Transcript Slide 1

POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION
FOR STUDENTS WITH
INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES:
Creating Opportunities in Tennessee
2009
INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITY INCLUSION
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http://media.umb.edu/cassidy
DEFINITION: INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY
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Significant learning and cognitive disabilities that impact a
student’s ability to access course content without
educational supports and services
Typically includes students who
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take the alternative state assessment
exit secondary education with an alternative diploma (i.e., IEP
diploma, certificate of attendance)
qualify to receive services under the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) until they are 21
DEFINITION: POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION (PSE)
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Education after the high-school (secondary) level
Options include community colleges, four-year colleges, and
vocational-technical colleges
Until recently the option of having the “college experience” has
not been available to students with intellectual disabilities
WHAT DO STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL
DISABILITIES TEND TO DO AFTER HIGH SCHOOL?
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Current high school experience
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Increasingly in inclusive settings with expanded
opportunities
Typical postsecondary options
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Segregated life-skills
Community-based transition programs
WHAT DO STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL
DISABILITIES TEND TO DO AFTER HIGH SCHOOL?
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Limited employment options
Of all students with disabilities, those with
intellectual disabilities have the poorest postschool outcomes
OVERVIEW: MODELS OF PSE PROGRAMS
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Three typical PSE models:
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Mixed or Hybrid
Substantially Separate
Totally Inclusive
Within each model, a wide range of supports and
services are provided
POTENTIAL BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION
IN PSE PROGRAMS
Attitude
 Low expectations
 Access to funding
 Access to transportation
 Admissions requirements
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POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS IN THE
UNITED STATES
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http://www.thinkcollege.net/ reports:
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145 currently identified postsecondary education
programs across 36 states
OVERVIEW:
POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE
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Prior to 2009
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(0) programs in Tennessee
Establishment of Postsecondary Education Task
Force
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Tennessee Ties to National Training Institute
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Development of first PSE program in Tennessee
ORIGINAL PSE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Sharon Bottorff
The Arc of Williamson County
Elise McMillan
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental
Disabilities
Sheila Moore
Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee
Wanda Willis
Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities
Began meeting in 2004
TENNESSEE TASK FORCE FOR POSTSECONDARY
EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL
DISABILITIES
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Groups and Organizations Represented:
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The Arc of Williamson County
Autism Society of Middle Tennessee
Department of Human Services
Division of Mental Retardation Services
Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee
Higher Education Commission
Metro Nashville Public Schools
Rutherford County Schools
Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities
Tennessee Technology Center
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
Various higher education institutions in Nashville and the surrounding area
Williamson County Schools
Involved parents, community members, and business leaders
Began meeting in 2006
FIRST STEPS:
PSE TASK FORCE ACTIVITIES
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Identified priorities and purpose
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Examined and visited existing programs
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Developed a statewide survey on parental
perspectives
PURPOSE OF THE PSE TASK FORCE
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To plan and support the development of
postsecondary programs on Tennessee college
campuses that will empower students with
intellectual disabilities by providing course work
that:
Continues academic development
 Develops independent living skills
 Fosters career opportunities
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EXAMINED AND VISITED CURRENT PROGRAMS
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Representatives from the PSE Task Force made
site visits to:
Montgomery College (MD)
 The College of New Jersey and Mercer County
Community College (NJ)
 Western Kentucky University (KY)
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Identified common and unique characteristics of
these and other programs across the country
STATEWIDE SURVEY
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Statewide survey administered to parents of high
school students with intellectual disabilities to:
collect their perspectives on postsecondary education
 identify barriers that hinder participation
 learn what parents hope their children would gain
from a PSE program
 identify concerns
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Data to guide the development of a potential PSE
program in Tennessee
SURVEY RESPONDENTS
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Survey distribution
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groups (e.g., DSAMT, ASMT)
disability networks and community agencies
Students with intellectual disabilities in
Tennessee
age 18+
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Families of students with intellectual disabilities
who live in Tennessee
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Parents were the primary respondents
SURVEY DEMOGRAPHICS: PRIMARY RESPONDENTS
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109 respondents
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90% of respondents were parents (versus guardians,
siblings or other family members)
90% were female
86% were 40 years or older
80% work part or full time
SURVEY DEMOGRAPHICS :
STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
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Gender
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66% male
34% female
Age
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17% aged 15 years or younger
30% aged 16-17 years
31% aged 18-19 years
10% aged 20-21 years
10% aged 22 years or older
SURVEY DEMOGRAPHICS :
STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
Diagnosis of disability
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36% Mental Retardation
36% Autism Spectrum Disorder
29% Developmental Disability
17% Down Syndrome
10% Cerebral Palsy
Reading level
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31% read at First Grade level or lower
33% read at Second – Fifth Grade level
36% read at Sixth Grade level or higher
SURVEY FINDINGS: PLANNING FOR PSE
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Has the school staff encouraged your child to
continue in an educational setting after high
school?
