THE IMPACT OF POSTSECONDARY TRANSITION TO COLLEGE PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Authors
Mesina, Olga Lorena
Issue Date
2021
Type
Dissertation
Language
Keywords
community college , graduation , long-term case management , postsecondary education , students with disabilities , summer programming
Alternative Title
Abstract
Individuals with disabilities live in higher rates of poverty and are not always able to fully integrate into their communities. Postsecondary education has traditionally been a means to enhance employment opportunities. Currently, students with disabilities are attending community colleges as their primary choice for higher education. Having an increased participation in postsecondary education is a significant step forward for students with disabilities. It is imperative that the focus now shift toward students with disabilities graduate from postsecondary institutions, specifically community colleges with the credentials needed that will lead to full integration into work and their communities. Understanding what works or best practices should be researched so students with disabilities complete postsecondary education. Research for students with disabilities has included follow along studies on what is occurring post high school graduation. This ex post facto study looked at the impact of two interventions on four academic factors. These factors included within-semester retention, semester-to-semester enrollment, spring to fall enrollment, overall grade point average above 2.0, and student’s completion of academic goals or graduation. Intervention One (ASI) was a pre-college short-term precollege intervention. Intervention Two (CareerConnect) was a long-term case management intervention program. The two intervention groups were composed solely of students with disabilities who chose to participate in disability services and the intervention. Each intervention group was compared to students with disabilities that were receiving services from the disability services office. Correlation analysis were run to look at the impact of Intervention One (ASI) and the Disability Services Only groups on the four academic dependent variables. For Intervention One (ASI) none of the findings were statistically significant in finding a relationship to this intervention. Correlation analysis were also run the impact of Intervention Two (CareerConnect) and the Disability Services Only group on the four academic dependent variables. A fifth dependent variable was present only for Intervention Two (CareerConnect) the number of contacts or appointments. The only statistically significant relationship was a positive correlation between total contacts and semester-to-semester retention. The results and implications for students with disabilities, community college and partners, and funding structures are discussed. Keywords: postsecondary education, students with disabilities, community college, graduation, summer programming, long-term case management