transitionat

Current assessment practices in secondary education do not always create documentation that is consistent with the requirements of postsecondary institutions.

at the postsecondary level, there is a lack of uniformity in determining whether an individual is eligible as a person with a disability and in identifying needed supplemental services and accommodations for access.

There are no consistent or agreed upon principles related to interpretation of data and information to determine student eligibility, access to services, and appropriate accommodations.

Students who were eligible for services under IDEA 2004 are not automatically eligible for services under Section 504 and ADA in college and university settings.

In some instances, however, a student's 3-year reevaluation may not consist of cognitive measures and standardized achievement tests, but rather may emphasize the student's progress on IEP goals, statewide accountability tests results, and whether the interventions and accommodations provided have been beneficial to the student.

Similarly, Section 504 and the ADA do not require high schools or postsecondary schools to conduct or pay for evaluations to document a disability (U.S. Department of Education, 2002).

Summary of Performance (SOP) provision from IDEA 2004 is discussed as a vehicle for secondary personnel to summarize the student's academic achievement and functional performance and provide recommendations to assist college and university disability support personnel in evaluating the student's eligibility for services.

provided by a licensed or otherwise properly credentialed professional

clear diagnostic statement that describes how the diagnosis was made, provides information on the functional impact of the disability, and details the prognosis.

may include both formal and informal methods of evaluation

Information on how learning is currently affected is important in establishing LD and the need for specific accommodations.

includes a description of both current and past auxiliary aids, assistive devices, support services, and accommodations, including their effectiveness in the educational setting.

Recommendations from professionals with a history of working with the student are often useful for determining effective accommodations.

intention of the SOP is to summarize existing information (in lieu of a full reevaluation) in a way that may provide professionals at the postsecondary level the information they need to make decisions related to eligibility and reasonable accommodations.

Recommendations to assist the student in meeting postsecondary goals. This section includes suggestions for accommodations, adaptive devices and services, compensatory strategies, and support services to enhance access to post-high school environments.

Student input. This section lists the student's perspective on how the disability affects schoolwork and school activities, past supports, accommodations that have been helpful to the student, and the student's strengths and needs. This section may be filled out independently by the student or completed with the student through an interview.

Summary of performance. This section includes the academic, cognitive, and functional levels of performance and the accommodations, modifications, and assistive technologies that were essential in high school to assist the student in achieving progress, and why they were needed.

Approximately 100 postsecondary institutional guidelines were evaluated, with five topics targeted for review: currency of the testing, examiner qualifications, required diagnostic areas, required or suggested tests, and unaccepted tests. A summary of the compiled data follows: Ninety-six percent of the respondents indicated that an office of disability services makes final decisions regarding eligibility, and 53% used their professional judgment when making decisions. Forty-five percent considered testing to be "current" if it were 3 years old or less; 3% if 5 years old or less; and 17% if it were "recent." Seventy-five percent of the postsecondary service providers relied on recommendations for the requested accommodations and the reasonableness of the requests; 67% when making their decisions. Sixty-seven percent suggested specific tests that they consider acceptable for documenting an LD. Having advance knowledge of which institutions preferred which tests may help guide evaluation teams in their choice of instruments. Twenty-five percent used some form of discrepancy model to document an LD. Seventy percent used the ADA and Section 504 language to guide their documentation decisions; 30% used the former AHEAD guidelines (determined by AHEAD in 2003 to no longer provide appropriate guidance), and 14% used statewide guidelines. Thirty-nine percent used the IEP/504 Plan when considering eligibility and requests for accommodations, but do not consider them sufficient in making eligibility and accommodation decisions. Forty-two percent required adult-normed assessments.

Adaptive equipment or technology (58%).

Textbooks on tape (55%).