Public School Programs for Students with Significant Disabilities in Post-secondary Settings.

There is little literature that describes the development, implementation, or outcomes of ageappropriate public school programs or individual supports for older students, ages 18-21, with significant disabilities. However, such programs in post-secondary settings such as community and four-year colleges are developing around the country. This article overviews programs based in post-secondary settings in Maryland that serve students ages 18-21 with significant disabilities who are still receiving public school special education services. Student and setting characteristics, staffing, funding patterns, referral and admission practices, and program components are described. Challenges associated with program development and implementation are discussed. Finally, several areas that should be addressed through program evaluation and research are enumerated. Attending college is a desirable outcome for whether this practice is age-appropriate and many, if not most students exiting the public have advocated that these students receive in school system. This experience may consist of struction in settings similar to those experi attending a few classes at a local community enced by their same age peers without disabil college or full-time attendance at a four-year ities (Fisher & Sax, 1999; McDonnell, Mathot college or university. However, attending colBuckner, & Ferguson, 1996; Moon & Inge, lege is seldom an option for students with 2000; Patton et al., 1996; Smith & Puccini, significant disabilities such as mental retardai995. Tashie, Malloy, & Lichtenstein, 1998). tion, autism, or multiple disabilities. Follow-up Some local school systems (LSS's) are re studies of these individuals indicate that 14% sponding to this need by providing opportu or fewer pursue post-secondary education nities for students with significant disabilities (Peraino, 1992; Wagner, D'Amico, Marden, between the ages of 18-21 to attend programs Newman, & Blackorby, 1992). located on ^ campuses (Hall, Kleinert, Tradmonally, students with significant dis& Kearns_ 2000; Hunter, 1999; Sharpton, abilities receive special education services in a ir»no\ r\.u u j j ju r. , 1998). Others have responded to this need by public school setting until they are 21 or 22 . „ , . 1Q r , , ^ ° , ' providing students with disabilities, ages 18 UQirc cvM ri /Min cr n mKorc nr mrontc ro 1 O CJ years old. Gro ing numbers of parents, re searchers, and practitioners have questioned 21, with individual supports arranged by local school system personnel while students pur sue their goals on college campuses and in the community (Page & Chadsey-Rusch, 1995; Visit the On-Campus Outreach website for infor„ , . , , ,,,, . r , Tashie et al., 1998). Ihese options oiler a mation regarding programs in post-secondary set1 tings for students with significant disabilities ages variety of benefits to students with significant 18-21 in Maryland at www.education. umd.edu/oco. disabilities and their teachers from the public Preparation of this document was supported, in schools, such as increased access to same age part, by the US Department of Education, Office of peers, age-appropriate courses, access to new Special Education Programs (Grant Number environments and activities, and opportuni H324R990032). Views expressed here do not necesbes for flexible scheduling and interagency sarily reflect the position or policy of the US Departcollaboration (Doyie> 1997. Goldstein, 1993; ment of Education. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Meg Grigal, 1308 a et a ., ). Benjamin Building, Department of Special EducaGuidelines, however, for developing pro tion, University of Maryland, College Park, MD grams or providing individual support strate 20742. E-mail: megrigal@wam.umd.edu. gies in post-secondary settings for students 244 / Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities-September 2001 This content downloaded from 207.46. 13.115 on Sat, 08 Oct 2016 04:59:33 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor. org/terms with significant disabilities are scarce (Page & sive ongoing support in more than one major Chadsey-Rusch, 1995). We know litde about life activity to participate in integrated com the development, implementation, and evalumunity settings and to enjoy a quality of life ation of such programs, the instructional practhat is available to citizens with fewer or no tice or curricula used, or the impact of these disabilities. Support may be required for life programs and practices on student outcomes. activities such as mobility, communication, In 1999, we received a three-year outreach self-care, and learning as necessary for inde grant from the US Department of Education, pendent living, employment, and self-suffi Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative ciency (TASH, 2000). Services (OSERS). This project, On-Campus Outreach (OCO), is designed to provide netMethod working and technical assistance to LSS's in the state of Maryland for program develop. , . ,,, „ , , , . Identification of Programs in Post-secondary ment and expansion tor students with sigmfi„ cant disabilities ages 18 to 21. In addition, information on these and other promising During the 1997-98 school year, teachers and practices will be disseminated nationally. An administrators who operated programs in initial goal of OCO was to identify programs post-secondary settings in Maryland or who located at post-secondary sites in Maryland, had an interest in developing programs were conduct interviews with program teachers, brought together for two informal sharing ses and collect materials relevant to the prosions through the efforts of the Maryland grams. Transition Initiative, a federally funded sys This article provides an overview of proterns change grant from 1995-2000. At the grams based in post-secondary settings serving time, five of the 24 LSS's (20%) had programs students with significant disabilities ages 18-21 in post-secondary settings for students with in Maryland. Information on the setting, staffsignificant disabilities. Contact was made with ing, funding patterns, referral and admission these personnel as well as with others inter practices, and components of the programs ested in developing programs. By the 1999 are presented. Challenges associated with de2000 school year, nine of the 24 LSS's (38%) veloping and expanding programs in post-sechad programs in post-secondary 'setdngs for ondary setdngs are also identified. This inforstudents with significant disabilities on college mation contributes to a dearth of literature campuses or in community settings. One LSS that describes age-appropriate options for stuoperated four programs and one LSS oper dents with significant disabilities ages 18-21 ated two programs within their school district, including programs on college campuses In all, there were 13 programs in post-second (Hall et al., 2000). Providing descriptive inforary settings in Maryland, mation about such programs should promote a greater understanding of one of the latest , „ ,, °. , . r . Interview Process additions to the continuum ol services pro vided in special education. A questionnaire was developed and used to Use of the following terms is specific to this conduct in-depth interviews with the teachers paper. Program teacher refers to the person in of the programs in post-secondary settings charge of day-to-day operations of the prothat served students with significant disabili gram located in the post-secondary setting. ties ages 18-21. The questionnaire was piloted This person is funded by the LSS and may with a program teacher from an LSS that had have the title special educator, vocational cooperated a program at a community college ordinator, or transition specialist. Program resince 1995. After the final revisions, the ques fers to programs located outside of the high tionnaire consisted of semi-structured ques school in colleges or community settings that tions about program start-up issues and fund serve students with significant disabilities ening, staffing patterns, elements of the rolled in public school during their final years program, technical assistance needs, and chal of public education. Individuals with significant lenges to program development and expan disabilities includes those who require extension. Post-secondary Programs / 245 This content downloaded from 207.46. 13.115 on Sat, 08 Oct 2016 04:59:33 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor. org/terms