Preparing Students with Disabilities
for College and Careers in the 21st
Century
Debra Hart, Think College, Institute for Community Inclusion
Johnny Collett, Office of Next Generation Learners, Kentucky Department of
Education
Amy Szymanski, State Support Team Region 1, Ohio (now Regional Education
Laboratory, Midwest)
Catherine Fowler, National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center
OSEP Project Directors Meeting
July 15, 2013
Purpose of IDEA
To ensure that all children with
disabilities have available to them a free and
appropriate public education that emphasizes
special education and related services designed
to meet their unique needs and prepare them
for further education, employment, and
independent living.
IDEA Regulations §300.1(a)
Reauthorizing NCLB/ ESEA
• “every student should graduate from high school
ready for college and a career, every student
should have meaningful opportunities to choose
from upon graduation from high school” President
Obama in Blueprint for Success, 2010
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/index.html
• The administration has a goal that by 2020, the U.S.
will return to having the highest proportion of
college graduates in the world
Student Outcomes
• In 2012, 67% of all high school graduates met the
English College Readiness Benchmark (ACT, 2012)
• 25% of all high school graduates met readiness
benchmarks for English, Reading, Math, and
Science
Full report at http://www.act.org/researchpolicy/college-career-readiness-report-2012/
Post-school Engagement of Young Adults Out of
High School up to 8 years
Newman, L., Wagner, M., Knokey, A.-M., Marder, C., Nagle, K., Shaver, D., Wei, X., with Cameto, R., Contreras, E., Ferguson, K., Greene, S., and Schwarting,
M. (2011). The Post-High School Outcomes of Young Adults With Disabilities up to 8 Years After High School. A Report From the National Longitudinal
Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) (NCSER 2011-3005). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International. Available at www.nlts2.org/reports/
College Readiness
Enter ready to
succeed in credit
bearing courses
Beyond specific
academic skills
• Key cognitive
strategies
• Academic knowledge
and skills
• Academic behaviors
• Contextual skills and
awareness
Conley, 2007
Career Readiness
Common Core intends
to prepare students
for careers that:
1.Offer competitive,
livable salaries above
the poverty line
2.Offer opportunities
for career
advancement
3.Are in a growing or
sustainable industry
CCSSO, 2012
Work ready = Meets basic
expectations regarding
workplace behavior and
demeanor (i.e., punctuality,
appropriate dress)
Job ready = Possesses specific
training necessary to begin
an entry-level position
Career ready = Possesses key
content knowledge and key
learning skills and
techniques sufficient to
begin studies in a career
pathway
Conley, 2012
Additional Perspectives on CCR
• Self-Determination (Kearns et al., 2011)
• Conley (2007) components of college
readiness expanded to include selfdetermination
• Common Career Technical Core (NASDCTEc,
2012)
Skills/ Attributes/ Behaviors in Growing
Industries
• Non-routine analytical (e.g., problem-solving,
math applications)
• Non-routine interactive (e.g., planning, selfawareness, self-monitoring)
• Non-routine manual (e.g., physical coordination,
agility)
Council of Economic Advisors, 2009
In-School Predictors of
Post-School Success
Test, Mazzotti, et al., 2009
Panel
• Defining college and career readiness
• Applying effective practices nationally, statewide, and at the local level
• Adopting a philosophy of CCR – and translating it
into systems, practices, and procedures
• Ensuring relevant instruction and transition
services
Preparing ALL
Students with Disabilities for
College and Careers in the 21st
Century
Debra Hart
Think College
Institute for Community Inclusion
University of Massachusetts, Boston
OSEP Project Directors Meeting
July 15, 2013
What is purpose of college?
Formal purposes
•
•
•
•
Grow intellectually
Obtain a degree
Prepare for a career
Get a good job
Informal purposes
•
•
•
•
•
Live independently
Manage finances
Balance time
Increase responsibilities
Expand social network
Increased Access: Good News!
• College students with disabilities in college:
• 2.6% in 1978
• 9% in 2004 (CIRP Freshman Study)
• 11% in 2004 (NCES, 2006)
• Most prevalent types of disabilities reported:
• Students with LD
• Students with ADHD
• Students with Psychiatric disabilities
• Disability types on the rise:
• Students with Psychiatric Disabilities
• Students with Asperger’s Syndrome
• Students with Intellectual Disabilities
Where Do They Enroll?
