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STATE SCHOOLS ARE SPECIAL ED. STUDENTS' TOP CHOICE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

August 16, 1999

Public colleges and junior colleges are the top choice of students with disabilities who go on for more formal schooling after high school. From 1996 to 1998, 98 percent of the country's public two-year and public four-year schools had some students with disabilities, according to a study released today by the National Center for Education Statistics. Only 47 percent of private two-year schools drew special ed. students, while 63 percent of private four-year schools did.

In all, 72 percent of U.S. higher education institutions had a total of 428,280 students with disabilities enrolled during that period, the report states. Most attended medium-size schools with more than 3,000 total students or large institutions with more than 10,000 total students. Most students with disabilities - 60 percent -- reported one or more learning disabilities, while 56 percent had mobility or orthopedic impairments, and 48 percent had hearing impairments.

The types of accommodations for students with disabilities varied widely, with both support personnel and technological or physical innovations employed to help the students learn. Alternative exam formats and extended test-taking time, both of which have become heavily debated issues in elementary and secondary education of students with disabilities, are common forms of accommodations for students in higher education. Eighty-eight percent of the schools that had special ed. students enrolled provided either alternative formats or extended time or both.

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Tutors for ongoing course work and readers or note takers for classroom work are also common, with 77 percent of schools offering tutors and 69 percent offering readers and note takers to their students with disabilities. Sixty-two percent give those students priority registration periods or assistance signing up for classes, and 58 percent provide adaptive equipment and technology.

More complex or time intensive assistance is either less available to or less in demand by students with disabilities. Only 5 percent of the schools provided independent living skills training, and 10 percent provided personal attendants. On-campus transportation in specially equipped vehicles was provided at just 13 percent of the institutions, and adaptive physical education courses or sports were available at 21 percent of the schools. Large institutions were more likely that smaller ones, and public schools more likely than private, to provide specific and varied accommodations for students with disabilities.

Faculty and staff also have more access to information on how to assist special ed. students at larger public schools. Workshops and informational presentations are the most common type of training for faculty and staff, with 63 percent of schools with special ed. students providing those events. Sixty-two percent made information and resources available as requested, including faculty/staff handbook at 41 percent of the schools.

Not surprisingly, schools that made an effort to publicize their services for special ed. students attracted more of them to enroll. About 20 percent of all U.S. higher education institutions, including those with no students with disabilities, had some sort of outreach program in place during the survey period. Schools that also had special ed. students were more likely to have such programs, which consisted of recruiting activities and materials for distribution to prospective students. Most schools with special ed. students also send their recruiting materials to high school guidance counselors and other organizations that refer students going on to college. About 75 percent also contacted state vocational rehabilitation agencies and community groups. Only about 25 percent had contacted local businesses or employers.8