COLLEGE AND CAREER READY RESOURCES

Missouri Evidence-Based Practices

NOTE: Items in blue are linked directly to resources

Transition: College and Career Ready.For young adults with disabilities finding employment to achieve financial independence following high school completion is one of the highest priorities nationwide. There are many things educators of youth with Learning Disabilities can do to ready youth for their world after high school. This session will focus on the National Predictors of Post School Outcomes, a new on-line planning tool, and provide links to additional resources, strategies and promising practices for youth to help them become College and Career Ready.

The College of Education – Human Development at the University of Minnesota states:

  • One significant way states can help is to ensure that these young people have access to postsecondary education programs that prepare them for future employment. Researchers have projected that 63% of all U.S. jobs by 2018 will require some postsecondary education, and that 90% of all new jobs in growing industries with high wages will require at least some postsecondary education. - See more at:
  • Education Access

Access to postsecondary education is another challenge youth with disabilities face. On average, 62% of high school graduates enroll in some type of postsecondary education. According to 2005 research, only 46% of youth with disabilities enroll in postsecondary education. Confounding this concern further is the lack of available information on what percentage of students who access postsecondary education successfully complete these programs.

  • Obtaining a Job in Today’s Workplace

Many people have been feeling the effects of the recession in that past few years, and those with disabilities face an even more difficult journey within the work force. The unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities is twice that of the general population overall (approximately 14% versus 7%). And as a person with a disability under the age of 25, this rate is even higher, making it harder to achieve financial independence. Currently, only 20.5% of adults with a disability participate in today’s labor force, compared to 69% of adults without a disability.

Missouri Resources

  • ACED: Adult Continuing Education for Persons with Developmental Disabilities. UMKC – Institute for Human Development, UCEDD

4-year college or university. Adult Continuing Education for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (ACED) offers adults the opportunity to attend non-credit classes in an educational and social environment. The ACED program is designed to teach independent living skills and provide life-enhancing experiences. ACED is offered by the UMKC Institute for Human Development, a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Metropolitan Community College-Longview and Metropolitan Community College-Blue River, with funding from the Developmental Disability Services of Jackson County~EITAS.

  • “SUCCEED” - University of Missouri – St. Louis

2-year residential program. Mission: “To provide an opportunity for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to develop the skills necessary to become participating members of their community through full inclusion in university life and, in so doing, to enrich the diversity of the University.” SUCCEED is a post-secondary program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities ages 18 through 25 years. Program participants can earn a Chancellor’s Certificate by completing the two year residential program. Designed to encourage and develop pathways toward independence, SUCCEED offers an individualized approach to career development and transition toward degree-seeking programs. The curriculum, learning activities, and internships are structured around social interaction, personal development, independent living skills, preparation for employment and/or preparation for a degree-seeking program. SUCCEED students live on campus, engage in classes that promote their individual strengths, participate in student life, and experience internship opportunities with local employers. The program offers specialized core classes that emphasize life and social skills, independent living, academic enrichment, career development, career counseling and field placements to help students focus on employment that matches their skills and interests. Students will live on campus supported by trained Residential Assistants to fully integrate into the residential, social and community life at UMSL. St. Louis Arc will provide ongoing support to campus staff and faculty to ensure the highest quality services. In its first year, SUCCEED received the 22nd Annual Inclusion Award from the Governor's Council on Disability.

  • “THRIVE” ProgramUniversity of Central Missouri.

2-year college experience. Young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities participate in a 2-year residential college experience at University of Central Missouri, building the knowledge and skills to transition from home to independent living, and from school to the workplace. THRIVE:

T - Transformation
H - Health
R - Responsibility
I - Independence
V - Vocation
E - Education

State Resources

  • Let’s Get to Work

“Launching youth with disabilities into the Workforce.”

The Wisconsin Let’s Get to Work project is a five-year grant that will lead to improved community employment outcomes for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities in transition. Funded by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities the project focuses on improving, developing and implementing policies and practices that raise community expectations and overall employment outcomes for youth with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD).

  • UW – Help: Preparing for College

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This website provides information on campus events and programs in the UW System such as campus tours, understanding credits, paying for college, and finding support.

PREPARING FOR COLLEGE Admission to college is often based on a number of factors. Increase your chances of being admitted, and be more likely to succeed when you get there, by:

  • Choosing high school courses that challenge you
  • Studying hard and earning good grades
  • Doing well on the ACT or SAT test
  • Developing your unique talents, skills, and accomplishments
  • Participating in extracurricular and community activities

CHOOSING HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES Take high school classes that will help develop strong reading, writing and math skills. We also recommend foreign language classes—and some campuses require them. Preparation for some college majors goes beyond the classes generally needed for admission. For example, if you think you might want to major in engineering or science, you should take chemistry, physics, computer science, and four years of math.

HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES REQUIRED FOR ADMISSION The following high school classes are the minimum you’ll need to enter a campus. Some require more.

  • 4 years of English, including composition and literature.
  • 3 years of math, including algebra, geometry, and higher math.
  • 3 years of natural science, including laboratory science such as biology, chemistry, or physics.
  • 3 years of social science, including history.
  • 4 years of electives from the above areas, foreign language, fine arts, computer science, or other areas.
  • 2 years of a single foreign language is strongly advised, and is required by some universities.

OTHER WAYS TO GEAR UP FOR COLLEGE Launch yourself into new learning opportunities! Every UW System campus has programs for students of all ages. Precollege programs found at uwhelp.wisconsin.edu/precollege teach computer skills, journalism, science, art, athletics, study skills, and many other subjects. You may also be able to take college courses or earn college credit while in high school. Ask your school counselor for more information. Visit “MajorMania” at majormania.uwex.edu to discover which UW System campuses have a major or program you’re interested in exploring. Visit KnowHow2GoWisconsin.org, a site that motivates Wisconsin’s youth to consider college.

PAYING FOR COLLEGE Half of all UW System students depend on financial aid. The financial aid office at each UW System campus will help you understand how to apply for aid and pay for your education through grants, loans, and work-study employment. Many college students work part-time. Students and their families who need the most help to pay for college usually qualify for grants or work study that do not have to be repaid. For students and their families who need less help, most aid will be loan money that must be repaid after college. You and your family should begin saving money for college as early as you can. Remember, the interest paid to you on your savings is money you don’t have to earn or borrow. Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, financial need, or other factors and do not require repayment. Scholarships are offered by all UW System campuses and many other sources. There are free scholarship searches online; is a place to start

  • Wisconsin Youth First

A website developed by youth for youth. Includes opportunities to become involved with the organization and information on leadership, IEPs, and employment.

  • Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities


Information from the Wisconsin Department of Instruction about special education transition resources, including theOpening Doors Series:

  • Purchase/Order Information for Opening Doors Publications - En Espanol.
  • Opening Doors to Adult Services: A Handbook for Students, School Counselors, Teachers and Parents, Rev. 12/11 -En Espanol
  • Opening Doors to Self-Determination: Planning for Life After School - A Handbook...(March 2013) -En Espanol
  • Opening Doors to Employment: Planning for Life After School - A Handbook... (June 2013) -En Espanol
  • Opening Doors to Postsecondary Education and Training: A Handbook for Students, School Counselors, Teachers and Parents, Rev. 10/12 - En Espanol
  • Waisman Center's Transition Products

    Products include youth fact sheets and information on employment, natural supports and high school inclusion, and health.

Actual transition plans and implementation do not reflect the intent of the federal laws and initiatives, such as the IDEA and the Rehabilitation Act Amendments;

There is a disparity between transition service needs and the services provided to youth by schools and community service agencies that are federally funded;

Youth with disabilities and their families are not provided adequate opportunity to become actively involved in transition services planning;

Schools need additional resources for adequate transition services that youth with disabilities require to prepare them for successful post school outcomes;

The application of information technology in the preparation of youth with disabilities for post-secondary education and employment is inadequate to meet their needs;

Research based strategies and promising practices have been defined but are not widely adopted or implemented and are not seen as user friendly or to have wide generalizability;

Secondary and post-secondary education systems fail to provide youth with disabilities with consistent, individualized, and appropriate access, equity and quality learning experiences to support their completion of education and movement to meaningful employment;

Vocational rehabilitation and other community service providers have limited involvement in the transition process on a national scale;

Ethnicity and cultural diversity issues impacting post school outcomes are not appropriately considered by persons involved in transition planning, such as respect for differences or cultural awareness, information dissemination and resources;

Youth in rural areas, including tribal communities, experience additional and significant challenges that have not been addressed, including geographic isolation, transportation and access needs, as well as resolution of government to government issues;

The application of work incentives for youth with disabilities receiving Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Income has been inadequate to promote greater participation in postsecondary education and employment; and

Discrimination, differential attitude toward youth with disabilities, and lack of access to appropriate accommodations persist as barriers to postsecondary school outcomes.