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Mean of 2.87 (on 1-5 scale)
22% of respondents indicated the highest score (5)
Does your child’s IEP include a plan for the time
immediately after high school?
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26% = yes
53% = no
21% = not sure
SURVEY FINDINGS: BARRIERS
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What barriers have you encountered in trying to
understand all the options available to your
child?
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73% Lack of general information or guidance
37% School staff did not help me understand
36% Financial constraints
30% Different services did not work well together
27% Long waiting list for explanation of services
SURVEY FINDINGS: PARENTAL ATTITUDES
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Although parents had more positive attitudes
toward PSE than educators, their expectations
differed by student’s reading level
Parents of students with lower reading levels
were:
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less likely to think that PSE would help their children
transition to adulthood
less interested in educational opportunities after high
school
less often encouraged by school staff to pursue PSE
less likely to enroll their child in PSE
SURVEY FINDINGS: PARENTAL CONCERNS
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How concerned are you about each of the
following factors?
Distance of the program from home
 Cost of the program
 Your child’s physical health
 Your child’s safety
 Your child’s ability to function without you
 Experience similar to college
 Focus on employment after program
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Most concerned = Your child’s safety (4.72)
Least concerned = Experience similar to college (3.37)
SURVEY FINDINGS: PARENTAL PRIORITIES
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How important is it to you that the following is
included in a PSE program?
Residential options
 Inclusive learning environments
 Individual choice in curriculum
 Structured social activities
 Access to a college campus
 Certification in a vocational area
 Focus on employment after program
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Most =
Least =
Focus on employment after program (4.37)
Residential options (3.72)
IMPACT OF SURVEY
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Expanded prior studies by asking about specific
priorities involved in deciding to enroll in PSE
programs
Helped Tennessee PSE Task Force to understand
families’ needs, concerns, and priorities
Helped lead to Tennessee’s first PSE program
PSE IN TENNESSEE: 2008 DEVELOPMENTS
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Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities
Demonstration Grant
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To demonstrate new approaches to services and
supports
A “Call for Applications” (CFA) to all Tennessee higher
education institutions to develop a model program
Grant = $175,000 for each of 3 years, beginning
January 1, 2009
PSE IN TENNESSEE: 2008 DEVELOPMENTS
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Awarded to Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC)
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PI’s—Elise McMillan, J.D. and Robert Hodapp, Ph.D.
Partnering Organizations:
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Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities
Project Opportunity
Tennessee Board of Regents (Tennessee Technology
Center on Whitebridge Road)
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center
Vanderbilt University
VKC PSE PROGRAM: WHO?
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Day program for cohorts of 8 young adults with
intellectual disabilities
All students aged 18 to 26
 All students have intellectual disabilities
 All students have exited high school without
receiving a regular education diploma
 Only those students accepted who can benefit from
program (academically, socially, and vocationally)
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VKC PSE PROGRAM: WHAT? WHERE?
