Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment

College: Are Students Ready? 2016 Texas Transition Conference Dallas, TX February, 2016 Crystal George, MS, CRC University of North Texas UNTWISE

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment 1.Identify high school, community college, and university expectations of students. 2.Align definition of college readiness with the expectations of higher education settings. 3.Implement strategies to develop realistic objectives for college preparedness. Objectives for this session

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment What role do you play in preparing students for life after high school?

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment College Work or volunteer program Day habilitation program or sheltered workshop Staying at home What comes after High School?

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment Develop skills to transfer to work or higher education Meet outcomes on IEP Participate in services Ultimately, leave high school (graduate, certificate, etc.) Family Expectations of Students

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment Meet outcomes on IEP Participate in services or training programs (if offered) Graduate High School Expectations of Students

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment Responsible for requesting services and maintaining contact with service providers Responsible for registering for and attending classes Responsible for themselves Adapted from Expectations of Students in Post- Secondary Education

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment Low expectations Poor high school preparation and transition planning Lack of communication or support services Ineffective or poor support from school services personnel and faculty Garrison-Wade, D. F., & Lehmann, J. P. (2009). A conceptual framework for understanding students’ with disabilities transition to community college. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 33, Why not college?

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment Provide access, not success Accommodations Support Services Services based on eligibility, not entitlement College entrance requirements Financial need Post-Secondary Education

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment “…Defined as the level of preparation a student needs in order to enroll and succeed, without remediation, in a credit- bearing general education course…” Conley, D. T. (2008). Rethinking college readiness. New Directions for Higher Education, 2008(144), doi: /he.321 College Readiness

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment Safety Skills Navigating campus safely Traveling in pairs or groups at night Awareness of abuse, neglect and exploitation Self-Determination Skills Acceptance of disability Understanding services needed Asking for services (accommodations) Life Beyond the Classroom: Transition Strategies for Young People with Disabilities, Fifth Edition, Online Companion Material, by Paul Wehman Copyright © 2013 by Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved. College Readiness Skills

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment Self-Management Skills Scheduling classes and attending them Locating academic supports as needed Career Goals Exposure to different careers Disability disclosure (Wehman, 2013) College Readiness Skills

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment School Preparation Family Involvement and Support Self-Advocacy/Self-Determination Skills Development Strategies

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment Development of IEP Opportunity to take challenging courses Dual credit coursework Inclusion with peers DARS referral (Wehman, 2013) School Preparation

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment May encounter family members who are both willing and unwilling to support college attendance Parent vs. Legal Guardian vs. Legal Adult Family should be encouraged to have high expectations to build on strengths of youth Adapted from Family Involvement and Support

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment Self-Advocacy is representing oneself and the views or interests of the individual. Choosing where to live Having opinions heard and respected Self-Determination is making informed choices for yourself and directing your own life. Acceptance of disability Understanding services needed Asking for services (accommodations) Adapted from Wehman, 2013 Self Advocacy/Self-Determination

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment UNT Tuesday Night Flight (Autism) Group for students Social skills development VAST Academy ( Certificate program 10 week internship upon completion of coursework Project LEAP ( Develop leadership, employability, and advocacy skills Where the Learning Continues ( Four-year program Builds on math and vocabulary skills learned in high school STEPS ( Cultivate skills for employment Transition Programs

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment Texas Transition and Employment Guide: exas%20Transition%20and%20Employment%20Guide% pdf Texas Transition Network Contacts: Department of Aging and Disability Services: Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services: Resources

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment Disability Rights Texas: ARC: TX Parent to Parent: http// National Collaboration on Workforce and Disability: PACER Center: Resources

Workplace Inclusion & Sustainable Employment Conley, D. T. (2008). Rethinking college readiness. New Directions for Higher Education, 2008(144), doi: /he.321 Garrison-Wade, D. F., & Lehmann, J. P. (2009). A conceptual framework for understanding students’ with disabilities transition to community college. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 33, Guideposts for success. (2015). Retrieved from: youth.info/guideposts Life Beyond the Classroom: Transition Strategies for Young People with Disabilities, Fifth Edition, Online Companion Material, by Paul Wehman Copyright © 2013 by Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Texas transition and employment guide. (2012). Retrieved from: References

Crystal George, MS, CRC University of North Texas UNTWISE 1155 Union Circle # Denton, TX