Postsecondary Education & Training
Webinar 4Applying for
Admissions
PRESENTED BY:The Center for Change in Transition Services
CCTS Webinar Series
Welcome to the 2014-2015 Webinar series on postsecondary education and training.
Presented by the Center for Change in Transition Services (CCTS), a Special Education State Needs Project housed at Seattle University and funded through the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).
CCTS has been serving special need students, their families, and schools since 1990.
2014-2015 Webinars
February 11th
IDEA vs. ADA and 504Join us to explore how students with disabilities are impacted
by the differences in law when transition between k-12 schools and higher education.
March 11th
AccommodationsStudents with disabilities must seek their own accommodations after leaving high school. This webinar will explore what to expect and how this process
works at different types of postsecondary institutions.
April 8th
Affordable?Exploring financial aid resources and opportunities to finance postsecondary education will be the subject of this webinar.
May 13th
Transition PlanningThe focus of our final webinar will be preparing for a successful transition
by learning how to write postsecondary education goals into the IEP and how to use the Summary of Performance (SOP) document
as a passport to education.
CCTS Introductions
Cinda JohnsonEd.D., Principal
Investigator
Sue Ann BubeEd.D., Director
Julia SchechterM.Ed., Doctoral
Research Assistant
Today’s guest participant
Katie O-BrienSeattle University Assistant Director of Admissions, Marketing, and OutreachSeattle University Undergraduate Admissions http://www.seattleu.edu/undergraduate-admissions/
Seattle University901 12th AvenueSeattle, WA 98122+1.206-220-8040
Registration
1) Everyone participating in the webinar needs to type the following in the chat box
– Name
– Email Address
2) You will be sent a link following the webinar to register for Clock Hours. You must complete the registration process to apply for clock hours!
Thank you for joining us today!
This webinar is closed-captioned. To view the captioning click on the CC icon just above the video.
Closed Captioned (CC)
Raise your hand and wait to be called on by moderator
You may ask questions by typing in the chat box or by raising your hand (if you have a microphone).
If you have a microphone, please keep it turned off until called on.
Disability types
In 2008, the largest proportion of students with disabilities nationally in higher education:
GAO analysis of NPSAS, 2008
24% Mental, emotional, psychiatric condition, or depression.
19% Attention deficit disorder (ADD).
15% Orthopedic or mobility impairment.
You’re not alone!
FACTS:
In a class of 20 people, there will be at least one other person who has self-identified, and others who have chosen not to.
U.S. Government Accounting Office, 2009 & Hamblet, 2011
11% Of college students have a disability.
Admission denied?
If an applicant meets the essential requirements for admission, an institution may not deny admissions and may not exclude an applicant with a particular disability as not being qualified.
“No assumption should be made that a student with a hearing impairment would be unable to meet the requirement for its music program.”
U.S. Dept. of Education, Office of Civil Rights, 2011
Admissions requirements
Type of Institution Entrance exam required Outcome Example
Post-high School Programs
Campus-based
• Open admission, first-come-first-serve
• GED or diploma
• Non-degree granting
• Life skill
development
• Job preparation
Achieve Program for students with intellectual disabilities, Highline College
Community College
Often called“2-year”
• Open admission• Varies by program• On-line application see
Resources: “How to Get Started”
• Placement test required
• Certificate
• AA Degree
• Running Start
• 2+ 4
• Transfer
34 Community & Technical College campuses in Washington
CheckOutaCollege.com
Job Corps
Free2-yearResidential
• For ages 16-24
• Eligibility, must be low-income (if student is on an IEP or 504, student’s income only used to determine eligibility)
• GED or High School
diploma
• Education & job
training
4 Jobs Corps Centers in Washington: Sedro Wooley, Moses Lake, Curlew & White Swan
Type of Institution Entrance exam required Outcome Example
Private for-profit trade schools
• Usually age 16+• GED or high school
diploma
Varies from certificate to degree-granting
ITT Technical Institute, 3 campuses in Puget Sound area
Apprenticeship Programs
• Age 16+• May need to satisfy
sponsor that they have the ability, aptitude, and education
• Apply directly to WA approved apprenticeship program in your area.
• On-the-job training & education
• Programs often admit new apprentices only where there are enough jobs to keep all apprentices working.
Airplane or auto mechanic
Public or Private baccalaureate granting institutions of higher education
•Often called “four-year”
• Standardized test: ACT or SAT
• GED or diploma• Some test-optional
• Bachelor of Arts or Sciences
Washington State UU of WashingtonSeattle University
Testing in higher education
Federal law requires changes to the testing conditions that are necessary to allow astudent with a disability to participate as long as the changes do not fundamentally alter the examination or create undue financial or administrative burdens. (Campuses that receive test scores will not know that a student received testing accommodations.)
C.F.R. § 35.130(b)(7) and 28 C.F.R § 35.164
Test accommodation
The College Board grants accommodations for the SAT exam if:
Process may take up to 7 weeks and request is best submitted by high school disability coordinator or counselor.
