Admissions Guidelines
Disability Service Personnel - Service & Supports
Documentation in Higher-Education
Exit Exams and Admissions Testing
National Longitudinal Transition Study Findings
Non-degree Learning Opportunities
Parents' Changing Roles in Postsecondary Education
Post-secondary Planning and Transition Strategies
Students with LD: personal accounts of the transition process 
Tech-Readiness for College

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October 4, 2006 Wednesday 
 
Session IV - High School Exit Exams and College Admissions Testing: Performance, Validity, and Use (PPT-Thurlow) (PPT-T,Acc) (PPT-Cahalan) (PPT-C, Acc)
Speaker: Cara Cahalan-Laitusis, ETS and Martha Thurlow, National Center on Educational Outcomes

Each year, millions of high school students take high-stakes tests on the national (e.g. SAT & ACT) and state-level (e.g. high school exit exams & placement tests). Cara Cahalan-Laitusis and Martha Thurlow discuss some of the hot-button issues surrounding high school exit exams and college admission testing for students with disabilities. Thurlow addresses the implications of contemporary U.S. policy and the national and statewide assessment practices that affect students with learning disabilities. Cahalan-Laitusis addresses the issues of "flagged" tests scores, and notes outcomes for students with disabilities under testing conditions with and without accommodations.

Session V - Facts About the Preparation and Transitions of LD Students: A Snapshot from the National Longitudinal Transition Study (PPT) 
Speaker: Jose Blackorby, SRI International 

Jose Blackorby presents findings of the National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) and emerging findings of the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2(NLTS-2).  These studies were mandated by Congress and are the first nationally representative databases of students with disabilities.  The NLTS and NLTS-2 data provide a comprehensive look at the characteristics, experiences, and lives of young people with disabilities including such aspects as: their disability categories and functional abilities, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, student participation in school programs, academic performance and graduation rates, and the level of participation in postsecondary education.  Key findings from the study include:

•  Schooling:
  • More than half of students with LD have a primary transition goal of postsecondary education.
  • Like students in the general population, the course load of students with LD has become increasingly academic over time.
  • 88% of students with LD participate in general education, spending an average of 60% of their classes there.
  • Participation in general education academic classes has increased; most such classes are at grade level.
  • Thus students with LD are increasingly better prepared for postsecondary education, 17% take college entrance exams.
  • Students with LD continue to need support for general education academic participation; about two-thirds who participate in general education classes get at least some curricular modification.
  • Most also have other forms of modification or accommodation: most commonly, more time to take tests and complete assignments.
  • Most modifications and accommodations can help a student ’get by,’ but do not address fundamental problems of student performance.
  • Tutoring is provided by the school to only about 1 in 10 students with LD. Parents provide tutoring to 1 in 10 & other lessons to 1 in 4.
• Career Preparation:
  • Employment is the most commonly cited primary transition goal of students with disabilities (57%).
  • About one-third take prevocational education and half take occupationally specific vocational education in a given semester.
  • Vocational course-taking has declined over time as academic courses have become more prominent.
  • The majority of students with LD get vocational supports/services at some time in high school; 1 in 6 do not.
  • Career assessment and counseling are most common; more direct services or programs (e.g., work study) are fairly rare.
  • Sixty percent of students with LD work for pay, more often during summers than during the school year; about half earn more than $6 per hour.
• Transition Planning:
  • About two-thirds of students with LD receive instruction in transition planning.
  • Most students with LD and parents go to transition planning meetings. One in 5 students do not participate in the meetings; 1 in 6 have a leadership role.
  • About one-third of parents would like to be more involved and one-fourth of students would like more choice in transition goal-setting.
  • Three-fourths are reported by school staff to have a course of study likely to achieve their goals; 4 in 10 are reported to have a school program "very well suited" to their transition goals.
• Connecting Activities:
  • About 1 in 5 students with LD receive case management services from or through their school.
  • Most students with LD have some form of postschool service need identified in transition planning, mostly postsecondary education supports and vocational services.
  • Needs related to independent living or self-management are rarely identified.
  • Contacts on behalf of students as part of transition planning generally reflect students’ primary goals.