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On Vanderbilt University campus for:
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Some academic subjects
All social-extracurricular activities
Life-functional-other skills training classes
On Tennessee Technology Center for:
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Job training (1 of 9 programs that do not require a high
school diploma)Examples include
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Auto Body Repair;
Cosmetology;
Data Processing; and
Machine Tool Technology
STRENGTHS
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Strong collaboration with DD Council & other
Tennessee disability and higher education
institutions
Program has resonated with Vanderbilt
University administrators
Program (and outreach efforts) promises to help
in many directions
 Help
young adults with ID and families to achieve greater
degrees of independence
 Help
Vanderbilt and other higher education institutions’
“service learning” mission
 Help
infuse contact and awareness of individuals with
disabilities into higher education settings
VKC PSE PROGRAM: WHEN?
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Year 1 (2009) = planning year
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Year 2 = start program
January 2010: 1st cohort (through May 2011)
 August 2010: 2nd cohort (through May 2012)
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Year 3 = sustain program, develop outreach
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Bridge ½ year (spring 2012)—end 2nd cohort
VKC PSE PROGRAM: YEAR ONE
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Planning Year (January 1 – December 31, 2009)
Hire director and assistant director
 Finalize program details
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Program physical space on Vanderbilt University campus
 Tying to Vanderbilt and to Tennessee Technology Center
 Developing admissions criteria, disseminating information
(i.e., applications), admitting 1st class
 Operating program
 Finalizing curricula, staffing, etc.
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VKC PSE PROGRAM: YEAR TWO
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Implementation (January 2010)
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First class/cohort begins
Program operation
2nd class/cohort applies, admissions, begins fall 2010
Outreach worker hired and starts outreach to
Tennessee community colleges
Aggressive plans to sustain program past TN DD
Council grant
VKC PSE PROGRAM: YEAR THREE
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Implementing and Sustaining (2011)
Efforts to sustain program past TN DD Council grant
 Ties to Tennessee community colleges, with plans to
help 1+ start their own program
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VKC PSE PROGRAM FUNDING
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Tuition
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Scholarships
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Philanthropy
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Vocational Rehabilitation
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AmeriCorps grants
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New opportunities in the Higher Education Act
VKC PSE PROGRAM OUTCOMES
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Certificate of completion, which needs to be both
meaningful locally, and aligned to federal criteria
once they are developed
System of gathering materials (e.g. portfolio) to
present in a meaningful way to employers
System of tracking progress in various domains
(e.g. employment, independent living, etc.) after
exiting the program
CHANGING THE MAP:
IMPLEMENTING PSE TASK FORCE PURPOSE
NATIONAL TRAINING INITIATIVE GRANT:
CONSORTIUM OF NATIONAL PSE LEADERS
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National Training Initiative (NTI) funded by the
Administration on Developmental Disabilities
(ADD)
The training initiative is called the National
Consortium for Individuals with Developmental
Disabilities in Postsecondary Education
FY 2008/9- FY 2014
CONSORTIUM PARTICIPANTS
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Lead institution: Institute for Community
Inclusion, University of Massachusetts, Boston
(PI: Deb Hart, Ph.D.)
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5 institutions are first-level collaborators
Vanderbilt was asked to participate as one of 4
partnering institutions; the others are Ohio State
University, the University of South Carolina, and UCLA
ROLES OF PARTNERING INSTITUTIONS
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Assist with outreach to other PSE initiatives
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Pilot the survey that will be refined with input
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Pilot training and technical assistance
materials created through the grant
Participate in Capacity Building Institutes
Conduct training and provide technical
assistance locally to new PSE programs
REDESIGN CURRENT MATERIALS:
THINKCOLLEGE.NET
PILOT OF NEW MATERIALS: FAST FACT
SHEETS
PSE TASK FORCE NEXT STEPS
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Increase Public Awareness
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Engage LEAs and State Board of Education
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Encourage the development of PSE programs at
other Tennessee Colleges and Universities
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Explore funding opportunities
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Implement and disseminate best practices
CONTACT INFORMATION
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Tammy Day: (615) 343-0822
[email protected]
Sharon Bottorff: (615) 790-5815,
[email protected]
Megan Griffin: (850) 529-9383,
[email protected]
Elise McMillan: (615) 343-2540,
[email protected]
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?