The nature of what employers demand in the 21st century workplace is also changing. High school and college graduates must not only master basic academic skills, but must also master “soft skills” such as teamwork, critical thinking, and communication. To equip youth with these skills and abilities, it is suggested that you address three main areas when working with youth with LD:

  1. Strategic Learning for the Workplace – Through strategic learning, youth with disabilities “learn how to learn.” Youth are ultimately able to better understand new material and then apply those skills to new situations in a manner which best utilizes their strengths. These techniques go beyond remediation and, instead, instill youth with the critical thinking skills necessary for the demands of today’s workplace.
  2. A Focus on Self-Determination and Leadership Skills – These strategies address aspects of identity (sense of belonging, self-awareness, perception of responsibility and autonomy) as well as areas of ability (health, employability, civic and social involvement). Strategies also help youth to become self-determined individuals in charge of their own lives by building skills in self-awareness, goal-setting, and self-advocacy.
  3. Disclosure and Accommodation Strategies – Disclosure refers to the process of discussing one’s disability with others for the specific purpose of garnering understanding in school, work, and social settings. Accommodations are physical, environmental, or procedural changes made in a classroom, work site, or assessment activity that help people with disabilities learn, work, or receive services.

National Resources

  • College & Career Readiness & Success Center

American Institutes for Research. The College and Career Readiness and Success Center (CCRS Center) was launched October 1, 2012, under a five-year grant from the United States Department of Education. The Center’s mission is to help states and other CCRS stakeholders better inform, align, and support efforts to ensure that all students are ready for success in college and careers. - See more at: As an independent and objective technical assistance hub, we deliver a range of differentiated services that simultaneously build capacity and generate new CCRS knowledge and resources. The website houses new research-based products, tools, and professional development resources that were developed by the CCRS Center and our partners. It also contains additional resources co-developed with ED funds through the National High School Center. The National High School Center, in operation from 2005 through March 2013, served as a central source of information and expertise on high school improvement issues to help the RCCs and their stakeholders effectively implement the provisions and goals of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The CCRS Center builds off of the high school improvement resources developed by the National High School Center and expands them to encompass the PK-20 continuum and beyond.

  • National High School Center

The National High School Center, based at the American Institutes for Research, provides the latest research, user-friendly tools and products, and high-quality technical assistance on high school improvement issues, including College and Career Readiness resources. The Center’s seven year grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) and Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) ended on March 31, 2013 although the website and all its free resources will remain available indefinitely to users but content and external links will not be updated after that date.

  • Think College

“College Options for People with Intellectual Disabilities.

Efforts are unfolding across the country to increase and expand upon postsecondary education options for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The demand for college is growing and pockets of people across the state are discussing how to develop programs in their own communities. This website serves as a tool to inform, connect, and support people involved in these efforts. Explore the site, read the state plan, and register for the listserv. It's time to THINK COLLEGE.

  • National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC)

As the OSEP funded technical assistance and dissemination center on secondary transition for students with disabilities, NSTTAC is aware that secondary transition is multi-faceted and occurs within the complex systems of high schools, communities, and the education system as a whole. NSTTAC's staff developed documents around four topics relevant to secondary education and students with disabilities. These resources were developed as entry level guidance ("101"), intended to synthesize the research, policy, and discussion on topics pertinent to secondary special educators. The topics are each related to secondary students with disabilities accessing and succeeding in the high school curriculum to be prepared for their adult lives. Each are also topics on which other organizations and centers (e.g., IDEA Partnership, National High School Center, National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials, National Center on Response to Intervention) have published resources (which are referenced and linked to in these). The purpose of these products is to put those resources in one place and extend or target these discussions to providers of professional development and services in secondary education for students with disabilities.

  • College and Career Ready Standards and Secondary Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities: 101
  • High School Redesign and Secondary Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities: 101
  • Tiered Interventions and Secondary Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities: 101
  • Universal Design for Learning and Secondary Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities: 101
  • College Scholarships.org. ‘Helping Students pay for College since 1999’. .

This excellent website provides information on students’ rights, how to prepare for college, keys to success in college, and links to helpful organizations. Heading to college is both an exciting and frightening time for all students. This is a time when students cross the threshold from teen to independent adult. One’s success and failures during this time can directly affect his or her future. When a student has a disability, there are additional concerns that must be confronted and addressed. Where parents may have played a large part in a person’s education through high school, the student must take on that responsibility for his or herself while in college. A person with disabilities will have different needs than students without disabilities. Meeting these needs is necessary in order to receive an equal educational experience. To do this, the student must take the right steps before and during his or her time in college.Know Your Rights