National Coordinating Center For Transition & Postsecondary

Programs For Students With Intellectual Disabilities

KEY ACTIVITIES
Think College is a project of the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The Think College initiatives are funded by grants from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, and the Ofce of Special Education Programs.
INTRODUCTION
The Transition & Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) program funded by Congress in 2010 is designed to assist students with intellectual disabilities to transition to and fully participate in higher
education opportunities that will lead to competitive employment. This Ofce of Postsecondary Education program includes the TPSID National Coordinating Center and 27 TPSID model demonstration projects, which are being
implemented in 23 states and will serve approximately 6000 students on 53 college campuses by the end of the ve-year project period. The National Coordinating Center is charged with evaluating the model demonstration
projects, coordinating activities and disseminating information across projects, and developing credentialing templates and recommended accreditation standards over the ve years of the project.
COORDINATION & NETWORKING
The TPSID National Coordinating Center supports the coordination
and networking of the TPSID projects by:
Grouping TPSIDs into cohorts
Assigning a National Coordinating Center liaison to each cohort
Holding quarterly online meetings
Hosting an annual project directors meeting
Creating and managing an online discussion board
Facilitating special interest groups
CONTACT INFORMATION
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TPSID Grantees
TPSID Coordinating Center Grantee
TRANSITION AND POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS FOR
STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES (TPSID) GRANTEES
EVALUATION
The National Coordinating Center has developed an online
evaluation system based on the Think College Standards,
Quality Indicators and Benchmarks that collects longitudinal
data on program
characteristics and
practices. This secure
online system will
allow TPSIDs to
report their program
activities, monitor
achievement of
GPRA measures,
and assist in creation
of their projects
annual performance
reports.
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
The National Coordinating Center has established seven special
interest groups among the TPSID grantees to support ongoing
conversation and collaboration on:
Program Evaluation
Navigating Vocational Rehabilitation
Dual Enrollment Programs
Family Involvement
Partnering with Students in Research and Dissemination
Building Inclusive Postsecondary Education Communities
Accessing Course Content and Campus Life Through Mobile
Technology
MEANINGFUL CREDENTIAL
The Higher Education Act species that TPSIDs develop a
meaningful credential to be earned by students participating
in the program. The National Coordinating Center supports
TPSIDs in this effort.
#REDENTIALING!CTIVITIES
Compile data on each programs proposed credential
Determine alignment, commonalities, and discrepancies
with existing credentials
Develop a credentialing template that programs can
modify to meet the unique needs of each schools
existing credential requirements
PROGRAM ACCREDITATION
The National Coordinating Center has established a workgroup
to develop and recommend model criteria, standards, and
components of TPSIDs to support the development of
accreditation standards.
!CCREDITATION!CTIVITIES
Compare criteria for Comprehensive Transition Programs
under Federal Student Aid with existing accreditation
standards
Determine level of alignment, identify gaps and variances, and
develop additional standards to ll in identied gaps
Create a report summarizing results and nal accreditation
recommendations to be submitted to the U.S. Secretary of
Education upon completion of the project
DISSEMINATION
The National Coordinating Center uses multiple strategies to disseminate resources related to postsecondary education for students with intellectual disabilities. No. 2, 2010
Think College: A Snapshot of Postsecondary Education for Students with
Intellectual Disabilities Across the United States
By Debra Hart, Meg Grigal, and Cate Weir
In 2009, Think College conducted a national online survey of postsecondary education programs to determine the
range of existing services for students with intellectual disabilities (ID).
There were 149 program
respondents1 from 37 states. Four-
year colleges or universities accounted
for half of the programs, followed
by two-year colleges (40%). Trade/
technical schools accounted for the
smallest percentage of respondents
(10%, N=135). Forty-ve percent of
respondents indicated that they served
only adults with ID, 26% served dually
enrolled students, and 29% (N=118)
served both groups.
Survey responses indicated that
programs vary considerably in terms of
level of student integration, access to
typical courses, and disability services.
KEY SURVEY FINDINGS
ADMISSIONS & FEES
= 60% indicated that students with ID were formally enrolled (N=143)
= 56% have special entrance criteria (N=149)
= 71% indicated that students do not take the college course placement test (N=132)
= 78% indicated that they do not charge students or families fees for additional services
related to students with ID (N=129)
COURSES ACCESS
= 75% offer other instruction or social events specically for students w/ID (N=129)
= 75% indicated that students with ID participate in group instruction or activities only
with other students with ID (N=129)
= 53% indicated that students access courses through the typical registration process (N=130)
Survey Respondents by State
1 The number of respondents is listed in parenthesis as not every respondent answered every question
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1
www.thinkcollege.net

