Let this be your guide to plan for college if you have been identified as having a learning disability, attention deficit, or other special academic or physical need.  Everyone who is motivated and prepared to do so can go to college.  When you have special needs, the process gets a bit more complicated, but the MHS Guidance Department is here to help.  If this page doesn't answer your questions, please contact your counselor!

Web page contents:

High school academic preparation for college

Tips for being successful in college

Differences between high school and college  LAWS

Differences between high school and college  PARENT ROLES

Differences between high school and college  ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL

Questions to ask about college support services

College applications and the admission process

Testing for college (SAT and ACT)

The Law

Resources and links for further information

INTRODUCTION

Mariemont High School is dedicated to facilitating the transition from high school into the educational or vocational opportunity of choice for each and every student.  Although this process can be confusing for everyone, it is even more daunting for students and families who live with learning disabilities and attention deficits.

This web page (and resource manual available in print with the same content) is especially designed for those students who wish to pursue postsecondary education at an institution of higher education.  While we recognize and celebrate the many opportunities open to our students, this particular process needs a great deal of attention.  We fully support the goals and wishes of students who wish to pursue other paths and we welcome the opportunity to work with every student to accomplish goals.

This web page will provide only an overview of the college admission process as it relates to students with LD, ADD/ADHD, and other identified disabilities.  We hope students and families will consider it a good start and will utilize our counseling services for more individualized help as students get closer to the end of their high school experience.  Our goal is the same as a family goal:  to not only get a student into college, but to get a student out of college successfully.

It is important to understand that the IEP the student has had in high school will END with high school graduation.  Responsibilities of colleges are much different than from those of secondary schools.  Appropriate academic adjustments will be determined based on individual disability-related needs.  Students will be expected to complete essential course work, and will be graded by the same criteria as all other students.

Mariemont High School Counselors:                                                    Special Education Teaching Staff, Mariemont High School:

Ann Arbogast, 9^th-11^th Grade Counselor (last names M-Z)                Carolyn Butler

Janet Elfers, 12^th Grade Counselor                                                Janet Sayre                                            

Amanda Lesczcuk, 9^th-11^th Grade Counselor (last names A-L)           Marissa Trybus

Ms. Cathy Pelosi, School Psychologist                                           David Sedivy

                                                                                             Debbie Koehne

HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMIC PREPARATION FOR COLLEGE

• Develop a four-year curriculum and testing plan
• Take the strongest curriculum possible with appropriate accommodations
• Whenever possible, take four years each of English, math, science, and social studies to give you plenty of college options
• When possible, take 2-3 years of a foreign language (not all colleges require foreign language for students with certain disabilities)
• Become computer-proficient
• Develop learning strategies
• Take at least one fine arts course
• Recognize and learn to articulate individual learning needs—become a self-advocate!
• Set achievable goals and review year with counselor and parent

TIPS FOR BEING SUCCESSFUL IN COLLEGE

• Make a list of everything that helped you be successful in high school…study habits, specific strategies, study methods, assistance devices…then make sure all those things are in place at college
• Analyze your reading and writing abilities.  Do you need help in increasing speed or comprehension?  Should you be practicing your writing skills?
• Evaluate your organization skills.  Use calendars, planners, lists, and charts.  Budget your time and be realistic about how much you can do and how long it takes you to do various tasks.
• Resolve to devote 80-90% of your efforts to academics during your first year of college.  Can you discipline yourself to do so?
• Look at activities and choose one or two that appeal to you, but don’t try to do everything!
• Know yourself; be yourself; value yourself

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE

LAWS

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE

PARENT ROLES

Parents:  You may find some dramatic differences in the role you play as decision maker and advocate.  You will no longer be formally consulted regarding the types of services to be provided.  You cannot speak directly to service providers, professors, etc. regarding your student unless you daughter or son has given permission.  Students are considered adults and treated as such.  They must serve as their own advocates and make their own decisions.  No one will seek them out for services.  The initiative is theirs.  Colleges are required to provide accommodations ONLY after a formal request BY THE STUDENT and presentation of proper documentation verifying a specific disability and rationale for accommodations

              (information extracted from Univ. of Toledo Office of Disability Services documents)   