• NELS - 1994 (students with LD only)
• 2-year school: 72%
• 4-year school: 28%
• NLTS-2 - 2009
• 2-year school or program: 32%
• Vocational, business, or technical schools: 23%
• 4-year colleges or universities: 14%
Where Do They Enroll? (ID)
• 250 college programs across 37 states
• 51% 4-year
• 40% 2-year
• 10% Trade/Technical School
• 45% Adult only
• 26% Dually Enrolled in High School /College
• 29% Both Groups
Who is ideal college candidate?
• Academically prepared
• Strong self-advocate
• Clear understanding of accommodation
needs
• Financially secure
• Clear career goals
Who is real college student?
• Not academically prepared
• 36% of all first year undergrads took remedial
course in 2007-2008
• 29% of students at 4-year schools
• 41% of students at 2-year schools
(Ross et al. NCES, August 2012)
Who is real college student?
• Lack self advocacy skills/self-knowledge
• Wanting to establish an identity without disability
• Belief things were going well
• Lack of understanding of accommodation
• Needs
• Availability
• Process
• Fear of stigma
• See: Lightner et al., 2012; Getzel & Thoma, 2008; Denhart, 2008;
Salzer et al., 2008
Who is the real college student?
• Has financial need
• Most common reason for leaving college – Cost
• Males (40%); Females (23%)
• Vague or no career goals
Reality
Student access to
higher education is
impacted by Family
Expectations
The Power of Expectation
• Parent expectations about graduating with a diploma
(LD), getting a paid job, and/or attending PSE was
associated with student outcomes reflecting those
expectations.
• Doren, Gau, Lindstrom (2012). The relationship between parent expectations & postschool outcomes of adolescents with disabilities, Exceptional Children, 79, 7-23.
Family Expectations
…Which Usually Is Not Higher Education
Up-to-Date Knowledge of Options
• 73% of parents reported lack basic information
or guidance on higher education options for
students with intellectual disability
-Griffin, McMillan, & Hodapp (2010)
•Parents hopes vanish when confronted with
insufficient information and seemingly
impassible barriers for their children’s
matriculation into college
-Martinez, Conroy, Cerreto, 2012
Parent’s Viewpoint
• “It would be great if the school system had information
for parents on options for these children”
• “The school system drops the ball with these children”
Strategies for Supporting
Families
• Family is student’s strongest advocate and support network and
will be around long after high school
• Shift from parent involvement to a family-centered approach:
• Graduation and transition options discussed with student and
family. Ultimately, the student and family make the decisions
• Coordination of transition goals center around needs of
student and family, not convenience of school. What school
needs to do to support goals of student and family?
• Schools must decrease barriers that keep families from
participation in transition planning
(Novick, 2001; Turnbull et al, 2006; Kochhar-Bryant, 2009)
PATHWAYS TO COLLEGE
What impacts a path to college?
• Finance
• Disability Disclosure
• Student motivation
• Family
• Knowledge
What can we do?
• Become familiar with different college funding
mechanisms:
• 529 plans
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Waivers
• Comprehensive Transition Programs
• National Service Education Awards
• Scholarships
Disclosure
• Multiple studies point to lack of knowledge of
services in college as a main reason for not disclosing
• e.g., Lightner et al., 2012; Getzel & Thoma, 2008; Salzer et al., 2008;
Megivern, 2008
Self-Disclosure
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00%
20.00%
10.00%
0.00%
Do Not Consider Self to Have
a Disability
Considers Self to Have a
Disability: Did not Inform
School
Considers Self to Have a
Disability: Informed School
Before Enrollment
Considers Self to Have a
Disability: Informed School
After Enrollment
From: Newman, Wagner, Cameto, & Knokey (2009). The post high school outcomes of youth with disabilities up to
4 years after high school. A report of findings from the NLTS2. Menlo Park, CA.
Preparatory Postsecondary
Education Experiences
• Summer bridge programs
• Open enrollment
• Dual enrollment or college based transition programs
• College 101 courses
Faculty Expectations ≠Student
Knowledge
“They Never Told Me What to Expect, so I Didn’t
Know What to Do”: Defining and Clarifying the
Role of a Community College Student
-Karp & Bork, 2012
New Expectations in
College
Academic skills ≠
Academic Behaviors
• Structure of day
• Amount & frequency of
feedback
• Differences in strategies
to accomplish tasks
(notes, studying, papers)
• Manage workflow
independently
• Organize & manage
time/demands
• Independent reflective
note taking
• Uses tools of the trade
(Karp & Bork, 2012)
Implications for Students with
Disabilities
• Practice managing own schedule
• Use smartphone / tablet to manage
school/work/social commitments
• Self-monitor progress on assignments/goals
• Identify strategies for academic skills (studying, notetaking, written work)
• HELP!
