An A-Z Guide to Postsecondary Education
(An Informative Tool for Graduating Seniors and Their Families)
The
focus of our second blog installment is student and family preparation for life
after high school. Entrance into the postsecondary education environment
can be an exciting and uneasy time for students and their families. The
overreaching goal of this blog is to settle your nerves and address the
concerns associated with this transition phase. We will delve into the
meaning of postsecondary Education and its implications for students and
their families, provide information on local agencies supporting and serving
individuals with disabilities, and examine the importance of family support and
influence during this phase of postsecondary life.
Postsecondary Education
a. What is it?
b. How do I get started?
Take an Interest Inventory
c. Supports
On campus
In
the community
My
Family and Friends
What
is postsecondary education?
After
graduating from high school students have the opportunity to continue their
education by attending postsecondary schools including:
1. Vocational
and Career Schools/Training:
Focuses
on specific skills or trades (i.e. culinary, computers, design, etc.) and are
similar in size to two- and four-year colleges.
Florida Technical College, also
located in Jacksonville Florida, believes it is important to assist every
graduate in achieving the employment they have worked so hard to accomplish.
With specialized career training and professional support, the school is able
to assist all students and graduates throughout the transition process
beginning with incoming students all throughout graduation. The school
considers the specialized support to be a family tradition. By advising
students about their future careers and assisting every graduate in obtaining
future employment, the school is able to integrate their curriculum to better
prepare each individual. Flexible classes are offered as well as low student
teacher ratios to boost student success.
RWM provides a database of Private Postsecondary
Vocational Schools in 50 states. The RWM database is organized first by state,
then by training occupation. Included are private schools that offer certificates,
diplomas, associate (junior college) degrees, and bachelor (college) degrees in
various Business, Trade and Technical disciplines.
The RWM Vocational School database
includes online schools, including information on getting a high school diploma online from online high school. This site can also aid in deciding
the best form of postsecondary education or occupation for any person with a
disability. No matter what area of interest is desired, the RWM website can
provide students and/or parents/guardians, with all the tools and information
necessary to set and achieve student goals.
Through training for an in-demand
career each person can achieve the education or occupation they desire. Not
only can trade school be an investment in your economic future, but it equips
you with the skills to obtain a successful career and future. This site makes
it easy to find the courses and programs that may help you to achieve your
goals. The certification that this site ensures enables potential employers to
hire you with confidence.
2. Two-
and Four-year Colleges:
Offer
various degrees in one specific area and tend to be smaller in size than
universities.
Virginia College is a career oriented
college also focusing on student success in the occupational world. Through
planning seminars and close relationships with the community, the college has
ties throughout the country to help students successfully obtain employment.
The school also offers flexible class schedules to accommodate for working
individuals or those who may have families at home. The career center helps students
with reviewing their resumes, teaching interview techniques, counseling for
career choice, help with career/job market research, marketing student skills
to potential employers and generating job leads. Through this process, students are able to transition
smoothly though their time at the school and into a successful career of their
choice.
This link describes the varying
accommodations offered for students with disabilities.
This link provides information
regarding the many resources available to students at the middle and high
school level and their parents.
Florida State College of Jacksonville
offers many valuable programs for prospective students with disabilities. They offer pre-college learning experiences
for students in 6th-12th grade. These experiences apply to all students in
Duval County and ensure that they stay on track in high school and transfer
into post-secondary life with ease.
Other programs including the Education Talent Search and the College
Reach-Out Program offer services to aid students in post-secondary acclimation,
time management skills, and SAT/ACT preparations.
3. Universities:
Offer
a collection of colleges and are larger in size than a college or career
school.
Jacksonville University in
Jacksonville, Florida, is a four year private college which provides students
with a variety of tools for success. Through various programs and resources,
the school helps prepare students for their chosen careers and for advanced
study at the graduate level. The school offers flexible class schedules to
accommodate students’ busy lives including night classes for non-traditional
students. Jacksonville University creates an environment for students which
encourages learning and promotes student success. Through the disability
resource center, students with various disabilities may seek accommodations
essential in the classroom setting. Upon transition, students may speak with
guidance counselors or career specialists for assistance with future goals and
graduation information.
Degreedriven.com provides a
comprehensive list of colleges and universities in your area. After designating a location you are
presented with contact information, awarded degrees, environment descriptions,
campus statistics, and a direct link to each school’s website.