Session VI - Concurrent Sessions A
Concurrent 1
Tech Transition Planning: The Key to College Success (PPT)
Speaker: Manju Banerjee, University of Connecticut, Storrs

Today's college students need to be proficient in much more than basic computer skills (word processing, internet knowledge, etc.) to succeed in the transition from high school to postsecondary life. Computer-based testing (CBT) is becoming the norm for admissions tests, graduation, licensure, and certification in a wide variety of fields. In the current digital-learning environment, students with learning disabilities must not only be technologically aware, but also be fluent in using mainstream technologies such as electronic databases, multimedia presentations, and electronic portfolios.  Manju Banerjee raises the key questions that help teens assess their own tech-readiness for college.

Concurrent 2
Non-degree Learning Opportunities for Young Adults with LD and ADHD (PPT) (PPT-Acc)
Speaker: Arlyn Roffman, Lesley University

According to the highest estimates, only 20% of high school students with LD and/or ADHD seek competitve college degrees. Clearly, the vast majority of students with LD need alternative options for continued learning beyond high school. Arlyn Roffman offers a menu of such existing opportunities, and discusses the characteristics of such options as comprehensive, college-based, non-degree programs focusing on vocational and independent living skills, vocational training, community college transition programs and adult education courses.

Concurrent 3
Reaching Beyond High School: Postsecondary Planning and Transition
Speaker: James Rein, B & R Resources, Inc. 

Students with learning disabilities face a unique set of challenges in the postsecondary planning process. While some students may thrive in traditional college settings with minimal supplementary supports and services, others are better served at specialized programs that share facilities with mainstream college campuses.  Such programs have formal relationships with faculty and support personnel to ensure that the academic and behavioral needs of these students are adequately addressed.  James Rein focuses on how to identify effective planning and transition strategies at the high school level and how to measure these efforts against the realities of college life and the special needs of students with LD.

Concurrent 4
Personal Accounts: Student Perspectives of Overcoming Obstacles and Opportunities 

Students with LD/ADHD from the NYC Lab School for Cooperative Education, the Pennington School, and Farleigh Dickinson University presented candid and personal reflections of their experiences preparing for, apllying to, enrolling in, and attending college.  They spoke about their high school experiencesm the evaluation process, taking tests, applying to college, adjusting to postsecondary demands, and shared insights about the support they received and obstacles encountered along the way.  Some of the key advice they shared included:

• Know your strengths and create goals that will build upon them in high school and post-secondary opportunities.
• Utilize the accommodations that are available to you, and be active in requesting and receiving those supports.
• Understand your learning differences and the services that will help you succeed.
• Learn how to be your own advocate in high school, so that you can be an engaged and effective participant in your transition process and postsecondary career.

Session VII - Concurrent Sessions B
Concurrent 1
Changing Roles for Parents(PPT) (PPT-Acc)  
Speakers: Sheldon Horowitz, NCLD and Penny Dragonetti, Family Support Center of New Jersey

Parents play critical roles as partners with school personnel throughout the K-12 experience.  The dynamics of this relationship, however, change dramatically once a student leaves high school and ventures into the world of postsecondary education and employment.  Horowitz and Dragonetti highlight the changing roles of parents as they help their adolescent and young adult children negotiate the practical and behavioral challenges of the postsecondary transition process. 

• Passing the gauntlet - Families need support and strategies to aid in the transition process.  This must be a collaborative effort in order to be successful.
• Letting go with love - Peer identity and support are essential to a positive transitional experience.  Students need effective stress/coping strategies and immediate resources to draw upon during difficult periods.
• Encouraging independence - It is important that students know their LD and are comfortable with it, so they can anticipate needs and explore a range of options for support.
• Allowing your child to fail - Define opportunities, make informed choices, be willing to take risks, and learn strategies to repair setbacks.
• LISTENING - It's harder than we think!  Say what you mean and give your child room to explore what they really believe.

