Laws and Responsibilities
| High School | College |
|---|---|
| Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) | Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)- Accessibility and reasonable accommodations |
| Covers age 3-21 or until regular high school diploma requirements are met | Covers students with disabilities regardless of age. Schools may not discriminate in recruitment, admission, or after admission solely on the basis of a disability |
| School attendance is mandatory | Students decided to attend and will probably pay tuition |
| Districts are required to identify students with disabilities through free assessment and the IEP process | Students are responsible for revealing and providing current documentation of a disability- they must be self-advocates |
| Students receive special education and related services to address their needs based on an identified disability | Formal special education services are not available |
| Services include individually designed instruction modifications and accommodations based on the student's IEP | Reasonable accommodations and modifications may be made to provide equal access and participation |
| Individual students' needs recorded in the IEP may be addressed by program support for school personnel | No formal program support for school personnel is provided |
| Progress toward IEP goals is monitored and communicated to the parent(s) and/or the student | Students are required to monitor their own progress |
| Schools assist in connecting the student with community support agencies if this is identified as a transition need according to the IEP or 504 plan | Students are responsible for making their own connections with community support agencies |
Classes
| High School | College |
|---|---|
| Usually follow a school-directed schedule and proceed from one class to another | Individual students must manage their own time and schedules |
| General education classes dictated by state/district requirements | Class based on field of study; requirements may vary |
| Typically, a school year is 36 weeks long; some classes extend over both semesters. Summer classes may be offered by are not used to accelerate graduation | Academic year is divided into two separate 15 week semesters plus a week for final exams |
| Class attendance is usually mandatory and monitored carefully | Attendance policies vary with each instructor Hint: Lack of attendance may impact performance |
| Classes generally have no more than 30-35 students | Classes may have 100 students or more |
| Textbooks are typically provided at little or no expense | Textbooks can be expensive Hint: An anticipated range for a full-time student is $250-$500 per semester |
| Guidance is provided for students so they will be aware of graduation requirements | Graduation requirements are complex and vary for different fields of study Hint: YOU are responsible for monitoring your progress and seeking advice |
| Modifications that change course outcomes may be offered based on the IEP | Modifications that change course outcomes will not be offered Hint: Modified high school courses may not be accepted in the admission process |
Instructors
| High School | College |
|---|---|
| Grade and check completed homework | May assume homework is completed and students are able to perform on a test |
| May remind students of incomplete assignments | May not remind students of incomplete assignments Hint: It's YOUR responsibility to check with your instructor to see if requirements are being met |
| May know students' needs and approach students when they need assistance | Are usually open and helpful but expect students to initiate contact when assistance is needed |
| May be available before, during and after class | May require students to attend scheduled office hours |
| Have been trained in teaching methods | Have content knowledge but not necessarily formal teaching methods |
| Often provide students with information missed during absence | Expect students to get information from classmates when they miss a class |
| Present material to help students understand what is in the textbook | May not follow the textbook, but lectures enhance the topic area Hint: You need to connect lectures and textbook |
| Often write information on the board or overhead to be copied for notes | May lecture non-stop- if they write on the board, it may be to support the lecture, not to summarize it Hint: Good notes are a must, or a recording device may be used with permission |
| Teach knowledge and facts, leading students through the thinking process | Expect students to think independently and connect seemingly unrelated information |
| Often take time to remind students of assignments and test dates | Expect students to read, save and refer back to course syllabus |
Testing
| High School | College |
|---|---|
| Frequent coverage of small amounts of material | Usually infrequent (2-3 times a semester). May be cumulative and cover large amounts of material. Hint: YOU need to organize material to prepare for tests Some classes may require only papers and/or projects instead of tests |
| Make-up tests are often available | Make-up tests are seldom an option and may have to be requested |
| Test dates can be arranged to avoid conflicts with other events | Usually, scheduled tests are without regard to other demands |
| Frequently conducts review sessions in class emphasizing important concepts prior to tests | Faculty rarely offer review sessions in class; Campus tutoring resources and/or study groups are available- students are responsible for seeking out these resources. |
Grades
| High School | College |
|---|---|
| Given for most assigned work | May not be provided for all assigned work |
| Good homework grades may assist in raising overall grade when test grades are lower | Tests and major papers provide the majority of the grade |
| Extra credit options are often available | Generally speaking, extra credit options are not used to raise a grade |
| Initial test grades, especially when low, may not have an adverse effect on course grade. Sometimes exams can be retaken to receive a higher score | All tests are important- retaking a failed exam is seldom an option. |
| Graduation requirements may be met with a grade of D or higher | Requirements may not be met only if the student's average meets department standards Hint: Generally 2.0 or higher |