Students and Educational Coaches: Developing a Support Plan for College

by Maria Paiewonsky, Kristen Mecca, Tim Daniels, Carla Katz, Jim Nash, Ty Hanson, and Stelios Gragoudas
www.thinkcollege.net
ISSUE NO. 4 DECEMBER 2010
INSIGHT
A Think College Brief on Policy, Research, & Practice
INTRODUCTION Nationally, there is an increase in the number of high school
students with intellectual disabilities (ID) going to college (Getzel & Wehman, 2005; Hart, Grigal, Sax, Martinez, & Will,
2006). For these students, the move to college is as exciting
and intimidating as it is for any other new college student (Getzel & Thoma, 2008; Paiewonsky et al., 2010). On top of
all the usual adjustments, however, some of these students
need to get acclimated to working with a wide range of college supports and with assistance from educational coaches, peer tutors, or mentors (Adreon & Derocher, 2007; Getzel & McManus, 2006; Grigal & Hart, 2010; Hamill,
2003; Paiewonsky & Ostergard, 2010). This brief provides an overview of the supported education model and some
of the challenges associated with using educational coaches
in college. A description of how one Massachusetts student
and his educational coach used a StudentEducational Coach
Agreement to plan for the support that the student needed
to successfully attend college is provided. Potential support
areas, examples from their working partnership, the benets
of using such an agreement, and recommendations for replication are highlighted.
Student expectations in college settings
When students with disabilities enroll in college, they are expected to assume responsibility for themselves and their
education just as their peers without disabilities are learning
to do. Like everyone else, college students with disabilities
are expected to choose, register for, attend, and participate
in courses, communicate with instructors, use academic support services as needed, and access campus facilities and resources. In addition, these students are expected to decide if they want to disclose their disability and, if so,
to seek support from disability services. In meetings with their disability services counselor, they must be prepared to
discuss their learning challenges and strengths (Adreon & Durocher, 2007; Eisenmann & Mancini, 2010; Garrison-Wade
& Lehmann, 2009; Getzel, 2005; Izzo, Hertzfeld, Simmons- Reed, & Aaron, 2001; Madaus, 2010; Stodden & Jones, 2002).
Learning to meet college expectations helps students to meet the ultimate goals of higher education. These include
being prepared to join the workforce, assuming personal and social responsibility, and applying practical skills in decision-making, goal-setting, and problem-solving. These skills, identied by education, business, community, and policy
leaders, are core learning outcomes that employers believe
should be emphasized with students if they are going to succeed in a 21st-century global economy (Association of
American Colleges and Universities, 2007). Self-determination and self-advocacy One of the major differences between high school and college is the need to demonstrate self-determination skills
in a postsecondary education setting (Garrison-Wade & Lehmann, 2009; Thoma & Wehmeyer, 2005). With skills in self-determination that help them regulate choices
This brief provides an overview of the supported education model and some of the challenges associated with using educational coaches in college.
T
hursdays, Silas comes to the ofces of the
Postsecondary Inclusion Partnership (PIP), a
program at Bluegrass Community and Technical
College (BCTC), to work on his art. Silas does pencil
drawings of creatureshalf human/half rats, modied
stegosauruses, and a tiger/lion/leopard hybrid, among
others. He is known for his drawings and his rich
imagination, but what he is doing now is something
different. Something more.
The drawings Silas is working on today have been
commissioned by local science ction author Cathy
Benedetto. In the process of creating her book series,
she decided that she would hire an illustrator to
depict her characters. She saw a few sketches by Silas
and thought he would be perfect for the job. There
were some skeptics, and understandably so. Drawing
well from ones own imagination is a skill few possess,
but bringing to life the imaginings of another person
requires talents far beyond drawing. A collaboration of
this sort demands, in addition to raw talent, patience,
persistence, and what employers tend to call excellent
communication skills.
As a child, Silas was
diagnosed with a
severe speech delay
and mild intellectual
disability. His mother
was told not to set
high expectations for
him. She describes
her efforts to access
vocational services
to prepare for Silas
future as a constant
battle. One person actually told me, He wont be able
to work, she reported.
In his rst meeting with PIP director Jeff Bradford, Silas
didnt say much; his mother did most of the talking,
along with Silas brother, Gary. Jeff and the other PIP
staff had no trouble understanding who Silas was and
what he wanted, however. The portfolio he displayed
told the story. Here were sketches of superheroes,
some well-known and others inventions of Silass
imagination. Some were self-portraits, Silas as warrior
and wizard. When asked what he wanted to learn in
college, he replied that his goal was to be the ultimate
artist. Silas had begun drawing at the age of four and
had won awards for his art at Lexington Traditional
Magnet School. From an early age, Silas wanted to go to college.
With the support of the PIP, he enrolled at BCTC in
spring 2009. His rst class was in Photoshop design; he
received an A. For his second semester, Silas enrolled
in two classes, one in drawing and the other an
experiential education course which allowed him to
earn credit by working in a local business. His interest
in art and comics led to his rst internship with A Plus
Comics in Lexington. There Silas worked on organizing
T H I N K C O L L E G E
STO
RIES
WWWTHINKCOLLEGENETsWWWFACEBOOKCOMTHINKCOLLEGE
His advice for students who
are just starting college
is straightforward. Its
important to keep a positive
attitude, pursue your goals,
and try to achieve them
the best way you can. Be
patient, and good things
will come to you.
ILLUSTRATING SUCCESS:
THE JOURNEY TOWARD BECOMING THE ULTIMATE ARTIST

Academic
Access
Career
Development
Campus
Membership
Self-
Determination
Inclusive
Higher
Education
Alignment with
College Systems
& Practices
Coordination
&
Collaboration
Ongoing
Evaluation
Sustainability