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Key Issues

Posted in Effective College Planning by admin on the December 19th, 2010

There are some key issues that may affect a student’s ability to be successful in college. Issues such as the following should be carefully considered during transition planning the Committee on Special Education(CSE).

  • It is important for parents and educators to understand the under IDEA transition planning is mandatory for all students with disabilities– not just those identified by the Committee on Special Education (CSE). This means that students who have 504 plans should be included in transition planning. Transition planning starts at age 14, with Level 1 review or as early as age 12.

  • K-12 special education services are based on ENTITLEMENT; in the adult world, including postsecondary education, accommodations are based on ELIGIBILITY.

  • Adult eligibility under Section 504 Subpart E is NOT the same as K-12 entitlement under Section 504 Subpart D. Subpart E allows postsecondary institutions define disabilities for eligibility for services and accommodations. For example a 60 dBL hearing loss, 100/20 vision in the better eye etc.

  • Colleges provide accommodations and academic adjustments but do NOT alter essential elements of an academic program i.e. no math waver for an architectural program or no foreign language waiver for a teacher in NYS because these competencies are required for state licenses or certification.

    • 1. In NYS, a local diploma, GED, a Regents diploma, or Advanced Regents diploma is required for admission to four year colleges. An IEP diploma is not equivalent to a local, GED or Regents diploma.

  • Recent guidance from the NYS Education Department states that if a student earns a GED before age 21 he can still return to the school district for a local or Regents diploma BUT does not necessarily have access to the vocational program of the district or BOCES.

    • 1. In order to be eligible for Federal financial aid such as PELL or a student loan, a potential student must have one of the following: a local or Regents high school diploma; a General Equivalency Diploma(GED); or a satisfactory score on an independently administered, approved standardized test which demonstrates ‘ability to benefit’ (see Resource section page 97 for a list of federally approved tests of Ability to Benefit).

    2. At high school level graduation requirements can be adjusted to allow the student with a disability to meet the requirements. In NYS, such adjustments include course substitutions and substitution of Regents Competency Test (RCT) scores for Regents Exam passing scores.

    3. For the student who has the potential to attend college, routine waiver of courses such as math and foreign language is not recommended in high school because postsecondary education is not required to waive courses which it deems ‘essential’ to the curriculum or are required for certification. In fact, in 2000, the State University of New York (SUNY) Board of Trustees voted that ALL students graduating from SUNY institutions with a baccalaureate degree (BA/BS) would be required to have foreign language in order to complete degree requirements.

    4. A 504 student MUST be based on a disability and be supported by documentation. Some school districts elect to write a 504 plan for graduating seniors to take with them to college. While the 504 plan may provide useful information to the college, the college is not bound to implement it since the requirements Section 504 Subpart D (K-12) and Subpart E (postsecondary) are different. Students who bring 504 plans will most likely still be required to provide the college with documentation of disability since the 504 plan alone is generally not sufficient.

    5. The student will need the same skills as any other college freshman plus the ability to compensate for his or her disability.

    6. Neither IEPs nor high school 504 Plans apply to a student in a college setting.