• Where it is, how to get it, and when its needed
Things Professors Expect
• Collegiate discourse (give & take of ideas opinions,
demonstrate openness to new ideas)
• Respect, commitment, & playing by college rules
• Karp & Bork, 2012
Implications for Students with
Disabilities
• Practice how to interact in adult
learning environments
• Learn to express opinions
• Read context of environment
• Understand college dynamics/social structure
What can you do tomorrow (or on
Monday)?
• Explore available options
• Provide flexibility in plans
• Encourage & support college aspirations
• Explain & model how things will change in college
• Explain the change in legal status & roles
• Encourage use of college behaviors including requesting
accommodations
• Involve parents/families in information gathering
• Hold high expectations for all students!!
Preparing Students with
Disabilities for College and
st
Careers in the 21 Century
Johnny Collett
Kentucky Department of Education
Mission
The Kentucky Department of Education’s mission is to
prepare all Kentucky students for next-generation
learning, work and citizenship by engaging schools,
districts, families and communities through excellent
leadership, service and support
Vision
To ensure that all students reach proficiency and
graduate from high school ready for college
and careers
Proficient and Prepared
• Persistence to Graduation
• Course & Assessment
Alignment
• Unbridled Learning
Accountability Model
• Targeted Interventions
• Career Readiness Pathways
• Acceleration
• Academic & Career
Advising
• Priority Schools
• Early Graduation
• Raising Compulsory
Attendance
• Progress Monitoring
• Consolidated Planning /Use
of Data
• Alternative Individual
Learning Plans
• Digital Learning
• Best Practices & Sustainability
• Professional Development for
Closing the Gap
College &
Career
Readiness
Closing the
Gap
Proficiency &
Achievement
Educator
Effectiveness
• Curriculum, Assessment &
Alignment:
• CIITS
• Unbridled Learning
Accountability Model
• KSI/RTI
• Program Review
• Literacy Initiative
• Math Initiative
• School Readiness and Early
Childhood
• Professional Growth and
Effectiveness System
(PGES)
• Professional Learning and
Support
• Tell KY Survey
• Human Capital
Management &
Development
Senate Bill 1 (2009 KY General
Assembly)
o New Assessment and Accountability System
o Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
(CPE), the Kentucky Board of Education (KBE), and
the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE)
collaborate to develop a unified strategy to:
o reduce college remediation rates of recent high school
graduates by at least fifty percent by 2014 from the rates in
2010
o increase the college completion rates of students
enrolled in one or more remedial classes by three percent
annually from 2009 to 2014
Organizing for Success
Visionary Leadership
o Kentucky Board of Education (KBE)
o Dr. Terry Holliday, Commissioner (2009)
o Felicia Cumings Smith, Associate Commissioner
(ONGL)
Re-organization of KY Dept of Ed (2010)
Division that relates to special education located in
the same Office as the division that relates to program
standards, and the division that relates to effective
teachers/leaders
ESEA Waiver
Organizing for Success
 Leadership Networks - build capacity of district
leadership teams to implement SB 1 (including special
educators)
 Educational Cooperatives - comprehensive
educational services and programs that support
member districts/ schools
 Special Education Cooperatives - literacy, math,
transition, behavior, low incidence, technical
assistance, professional development
 Continuous Instructional Improvement
Technology System (CIITS)
College Ready
Career Ready
College & Career Ready
(1 Point)
A student must meet
benchmarks on one
of the following:
(1 Point)
A student must meet
benchmarks on one from each of
the following columns:
(1.5 Points)
A student must meet
benchmarks on one from each of
the following columns:
ACT, or
COMPASS, or
KYOTE
Career Ready
Academic
Career Ready
Technical
College Ready
Academic
Career Ready
Technical
ASVAB
or
WorkKeys
KOSSA
or
Industry
Certificate
ACT
or
COMPASS
or
KYOTE
KOSSA
or
Industry
Certificate
KOSSA - Kentucky Occupational Skill Standards & Assessments
ASVAB - Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
KYOTE - Kentucky Online Testing
College/Career Readiness (CCR)
Increase the percentage of students who are collegeand career-ready from 34% (2010) to 67% (by 2015 )
The cornerstone of the
Unbridled Learning Accountability model
o 2010
o 2011
o 2012
-
34%
38%
47.2%*
*6,733 more students
 2012 CCR rate for students with disabilities – (11.2%)
Individual Learning Plan (ILP)
KY first introduced the web-based ILP statewide for
grades 6-12 in 2006
o Completion of the ILP from grade 6-12 is a graduation
requirement
o At the end of the first school year only 21% of students
completed their grade specific requirements
o At the end of SY 2013, 89% of students completed the ILP
o Assessment results are uploaded to ILPs
o Parents have unique passwords to access their students’ ILP
o Students retain access to their ILP after high school
o KY has developed several resources to assist schools in
implementation of and full engagement in the ILP
Operation Preparation
o During March 2013, trained volunteer community
advisors met with every 8th and 10th grade student in
participating schools.
