with disabilities and special health care needs are entering and graduating from college. However, many teens still don’t see college in their future. Opening Doors helps graduating high school students with disabilities plan for college and career. The Opt4College project is testing a new internet based curriculum that introduces high school age students to the college entrance process in a youth friendly, compelling and practical fashion.
In general, transition refers to the shift from high school to post-secondary education or employment. In Opt4College , we focus strictly on supporting students move on to post-secondary education. Many young adults with disabilities or special health care needs are not considering post secondary education because they are not encouraged or assisted to do so. Transition planning is a coordinated set of student-centered activities that require the collaborative efforts of mainly the students, parents, school personnel.
Transition planning is mandated for students who are under an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) but for other students with special health care needs who may not be on an IEP, this type of planning process may not be readily available to them. Typically, parents, school personnel, students, and sometimes postsecondary personnel meet to design and implement a transition plan.
It is important for young adults who identify as having a disability or special health care need to feel like they are well prepared, aware, and resourceful enough to transition into post secondary education.
The transition process from high school to college can be difficult and not knowing what accommodations are available can make the process even more difficult. The primary purpose of this planning is to help students select, access, and succeed in a postsecondary education program.
The transition section of the Opening Doors Project has designed the OPT4College study. By combining both the literature on pre-college outreach programs for urban youth and post-secondary transition planning for students with disabilities, we have created an on-line curriculum that is both comprehensive in nature and combines an interactive skill building approach that will empower students to take a central role in preparing for and accessing postsecondary education.
We will be testing the effectiveness of this on-line pre-collegiate curriculum that combines longitudinal data analysis in a randomized control group design. Surveys have been designed to collect data via the internet at the end of each module of the curriculum. These surveys will capture any steps taken by youth in planning for their transition.
This goal of this project is to make young people with disabilities and special health care conditions aware that post secondary education is not a dream but can very well be a reality.
If you would like more information please email Matthew Kusminsky at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 617.287.4373.
