Transcript Facilitating Successful Transitions to College

Roberta L. Wohle, Ed.D.,
Assistant Professor
Fairleigh Dickinson University
[email protected]
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Despite the increased enrollment of individuals
with disabilities in postsecondary programs,
many students struggle to complete their college
education.
Insufficient "academic college readiness" appears
to be one factor contributing to poor retention
rates.
This workshop will introduce participants to the
potential impact of the recently adopted Common
Core State Standards on preparing "all" students
for the academic demands of college.
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Participants will become familiar with:

the knowledge, skills, and dispositions included
in the Common Core State Standards;

strategies for incorporating standards-based
curriculum and instruction into the transition
planning process; and

a process for selecting accommodations that
provide full access to standards-based
instruction, while promoting a high level of
student independence.
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When students graduate/exit high school,
what do you believe they should know and be
able to do?
◦ Academically ??
◦ Socially ??
◦ Behaviorally ??
What does “college readiness” mean to
you?
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
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)
and the National Governors Association Center for
Best Practices (NGA Center) released the Common
Core Standards (“the Standards”) in June 2010.

The Standards initiative represents a first time shift
from individual state standards to a national set of
expected educational outcomes.

Through the Standards initiative, a shared set of K12 grade level benchmarks for English language arts
and mathematics has been established.
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
The purpose of the Standards is to ensure that all
students across the United States are prepared for
success in postsecondary education and the
workforce.

The Standards were developed in response to data
indicating that too many students (nondisabled and
students with disabilities) graduate from high
school, entering postsecondary educational
settings, in need of remediation in English language
arts and mathematics.
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A fundamental goal of the
Standards is “to promote a
culture of high expectations for
all students.”
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English Language Arts

an integrated approach to literacy, setting requirements
not only for English language arts (i.e., reading, writing,
speaking, and listening), but also for literacy in
history/social studies, science, and technical subjects);

increased attention to literary nonfiction than has been
traditionally emphasized;

a grade-by-grade “staircase” of increasing text
complexity;
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
emphasis on three mutually reinforcing writing
capacities: writing to persuade, to explain, and to convey
real or imagined experience, with an increasingly strong
focus on writing arguments/opinions and
informative/explanatory texts;

attention to language “vocabulary” (i.e., understanding
words and phrases, their relationships and nuances, and
acquisition of general academic and domain specific
words and phrases)
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Mathematics
 strong math foundation in whole numbers, addition,
subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions and
decimals;
 emphasis on application of math concepts and
procedures, with an end view of robust applications;
 concentration on geometry, Algebra, probability and
statistics in middle school; and
 emphasis in high school on the application of
mathematics to novel situations.
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“Students with disabilities must be challenged
to excel within the general curriculum and be
prepared for success in their post-school lives,
including college and/or careers. These
common standards provide an historic
opportunity to improve access to rigorous
academic content standards for students with
disabilities.”
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In order for students with disabilities to meet high academic
standards and to fully demonstrate their conceptual and
procedural knowledge and skills in mathematics and English
language arts, their instruction must incorporate supports and
accommodations, including:

supports and related services designed to meet the unique
needs of these students and to enable their access to the
general education curriculum;

an Individualized Education Program (IEP) which includes
annual goals aligned with and chosen to facilitate their
attainment of grade-level academic standards;

high-quality, evidence-based, individualized instruction and
support services;
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
instructional supports for learning―based on the
principles of Universal Design for Learning
(UDL)―which foster student engagement by
presenting information in multiple ways and allowing
for diverse avenues of action and expression;

instructional accommodations ―changes in
materials or procedures― which do not change the
standards, but allow students to learn within the
framework of the Common Core; and

assistive technology devices and services.
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
Students with disabilities have the potential to learn
and demonstrate the knowledge and skills included
in the Common Core Standards

The Common Core Standards (CCS) will be the
primary focus of instruction for students with
disabilities
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There are appropriate instructional strategies,
techniques, materials, supports and accommodations
that will be responsive to the individualized learning
needs of students with disabilities, that will enable
them to:
 Access the standards
 Participate in and benefit from CCS related learning
experiences and activities
 Demonstrate understanding and application of the
standards;
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
Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) will reflect
standards-based instructional content and
appropriate instructional supports and
accommodations; and

The intent of the Standards is consistent with
federally mandated transition requirements for
transition planning, i.e., preparation for
postsecondary education and employment.
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Instructional Priorities:

Foundational Skills for Literacy and Math

Knowledge and Application of Processes, Procedures,
Routines

Automatic, Fluent Performance of Skills and Processes

Higher Order Thinking, Problem Solving, Executive
Functions (Habits of Mind)

Learning Dispositions (e.g. Sustained Attention,
Persistence, Reflectivity, Cognitive Flexibility, Accuracy
and Precision)
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Scaffold instruction low enough to create
access and high enough to reach common core
standards (Reference: Jan Sheinker, June 21,
2010)
Scaffold instruction low enough to ensure
access and high enough to promote
independent performance
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Entry: Target behavior is performed at a low rate or not
at all.
Acquisition: Through instruction, target behavior is
performed with high accuracy.
Proficiency: Target behavior is performed with high
accuracy and fluency.
Maintenance: Rate and accuracy of target behavior is
maintained.
Generalization: Rate and accuracy of target behavior is
generalized to other settings, persons, or materials.
Application: Target behavior is extended.
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Aligning Key Policies for College Readiness
Development of K–12 Assessments and
Alignment with College Placement Policies
Teacher Preparation and In-Service
Professional Development
Collaboration regarding the Impact of
Supports and Accommodations
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