Concurrent 2
The Passport to Higher Education: The Disability Documentation that Students Need (PPT) (PPT-Acc)
Speaker: Loring Brinckerhoff, ETS

Inconsistencies often exist in the documentation supporting diagnoses of learning disabilities and/or ADHD at the postsecondary level.  Loring Brinckerhoff discusses the documentation policy statements for LD and ADHD that are used by ETS and will share twelve common pitfalls that evaluators often fall into when writing pschoeducational or neuropsychological reports.  The powerpoint presentation assists parents, students, and evaluators in getting disability documentation in order before the student is admitted to college.  Brinckerhoff also discusses the Summary of Performance (SOP) and its relationship to transition planning for high school students with disabilities.

• Pitfall #1 - Documentation should be typed or printed on letterhead, dated, signed, and be legible with the name, title and professional credentials of the evaluator. 
• Pitfall #2 - Documentation should be recent. Documentation should be no more than 5 years old for LD; 3 years for ADHD and 6 months for psychiatric disabilities. 
• Pitfall #3 - Documentation should include the reason for referral. 
• Pitfall #4 - Documentation should include a listing of all tests used to establish the disability and support the accommodation requests. Evaluation measures for assessment should be reliable, valid, and age appropriate. 
• Pitfall #5 - Documentation should include developmental, educational, and medical histories. 
• Pitfall #6 - The diagnostic report should have a clear statement of the disability. 
• Pitfall #7 - It is important that the report includes a ’rule-out’ statement. 
• Pitfall #8 - The report should provide appropriate measures of achievement. 
• Pitfall #9 - Test results should be clearly stated with all subtests noted.
• Pitfall #10 - The clinical summary should recap the high points, rule out alternative explanations, and summarize how the findings support any ’substantial limitation’ to a major life activity. 
• Pitfall #11 - Support for the requested accommodations must be tied to specific test results. 
• Pitfall #12 - Support for extended testing time should be specifically addressed by the evaluator.

Concurrent 3
Service and Support: Roles and Responsibilities of College Disability Service Personnel 
Speaker: Michael Shuttic, Association on Higher Education and Disability

Since 1977, the Association on Higher Education & Disability (AHEAD) has trained professionals for the field of higher education and disability services.  AHEAD members are typically responsible for coordinating support services for students with disabilities in a variety of higher education settings.  Michael Shuttic provided an overview of the role that Disability Support Services (DSS) professionals play in higher education. Specific information was also offered as to how high school students with learning disabilities and/or ADHD can be better prepared for the realities of campus life.

Session VIII - College Admissions: Special Considerations for Students with Learning Disabilities 
Speakers: Peter Rice, Middlesex County College, Vincent Varassi, Fairleigh Dickinson University, and Corey Leneker, Evergreen State College

This panel of college and university admissions officers present an overview of the state of admissions for students with learning disabilities as well as special criteria and considerations. The speakers offer perspectives from competitive four-year public and private universities, and two-year community colleges. Topics of discussion include: student disclosure of a learning disability in the application process, letters of recommendation, on-campus interviews, confidentiality of student records, disability documentation requirements, fees for comprehensive LD support services, and the role that standardized scores play in the admission process. 

• Make contact with your top school choices  - call the office of admissions, set up interviews, attend the open house, talk with the local reps, and go to school-sponsored events to show your interest
• Cultivate personal relationships where possible, especially with the admissions officer.
• Know the school culture and philosophy, and present yourself authentically. 
• Do your research to make sure the school offers the majors and activities that most interest you.
• Seize the opportunity!  Ask questions during the interview, be engaged, show your confidence, and sell yourself. 
• Show that you intend to be an active member of the community.
• Practice your interviewing skills beforehand with a counselor or parent in high school.

For more useful guidelines from admissions panelist, Vincent Varassi, take a look at Planning for College Success for Students with Learning Disabilities.

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