How
do I get started?
There
are a variety of important points to keep in mind when deciding on your pathway
to postsecondary education. Discussions should be conducted with the
student, their family, and appropriate school faculty in order to ensure
successful and relevant planning. These discussions should be framed around
admission requirements, performance demands, and expected student
outcomes. It should be noted that some institutions are more "student
friendly" than others.
Preparing
for a successful transition into postsecondary educational settings requires
that you carefully plan your high school course work to include the necessary
college prep courses. Training in real-life content is also important as
you will be asked to perform many everyday tasks in a variety of
settings.
Students and families can
work together to facilitate a successful transition into postsecondary
education in five key ways:
1. Find a
school-based professional who can serve as an advocate for the student to help
guide the college search and transition process (i.e. general education or
special education teacher, school counselor, etc.)
2. Save a copy
of all documentation even though it may become outdated. The school
system will maintain documentation for only a limited time after graduation.
3. Participate
in the development of the student's Summary of Performance (SOP) and ensure
that all components are filled out as accurately as possible.
4.
Start early in reviewing the documentation requirements of the colleges the
student is considering.
5. Meet with
the disability service coordinator at all colleges the student visits.
Ask for a written copy of the documentation requirements and any other written
information that is available to share with secondary school personnel.
The student population is
diverse. Each student has differing strengths, interests, areas of
need, and goals which alter their perspective of education and future
ventures. Because of this, the Florida Department of Education
developed numerous educational paths with varying requirements in an attempt to
facilitate greater graduation rates. Eight primary diploma and/or
certificate options are offered in the state of Florida. This link organizes each of these options in
an easy to ready chart and explains the requirements necessary to be awarded
them.
Interest Inventories are
self-assessment tools used to help students plan their educational focus and/or
career path. You will be asked to answer
questions about your likes and dislikes in and out of the academic environment. Once you have completed the inventory, share
your results with family and appropriate school personnel to determine the
steps necessary to meet your goals.
Campus Support
The Arc Jacksonville and the
University of North Florida partnered to create the innovative program known as
On Campus Transition (OCT). Through this program students are able to
participate in all aspects of college life including attending classes, joining
campus organizations and clubs, and participating in recreational activities
developed for all students. Students are
also mentored by their UNF peers academically, socially, and recreationally
through the mentoring program.
The Disability Resource Center (DRC) at the University of North Florida
fosters partnerships between UNF students with disabilities and the UNF
community. Varying accommodative
services are provided to students with diagnosed disabilities to ensure all
students have equal access to educational opportunities.
Community
Services
This site is
amazing for students and adults with disabilities. This specific link provides
information on the agency’s Adult Training Services (ATS). It talks about
the criteria needed to be met to participate in their work programs, lists the
different services related to employment and training received through this
agency, and what types of ATS they deliver to the individuals within the
program. The bottom of the page has contact information, so if you are
interested you can call them directly and gain more information or set up an
appointment to meet with the staff.
The Goodwill
website allows students and their families to get in contact with the local
branch in Jacksonville which provides job training, jobs, housing and other
community resources for individuals
with disabilities.
This video introduces viewers to South West Florida's
Goodwill and provides a synopsis of the services that the company provides to individuals
with disabilities.
Support
of Family and Friends
Understanding
the skills that will be required of your child during postsecondary education
is essential in order to aid them in their preparation and ensure success in
the new environments they will encounter. The following information can
be taken into consideration when creating goals or planning with your child.
Three
domains of planning and preparation:
1. Academic,
including determining required college preparation classes and identifying appropriate learning strategies.
2. Career,
including identifying job shadowing opportunities and determining appropriate
employment opportunities.
3. Personal-social,
including self-determination and extracurricular activities.
Skills
essential for postsecondary success (self-determination):
1. Problem-solving
skills
2. Learning
about oneself (and one's disability)
3. Goal
setting
4. Self-management
Skills for
staying in college and receiving appropriate support:
1. Seeking
services available on campus (to all students and just students with disabilities).
2. Forming relationships
with professors and instructors
3. Developing
support systems on campus with friends, support groups, and the disability
services office
4. Developing
self-awareness and an understanding of themselves.
Sitlington, P. L., Neubert, D. A.,
& Clark, G. M. (2010).Transition education and services for students
with disabilities. (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson
Education Inc.
