Report on Disabled Student Programs and Services, 2014
Author: California Community Colleges, Chancellor's Office
Date: 2016-04-22
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Community Colleges,Students with Disabilities,Student Personnel Services,Academic Accommodations (Disabilities),Governing Boards,Educational Policy,Enrollment,School Holding Power,Academic Persistence,Graduation Rate,Two Year College Students,Outcomes of Education,College Credits,Noncredit Courses,Academic Degrees,Educational Certificates,Labor Force Development,Vocational Education,Academic Achievement,Disproportionate Representation,College Transfer Students,Basic Skills,College Readiness

The California Community Colleges served more than 2.2 million students in 2011-12 and just shy of 2.1 million students in 2012-13. It is the largest system of higher education in the nation. All colleges and districts use state funding allocated for Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS) to assist in providing support services and educational accommodations to students with disabilities so they can have full and equitable access to the community college experience. This report reflects the 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years and is written in response to Education Code section 67312(b), which requires the California Community Colleges Board of Governors to report every two years to the governor and the education policy committees of the Legislature, on its system for evaluating &quot;state-funded programs and services for disabled students on each campus at least every five years.&quot; This report focuses solely on the analysis of the outcome data reported to the Chancellor's Office Management Information Systems division by the 112 community colleges as required by Education Code section 67312(a)(4). The report does include a campus-by-campus review of the enrollment, retention, transition, and graduation rates of community college students receiving services through DSPS. This data was collected from all 112 colleges and is presented in the report in systemwide aggregated summaries. The data compiled for this report show that students with disabilities served by DSPS are underrepresented in the college population, and in comparison to their non-DSPS peers, they: (1) take and complete both credit and noncredit courses at greater rates; (2) show greater persistence and essentially the same retention level in most classes; (3) are more successful at attaining both degrees and certificates from California community colleges; and (4) are more transfer prepared (a student who has completed 60+ California State University or University of California transferrable units with a 2.00+ GPA). However, despite these positive indicators, in comparison to their non-DSPS peers, they also: (1) participate at higher rates in basic skills classes; (2) participate at much lower rates in noncredit short-term vocational and workforce preparation classes; (3) demonstrate much less persistence and retention in basic skills (10 percent) and workforce preparation (3 percent) classes; (4) were substantially less likely to be transfer directed (completing transfer-level math and English); and (5) were far less likely to actually transfer to a four-year institution. [For the 2012 report, see ED566678.]