Task Force for Expanding Credit and Noncredit Courses for Students with Intellectual and Development Disabilities. Final Report
Author: Maryland Higher Education Commission
Date: 2016-01-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Noncredit Courses,College Credits,State Boards of Education,Intellectual Disability,Developmental Disabilities,Accessibility (for Disabled),State Action,Research Committees,Educational Opportunities,Enrollment Management,Enrollment Influences,Enrollment Trends,Educational Quality,Inclusion,Best Practices,Credentials,Transitional Programs,Barriers,State Legislation,Change Strategies,Strategic Planning,Program Implementation,Consortia,Related Services (Special Education),Planning Commissions,Access to Education

The Task Force to Study the Impact of Expanding Credit and Noncredit Courses for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities was formed in July 2013. Chapter 392, Acts of 2013, (House Bill 813) established the Task Force to Study the Impact of Expanding Credit and Noncredit Courses for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The purpose of this Task Force was to study the impact of expanding the availability of credit and non-credit course offerings at public institutions of higher education in the state, including costs, distance learning options, pathways to meaningful credentials or gainful employment (as defined in regulations adopted under Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act), barriers, and logistics. The Task Force was then assigned the task of making recommendations regarding the expansion of credit and noncredit course offerings for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities at public institutions of higher education in the State. The Task Force met four times in 2015. Guests were invited to provide a broad perspective of all components of providing and receiving a postsecondary education. Presentations were made by both high school and college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD), and by the parents of these students. A presentation was also made by University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus (UMBC), which currently has the SUCCESS program on its campus. Also presenting was the national organization called Think College from the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston. During each of the three-hour meetings, discussion was shared as to the current state of what Maryland offers in comparison to other states, including classes that are offered, housing needs, and mentoring needs of the students. Barriers were discussed and logistics required for a program to be comprehensive and inclusive rather than segregated, as is the current common practice in Maryland and several other states. Recommendations as to what Maryland could do, if it decides to invest in expanding post-secondary opportunities for ID/DD students were also discussed. It was concluded that even though Maryland does offer some post-secondary community college and four-year institution experiences for these students, Maryland lags behind other states that offer much more diversity and inclusiveness in their curriculum and college experience. The conclusion of this final report suggests that recommendations should be discussed by legislators and acted upon accordingly if Maryland citizens want to improve both the experience of college life and the outcome of a better quality of life for students with both intellectual and developmental disabilities. Appended are: (1) Individuals Presenting and Providing Relevant Materials; (2) Task Force Members; (3) List of current ID Programs; (4) Information on Existing Maryland Programs; and (5) Descriptions of Model Programs.