CE For Students with Disabilities
ACCOMMODATIONS
It is important to understand the differences between high school and college level course work and the accommodations that are available at the postsecondary level. Students with disabilities who meet the prerequisites of a course may be provided reasonable accommodation that allows equal access. However, colleges will not provide modifications to change the course content or performance expectations that would substantially alter the essential elements of the course. Students need to understand that not all accommodations available at the high school will be allowed in college-level classes.
Are concurrent enrollment options available in every school or district? Yes. The statute requires local education providers to offer concurrent enrollment options to their eligible students.
How does an institution of higher education determine that the student is qualified for admission? The institutions of higher education will utilize existing procedures and or those in the cooperative agreement to determine if a student is qualified. Administrative approval is required at the high school level before a student can register for a class through concurrent enrollment.
Are the rules for participation different if the class is held at the high school? No. If the class is for college credit, the same participation rules apply regardless of the location of the class.
Do the accommodations listed in the student's IEP automatically apply to college classes? No. It is important to remember that the IEP does not continue to college or the workplace. Some accommodation provided at the high school may also be appropriate at the college level. However, at the high school there may be supports and services provided that go beyond reasonable accommodation and would not be appropriate at the college level.
Does the IEP team make decisions about accommodations provided in college classes? No. Although the IEP team plays a key role in providing recommendations and documentation for requested accommodations, decisions about the accommodations provided in college classes will be determined by the college.
5th Year and Beyond Students- Non-ASCENT
For students retained past their fourth year of high school, they would not have met the district's minimum graduation requirements. Districts must ensure that all college credit hours earned concurrently apply toward the student’s high school graduation requirements as defined in the students’ academic plan. If concurrent courses are not required for the student to meet high school graduation requirements, the course will not be included in the calculation of funding eligibility. Students in their 5th year and beyond may not concurrently enroll in more than nine credit hours during the academic year (including basic school courses) with a maximum of six credits persemester as a full-time student and three credits persemester as a part-time student in any subsequent years while registered as a K-12 student.
ASCENT
ASCENT stands for Accelerating Student through Concurrent ENrollmenT. Students who have completed at least 12 credit hours of postsecondary course prior to completion of his/her 12th grade year may be eligible for the ASCENT Program. They remain students in their district for one year following their 12th grade year, and the district receives ASCENT specific perpupil state funding that it uses to pay their college tuition at the resident community college rate. Students receive their high-school diplomas at the end of their ASCENT year.
Transition Students
Transition students (those between the ages of 18-21 who have an IEP that encompasses the pupil enrollment count date) are eligible to participate in Concurrent Enrollment and ASCENT and however, they must meet the same programmatic and funding requirements as all other Concurrently Enrolled/ASCENT students. For Concurrent Enrollment, these students would need to meet the requirements for a 5th year and beyond student. For ASCENT, additional transition services may be provided during the student's ASCENT year and beyond. However, at the completion of the transition student's ASCENT year, the student may NOT enroll in any additional concurrent enrollment courses as part of their transition services.