with Disabilities

• Meet and maintain the institutions academic and
  technical standards
• Identify themselves to the Disability Service
  Office and request accommodations
• Provide documentation of disability
• Communicate with instructors about accommodations
• Monitor own accommodations
• Follow University procedures if discrimination
  concern arises

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Setting up Accommodations

• STUDENT MUST
• Go to Disability Service Office and register
• Provide documentation of disability
• Explain how disability impacts learning to
  counselor/advisor
• Request services in a timely manner
• Communicate accommodation needs with faculty

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Documentation Guidelines

• Current
• Qualified evaluator
• Adult Norms
• Verify nature and extent of disability
• Verify a significant impairment in functioning

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What about the IEP and SOP?

• While the IEP provides helpful information, they
  are NOT, in and of themselves, sufficient
  documentation to establish disability
• The SOP provides useful information, it is NOT
  sufficient without the original evaluation which
  determined the diagnosed disability attached

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How current does the documentation need to be?

• The College is not responsible for paying for new
  evaluations
• Most colleges require assessments to be no more
  than 3 years old
• Providing the student with an updated assessment
  will be of great benefit

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How Parents and Schools Can Prepare Students

• Involve students in IEP meetings
• Provide students with explanations of the type
  and purpose of evaluations
• Involve students in the interpretation of test
  results
• Provide self-advocacy training
• Provide student with complete re-evaluation
  during the senior year
• Provide student with copies of evaluations when
  they exit
• Visit colleges of interest

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Types of Academic Accommodations

• Assistive Technology
• Textbooks on CD
• Sign Language Interpreter
• Reader, Scribes, Note-takers
• Out of class testing

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Disability Support Services Will

• Empower students
• Provide accommodations
• Monitor discrimination issues
• Ensure accessibility
• Protect confidentiality

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Questions?