The College Board
• Student has a documented disability.
• Participation in a college board exam is impacted.
• Requested accommodation is needed.
• Accommodation is received on school tests.
Standardized testing
Typically granted by the College Board for the SAT exam:
• Extended time• Computer use for
essays• Extra time and
extended breaks• Reading and seeing
accommodations
The College Board
Community college
Top three Compass placement exam accommodations granted at Seattle Central College:
• Unlimited time (only on placement test)•Quiet room to take an exam•Paper and Pencil exam (Asset test) in place of computer Compass exam
Accommodations for entrance exams vary by campus.Al Souma, DSO Counselor, Seattle Central College
Prepare for exam
Practice and or prepare for a high-stakes standardized exam:
•Integrate test-taking goal as part of IEP or 504.•Students should take PSAT. •Identify if student performs better on ACT or SAT.•Direct students to test prep books & free review courses.
Disability disclosure
Q: Generally, post-secondary institutions are not permitted to make an inquiry about an applicant’s disability status.
A: A student has no obligation to inform a postsecondary institution that he or she has a disability.
U.S. Dept. of Education, Office of Civil Rights, 2011
Low SAT scores
Q: My SAT scores are lower than the average score for admitted students at the colleges I am considering, if I tell them that I have a learning disability, will they evaluate me under different criteria?”
A: Test scores are just one piece of a larger picture that will be evaluated. Disclosing may help explain discrepancies in scores or performance. Most schools publish a range of test scores of admitted students. Some colleges are “test optional”.
Hamblet, 2011
Early decision
Q: Should students with disabilities consider applying early action or early decision?
A: Early decision (ED) is binding so students must visit the campus before applying ED. Committing early may preclude the student from financial aid offers other campuses might make.
GWU Heath Resource Center p.119
Essay
Q: Should students use the essay to talk about their disability?
A: Colleges look to the essay to provide them with insight into who students are beyond the objective credentials detailed in their application. Consider what might be conveyed in other sections vs. essay.
Hamblet, 2011
Interview
Q: Should I interview for admissions even if that means the interviewer would see my disability?
A: The interview can be an excellent opportunity for students with disabilities to convey their strengths, enthusiasm, and determination for succeeding in postsecondary education. To prepare for interviews, students should: plan in advance, role play, & know the school.
GWU Heath Resource Center
Recommendations
Q: Should students with disabilities be worried about what their teachers might write in their recommendation letters?
A: Students should ask for recommendations from teachers who will write strong recommendations. If the student asks that the disability not be revealed, then the teacher should honor that request.
Hamblet, 2011
In summary
• Plan ahead.• Visit campuses & DSO Offices.• Pick a campus that makes sense for level of
preparation, goals, interests & admissibility.• Prepare for high-stakes standardized entrance
exam or seek accommodations.• Keep options open, apply to a range of campuses.• Include postsecondary admission planning in IEP &
SOP.
Resources
George Washington University HEATH Resource Center http://heath.gwu.edu/
The GWU HEATH Resource Center provides information on transition to higher education including information about disability support services, policies, procedures, accommodations, and financial assistance. The Heath Guidance and Career Counselor Toolkit (acessible on front page of website) provides extensive resources.
ThinkCollege! http://www.thinkcollege.net/index.php
This website provides resources for students, families, and professionals supporting youth with intellectual disabilities exploring postsecondary education options.
United States Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html
The USDE Office of Civil Rights has many resources and publications to support students, families and professionals explore options for transitioning to postsecondary education. One such publication is: Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities.
Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges Application for admissions to any Washington community or technical college: How to Get Started http://sbctc.edu/public/pe_index.aspx
Washington Labor & Industries Apprenticeship Coordinators, job training and education opportunities: http://www.lni.wa.gov/TradesLicensing/Apprenticeship/About/AppCoordinators/Default.asp
Helpful books
Cobb, J. (2001). Learning how to learn: Getting into and surviving college when you have a learning disability. Washington, DC: CWLA Press.
Kravets, M., & Wax F. (Eds.). (2001). The K & W guide to colleges for students with learning disabilities. Cambridge, MA: Educators Publishing Service.
Mangrum II, C., & Strichart, S.S. (Eds.). (2000). Colleges with programs for students with learning disabilities or attention deficit disorders (6th ed.). Princeton, NJ: Peterson’s.
Taymans, J.M., & West, L.L. (Eds.). (2000). Unlocking potential: College and other choices for people with LD and AD/HD. Bethesda, MD: Woodbine House.
References
Hamblet, E. C., & Council for Exceptional Children. (2011). 7 steps for success: High school to college transition strategies for students with disabilities. Arlington, VA: Council For Exceptional Children.
U. S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. (2004). Students with disabilities preparing for postsecondary education: Know your rights and responsibilities.
U. S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. (2011). Students with disabilities preparing for postsecondary education: A Guide for High School Educators.
U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2009) Higher education and disability: Education needs a coordinated approach to improve its assistance to schools in supporting students (GAO-10-33). Washington D.C.: Author. Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-33