Differences Between High School and College

In high school services were implemented by a team that included educators and
parents/guardians that promoted success, however in college the responsibility shifts and the
student must self-identify to the Accessibility Services office in order to ensure access.
As a college student you will now initiate all services, accommodations, and communication
with professors and staff.

High School	College
Focus is to promote Success	Focus is to provide Access
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is implemented at the secondary school level with an aim toward success for all students entitled to a Free and Appropriate Education (FAPE) at their Local Education Agency (LEA).	The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act guides college-level accommodation policy with an aim toward access for “otherwise qualified” students based on the colleges’ admission criteria.
Modification of instruction and curriculum are commonly provided in response to student learning needs.	Through an interactive process, reasonable accommodations are identified to ensure equal access and participation. Students are responsible for meeting the standards of the course, and essential elements of the course objectives are not modified.
The LEA is responsible for identifying a student’s disability, determining eligibility for services and implementing appropriate accommodations.	Students identify their request for services to the disability office, and provide documentation that verifies eligibility for accommodations specific to a functional limitation.
Individual Education Plans or 504 Plans are created to guide the student’s instruction and mandate services	Higher education institutions do not develop comparable individual education plans
Teachers and parents arrange services and assistance for the student	Students must initiate request for services and arrange required accommodations
Personal aide services are arranged and provided by school district	College is not responsible for personal aide services
Teachers and parents remind students to complete	Students independently plan homework and create
homework, help in exam preparation, and aid with time management	reading and study schedules
High school provides a highly regimented, closely monitored schedule with homework assigned at regular intervals	College schedule has more free, unstructured time; classes meet less frequently, more difficult homework, and heavy reading load
Parents communicate routinely with teachers, and can easily monitor student academic progress	Parents have no contact with instructors, and written consent is required to access student progress
Parents and teachers guide and intervene on the student’s behalf, recommending strategies and supports	Students need to self-advocate, articulate their needs for services and accommodations proactively, and pursue resources on campus for assistance
Teachers approach you if they believe you need assistance	Professors are usually open and helpful, but most expect you to initiate contact if you need assistance.
You seldom need to read anything more than once, and sometimes listening in class is enough	You need to review class notes and text materials regularly.