High Schools Push Few Students with Disabilities to Consider College
March 26, 2018
By: Alex Baumhardt and Chris Julin
Source: APM Reports
Under federal law, schools have to help students with disabilities create a transition plan for life after high school. The transition plans include goals for further education, careers and independent living. But many experts, parents and students say schools often set the bar too low.
Christine Bradley knew her son Peter wanted to take some college classes, work in an office and save up to buy his own house after high school. Peter has multiple disabilities that include dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, and mixed-receptive expressive disorder, which makes it difficult at times for him to communicate his thoughts.
When his school suggested he go into a cooking program for jobs in the food industry, she pushed back.
“He’s not really skilled at it and really didn’t have much of an interest,” she says.
Most students with disabilities can graduate from high school, go on to college and earn degrees according to a report by the non-profit Achieve organization and the University of Minnesota’s National Center on Educational Outcomes. Many, however, will be encouraged to go straight into the workforce, where they often take low-paying jobs.