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE

ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL

1.      Academic environment in college

a.    Instruction is mainly by lecture

b.    Independent reading assignments in addition to lectures

c.     More students on campus

d.    More social activities that might be distractions

e.    Classes meet less often and for fewer hours

f.      Using the library effectively is more important

g.    Students are responsible for what they learned in high school

h.    More emphasis on understanding theory

2.      Grading

a.    Harder work is required for an A or B; C is an average grade

b.    Semester grades may be based on just two or three test scores

c.     Exam questions may be more difficult to predict

d.    More major writing assignments

e.    Essay exams are more common

3.      Knowledge acquisition

a.    Comprehension skills are more important

b.    Taking good notes is important

c.     Being able to identify main ideas is more important

d.    Effective communications skills are more important

e.    Students are responsible for monitoring their own progress and are responsible for recognizing the need for getting additional help

f.      Paying attention in class is more important

g.    Studying is more important

4.      Support

a.    No resource room:  students must be independent and responsible for seeking assistance

b.    Less contact with instructors

c.     Less individual feedback

d.    More academic competition

e.    Behavior problems are not tolerated

f.      Environment may be impersonal

5.      Stress

a.    Increased work load and faster pace

b.    Students are more independent and are accountable for their behavior

c.     It is more difficult to earn high grades

d.    An entire course is completed in 16 weeks or less.

e.    New and increased social pressures

f.      Students are expected to know what they want from college, classes, life, etc.

6.      Responsibility

a.    Increased number of choices and decisions to be made

b.    More self-evaluation, accepting of responsibility

c.     More independent reading and studying are required

d.    Students are responsible for time management

e.    Students establish and attain their own goals

f.      Students are more responsible to whomever is paying for their education

g.    Students must be motivated to succeed

               (from University of Toledo Office of Disability Services documents)

QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT COLLEGE SUPPORT SERVICES

These are questions parents and students might ask on a campus visit, in a phone call to a campus office that serves students with disabilities, or to read online at the college website.

1.    What services are available?

a.    Tutoring 

                                                             i.      Student or adult professional trained in special education? 

                                                          ii.      Paid or volunteer?

                                                        iii.      Subject specific?

b.    Writing, reading, math, and/or computer labs

c.     Special technology and adaptive equipment

d.    Note taking

                                                             i.      Notes taken by fellow students?

                                                          ii.      Are note takers trained?

                                                        iii.      Are they paid?

e.    Extended time on tests and projects

2.    What do the services cost, if anything?

a.    Is there a comprehensive fee at the start?

b.    Are services billed individually/independently (by the hour)?

c.     Can the additional fees be included in your financial aid package?

d.    Is adaptive equipment part of the cost or extra?

3.    How are services arranged?  Does the student have to ask or is support staff “assigned” to each special needs student?

4.    How are services determined?  Are services connected only to a specific disability or are a wide range of services available to all special needs students?   

5.    How convenient is the Office of Disability Services?  Do they maintain a helpful website?

6.    Are study groups available?  Which subjects/courses?

7.    Is there an active support group for students with disabilities?

8.    Is there a limit on the number of services permitted?

9.    How many students are served? What is the disabled student/tutor ratio?

10.     Do college faculty members receive training about working with disabled students?

11.     What is the retention rate for all first-year students compared to that of students with disabilities?

12.     What is the graduation rate for all students and for students with disabilities?

13.     Are the services for students with disabilities beyond the support services all other students can access?

14.     Will the college ask you for your high school IEP after you have  been admitted and will they use it if you show it to them?  (Please keep in mind that an IEP ends with high school graduation.)

15.     Are the disability documentation guidelines clearly spelled out?

16.     What is the timeline for requesting disability services?

COLLEGE APPLICATION AND THE ADMISSION PROCESS

By law, colleges may not inquire about student disabilities on the college application.

Often students with learning disabilities find their “on-paper” credentials are different than those of other applicants.  During the application process, LD students may choose to disclose their disability either in an essay, a personal statement, or through a teacher recommendation.

It is important for an LD student to explain how the strategies and accommodations experienced in high school contributed to his/her success.  In some cases it might be helpful to provide professional documentation of the disability to the admission counselors.

Admission officers are often impressed by a student’s description of “what worked” during high school.  The description may also say a great deal about the character of the applicant that can make a positive difference in the admission decision. 

Applicants would be wise to explain which traditional admission criteria doesn’t quite fit and then propose another way to evaluate their readiness for college academics and college responsibilities.  Some colleges have a formal procedure for applicants to disclose this information.

After students have been admitted, many colleges require documentation of the disability through a current (preferably new) psychological/educational evaluation that will perhaps follow them through the college years.

SAT/ACT TESTING FOR COLLEGE

Both test publishers have procedures to enable students to request testing accommodations.  The decision to allow testing accommodations rests solely with the test publishers

If the test publishers approve testing accommodations, and if those accommodations are only for 50% or less extended time, students will take the tests at national testing centers on regularly scheduled test dates.  These are on Saturdays, several times during the school year.  The test centers closest to Mariemont are Indian Hill HS, Madeira HS, Anderson HS, Milford HS, and others.

If students need additional or different accommodations other than 50% extended time, the test publishers allow the tests to be taken at our high school at a time mutually convenient for both student and proctor, as long as the test is taken within a pre-determined “window” of dates.

