© Think College 2010 PSE Options: Increasing Awareness and Creating Demand Meg Grigal, Ph.D. Think College Institute for Community Inclusion University of Massachusetts, Boston

© Think College 2010 Our Conversation Identify Myths Share my reality Provide some strategies Share some resources If there is time left, we’ll just talk (this happens to be may favorite thing to do!!)

© Think College 2010 Myth People with intellectual disabilities CANNOT go to college!

© Think College 2010 Reality People with ID are not expected to go to college Therefore we don’t prepare them for college And few options exist This limitations do not stem from the students but from those of us who create their futures.

© Think College 2010 People with intellectual disabilities can’t benefit from college Myth

© Think College 2011 What did you get out of college? Explore interests/expand skills Create and expand social network Discover/recreate who you are Gain independence-pay bills, laundry Manage your own time/responsibilities

© Think College 2011 Other College Outcomes How to handle failure What works, what doesn’t work What you need to be successful How to access desired knowledge How to balance your life & schedule What might be the next step

© Think College 2011 The Ultimate College Outcomes Being a consumer of your education instead of a passive recipient Viewing the acquisition of knowledge as a desirable experience Connecting learning to real outcomes and work opportunities

© Think College 2011 Strategies for Success Get and share information about college options with all professionals Build college related goals into the IEP Talk with families in elementary, middle and high school about college options Encourage students to explore learning options

© Think College 2011 Students with ID will change the rigor of courses, and have a negative influence on classes, their peers, and the college Myth

© Think College 2011 Reality Professors indicate that the presence of students with ID –Has a positive impact on their instruction –Makes some peers work harder –Changed their perceptions of what is important in their class

© Think College 2010 “College sounds great but you’re not talking about my kid(s). My kids are….” –Fill in derogatory label of choice Myth

© Think College 2011 Reality Student access to higher education is impacted by Family Expectations

© Think College 2010 Family Expectations are influenced by professional guidance knowledge expectations All of which are influenced by their past experiences

© Think College 2010 Which usually is not higher education

© Think College 2010 So where do students end up?

© Think College 2010 Sheltered workshops

© Think College 2010 Postsecondary education goals are always a part of transition planning Myth

© Think College 2010 Are we setting college as a goal for youth with ID?

© Think College 2011 Post School Goals- NLTS2 11% of students with ID attending a two or four year college or university 58% of students with other disabilities had the same goal 33% of students with ID had the goal of sheltered employment vs. 8% of students with other disabilities -Grigal, Hart, & Migliore, 2011

© Think College 2010 Predictors of Employment  The only post-high school transition goal that was a predictor of employment for students with ID was having the goal of attending a two or four year college.  11% of students with ID had this goal

© Think College 2010 Unpaid job experiences result in employment Myth

© Think College 2011 Reality Workbased learning: –Only leads to employment if done with careful planning and monitoring –Should be time limited-focus on specific skill development and/or career focus –Work with student to determine goals, monitor progress, determine implications for next steps

© Think College 2011 Employment Outcomes  Majority of working students with ID work 8 hours a week or less  Among all disability groups, youth with ID had the lowest rate of paid employment (31%) outside of high school one year after exit - Wagner et al., 2003

© Think College 2011 Employment Outcomes  39.9% of 338 graduates with DD (including ID) receiving long term supports, in paid work one year after exiting high school  Of those working, only 14.2% were employed in individual positions and paid minimum wage -Simonsen (2010)

© Think College 2010 Reality The only thing that truly prepares students for paid employment is…

© Think College 2010 Paid Employment

© Think College 2010 The Importance of Employment For youth with disabilities, one of the most important research findings shows that work experience during high school helps them get jobs at higher wages after they graduate. NCWD/Youth, Hot topic: Work-Based Learning, 2003 Volume 2 Secondary school students with disabilities who worked for pay outside the home in the preceding year before exit and/or have participated in a work-study program at school, have an increased chance for employment in their post school years. Changes over time in the Early Postschool Outcomes of Youth with Disabilities: A Report of Findings from the National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) and the NLTS2.

© Think College 2011 Does your institution or program address employment job training or career preparation specifically for students with ID 81% said yes (105) 18 % no (23) 1 % didn’t know

© Think College 2010 Our DEFAULT settings Employment is not a goal Staff receive little to no training Use of antiquated practices Pervasive myths of reduction to benefits

© Think College 2011 The importance of goals Create measurable employment goals –Goals affect recruitment, family/student expectations, outcomes – Review annually to update progress and make adjustments where needed

© Think College 2010 Most Likely to provide job develop services Job developer 20% School system SPED teacher 18% Adult services provide 13% VR 13% Family member LEA job coach /transition specialist 12% Program coordinator 12% Job coach 4% Career center staff1%

© Think College 2011 The Importance of Staffing Hire dedicated, trained staff person for job development; - Include in job description specific duties and flex time Emphasize the importance of building employer networks

© Think College 2010 Paid Work Individual paid work in the community None 18% Some 57% Most 24% All 1% Individual paid work on campus None 57% Some 39% Most 3% All 1%

© Think College 2011 Keys to success Try to secure paid employment as soon as possible Anticipate that students will have more than one job Support students to review their satisfaction with their job Help families to see that employment shifts are normal and a negative. 35

© Think College 2011 Do you BELIEVE your students can work? Your program goals and staffing will have a greater impact on a student becoming employed than will a student’s skills

© Think College 2010 What are some of the BIG Questions? What is being done to prepare students with ID for PSE in K-12? How are our expectations limiting the opportunities students get? How can we achieve the goal of having PSE as a consistent option on the table for planning?

© Think College 2011 What are key components to success? Expectations Resources Opportunity

© Think College 2011 Expectations Set the tone for what is possible Create parameters of opportunity Impact students’ expectations of themselves

© Think College 2011 Resources Demonstrate priorities Expand options Allow for choice

© Think College 2011 Opportunity Expectations + Resources = opportunities presented to students

© Think College 2011 Students with Intellectual Disability Low Expectations Finite/Existing Resources Limited Opportunities

© Think College 2011 Students with Intellectual Disabilities Expect them to get a job Expect them to earn money Expect them to have a bank account and pay bills Expect them to be dissatisfied when they have a crummy job Expect them to grow and change in their desires and skills

© Think College 2011 Resources Provide access to career center Provide access to highly trained staff Use/prioritize funding to train staff Hold staff accountable for poor outcomes Partner with families on employment networking Help students process what’s working/not working in their current jobs

© Think College 2011 Opportunities Explore possibilities on and off campus Remember employment is an not a developmental process, it is an iterative one. Do not be stymied by excessive hope Whenever possible connect employment interests to course options

© Think College 2010 What are some of the BIG Questions? What are we doing to prepare students with ID for PSE in K-12? How do we raise expectations of early childhood, elementary, middle/high school educators and administrators, VR/DD professionals, and parents? How can these opportunities be expanded?

© Think College 2010 You are our retailers!! Market the outcomes of high expectations Have students tell their stories Capture and share as much as possible

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© Think College 2010 Meg Grigal