o The community advisor used the student’s ILP
(including career interest inventory and
EXPLORE/PLAN results) to discuss the student’s:
 career aspirations, required education/training and
workforce skills
 whether the student is on target to meet their goals
 whether the student is taking the courses recommended to
prepare them for a successful future
State Personnel Development Grant
(SPDG)
1.Close achievement gaps for SWD
2.Prepare students participating in KY’s alternate
assessment for college/career
Statewide IEP Development Guidance
•Standards-based
•Statewide training & ongoing TA from KDE
•LEAs & other stakeholders
Comprehensive Improvement Planning
and Students with Disabilities (SWD)
Schools/districts are intentionally planning for students with
disabilities as part of their comprehensive improvement planning
process
• Special education is a service, not a place
• SWD are general education students who receive special
education services
• Local Directors of Special Education (DoSE) and special
educators are critical partners as schools/districts develop
specific and intentional plans for closing gaps for SWD
51
Promoting College & Career
Readiness through
Interagency Collaboration
Ohio’s State Support Team Region 1
Regional Transition Council
Amy Szymanski, M.Ed.
July 17, 2013
Ohio’s State Support Teams (SSTs)
Agreement for Ohio's State Support Teams 20010 - 2011 (Ohio Department of Education: Columbus, Ohio)
Regional Transition Council
Mission
Regional Transition Councils (RTC), representing
secondary transition stakeholders in schools and
communities in Ohio, are dedicated to
promoting strong transition plans, practices, and
programs for students with disabilities leading
to successful transition from school to adult life.
Regional Transition Council
Goals
• Promote collaborative relationships
• Disseminate current information on secondary
transition practices
• Establish communications and idea sharing,
discuss concerns, and solicit feedback
• Promote greater transparency in order to
remove barriers across service systems
• Work to improve performance on State
Performance Plan Indicators 1, 2, 13 and 14 and
promote Evidence-Based Practices
State Support Team Region 1
Regional Transition Council
• School Districts (urban & rural)
• Job Training Coordinator
• Work Study Coordinator
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Educational Service Center
Parent Mentor
Rehabilitation Services Commission
Board of Developmental Disabilities
Colleges/Universities (two & four year)
Career Technical Center
Mental Health
Social Security
State Support Team Region 1
Regional Transition Council
Goals:
• Develop effective secondary transition plans to
improve outcomes of employment,
education/training, and independent living
• Disseminate information and training to
educators, agencies and parents
• Facilitate agency linkages
State Support Team Region 1
Regional Transition Council
• Action Step:
Develop a Regional Transition Fair to include parents,
schools, agencies, employers
Postsecondary Transition EXPO
October 30, 2010
November 5, 2011
November 27-29, 2013
April 23-26, 2013
State Support Team Region 1
Regional Transition Council
• Action Step:
Assist schools in enhancing the student Summary
of Performance
Schools: What
information can be
reasonably
provided/obtained?
Parents: What
information
can you and
your child
provide?
Agencies:
What
information
is needed to
determine
eligibility for
services?
State Support Team Region 1
Regional Transition Council
•Action Step:
Assist schools in enhancing the student Summary
of Performance
Next Steps:
*Ohio’s Employment First Conference
*Pilot Study and Focus Groups
Questions and Answers