SAT:

1. Students must see the Mariemont High School Special Education Case Manager to obtain a brochure of information and a “College Board Services for Students with Disabilities” (SSD) form.  Ideally, this should be done before the spring of the junior year at the latest.  The form is not available online.  Students may choose to complete the SSD form during the sophomore year so that their assigned number can be used any time during the junior year for extended time testing.
2. The parent and student complete the first part of the form, returning it to the Case Manager for completion of the other sections and for submission of the form.
3. Once accommodations are granted via the SSD, they are valid for every College Board sponsored test (PSAT, SAT I, SAT II, AP) for the remainder of the high school years.
4. If accommodations are granted by the College Board, the student receives a document with a confirmation and description of the approved accommodations and an SSD number.  This confirmation should accompany all test registration materials sent through the mail, and the number should be used as reference in any phone communication or when a student re-registers for retakes.
5. If a student is notified of approved accommodations, he/she may register online for an SAT or SAT Subject Test using the assigned SSD number.  Click here for information about special accommodations from the College Board.

ACT:

1. Students must obtain forms either from the Guidance Office or download them from http://www.act.org/aap/disab/opt3.html to request accommodations on the ACT test.
2. Parents and students complete part of the application, then the Case Manager completes the school part and returns it to the family.
3. The student then mails the application for testing accommodations to ACT Registration.  If ACT requests more documentation, the Case Manager will submit the requested paperwork to ACT.
4. If a student chooses to retake the ACT, the form must be completed again.
5. Students may not register online for ACT if testing accommodations are being requested.

THE LAW

“No otherwise qualified individual with a disability…shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance…”

The student with a learning disability has an obligation to:

        Self-identify the disability

        Self-identify the need for accommodations

        Provide documentation of the disability

        Utilize support services and accommodations in college

The college has an obligation to:

        Provide reasonable accommodations

        Provide additional time to complete tests, coursework, etc.

        Have a process in place for students to request substitution of

specific courses or requirements

        Allow tape recording of classes

        Provide modification of test taking/performance evaluations

                so as not to discriminate against students with sensory,

manual, or speaking impairments (unless such skills are

the factors the test is measuring)

        Provide adaptation of course instruction

Additional services must be provided in a manner consistent with

services provided to students with no disabilities such as tutorial services, choice of aids, and fees for accommodations.

Note: 

• Colleges do not have to provide readers for personal use or study
• Colleges do not have to provide any special tutorial services other than what is provided for the general student population
• Students cannot demand specific auxiliary aids as long as colleges provide methods of assistance that allow for equal opportunity
• Colleges do not have to provide academic adjustments if these adjustments would fundamentally alter the nature of the course or program of study
• Colleges do not have to provide course substitutions when the academic requirements are essential to a program of study or necessary to meet licensing prerequisites

(excerpts from Univ. of Toledo Office of Disability Services documents)

RESOURCES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

LD newsletters   Articles from past editions addressing common questions and concerns about college-bound LD students(www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/postsecondary/)

Association on Higher Education and Disability  An organization of college professionals committed to full participation in higher education of persons with disabilities.   Member directory, code of ethics, program standards.   (www.ahead.org)

U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights  The Federal government site describing how they carry out their mission of ensuring equal access to education.  (www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html)

The Faculty Room (University of Washington)   A website that answers every question imaginable about college students with disabilities.  (www.washington.edu/doit/Faculty/)

Mariemont H.S. College Planning website   -- locally controlled and updated weekly, this site contains all the links seniors and families will need during the college planning and application process.  www.mariemontschools.org/elfers

OCIS   --   A subscription site for students to perform quick and easy searches for colleges with specific characteristics.  Linked via the College Planning website.

Prep HQ   --   The site where all Mariemont students register for the purposes of communicating with counselors, application tracking during the senior year, and comparing college application results from past seniors with current senior GPA’s and test scores.

Printed Guides from commercial publishers in the tutor classrooms and in the Guidance Office.

EXAMPLES OF COLLEGES WHERE MHS STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES HAVE FOUND HELPFUL PROGRAMS  (additional fees are often incurred)

(This is not meant to be a comprehensive list.  Please refer to complete printed guides in the Guidance Office or in the tutor classrooms for descriptions of comprehensive programs nationwide.)

College of Mt. St. Joseph, Cincinnati, OH (www.msj.edu) Project EXCEL

Landmark College, Putney, VT (www.landmark.edu) 2-year college

Muskingum College, New Concord, OH (www.muskingum.edu) PLUS Program

University of Toledo, Toledo, OH (www.utoledo.edu) Office of Accessibility

University of Dayton, Dayton, OH  (www.udayton.edu) LEAD  (Learning Enhancement and Academic Development)

Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL (www.lynn.edu)  Comprehensive Support Program

Wright State University, Dayton, OH (www.wright.edu)