perspectives
 in Education and Deafness
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Practical Ideas for the Classroom and Community
Volume 16, Number 5,
May/June1998
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Closing the Gap: Schools Forge a Bridge to the Community |
In Colorado
Partnership with Community College Enables Students' Successful Transitions
by Marilyn Jaitly & Nathan Sims
Marilyn Jaitly, PhD, is Superintendent and Nathan Sims, MA, is Principal of the Vocational/Transition Program at the Colorado
School for the Deaf and Blind, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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Are students ready for graduation at the age of 18? Are they capable
of making life-long decisions at such an early age? Are they prepared to step out and live independently in the world of work or
to enter post-secondary programs? The staff and administrators at the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind (CSDB) are aware
that the traditional high school environment has been unable to sufficiently prepare students to adapt to the world that they face
after graduation. Regardless of students' gender, race, severity of hearing loss, presence of additional disabilities, or
socio-economic background, they leave school too often without the necessary skills to enter the workforce, continue in
post-secondary education, or even to access resources in their own community.
![[photo of students at a picnic]](http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/products/perspectives/may-jun98/graphics/p14.JPG) | |
Attending the nearby community college enables students to socialize in an adult environment. Photo courtesy of Colorado School
for the Deaf and Blind.
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For that reason, CSDB expanded its transition program to help 18-to-21 year-olds bridge the gap between high school and adult
life. The program is based on the premise that age-appropriate behavior and skills are most likely to develop in age-appropriate
settings. The goal of the new transition program is to provide a system of services through: direct training in a wide variety of
school and non-school environments; enabling students to live independently with support; empowering students to access adult
services within their respective home communities.
The array of services are provided at students' apartments, places of employment, or college they are attending, rather than in
CSDB's classrooms or dorms. The services are grouped into three areas:
- Work-based activities
- vocational assessment
- career counseling
- career exploration
- job shadowing
- work experience, either supported or independent
- Independent living activities
- supported living training
- semi-independent living training
- independent/apartment living experiences
- a variety of activities to access community
- Connecting activities
- matching students with appropriate adult service agencies
- reintegration of students to their home community
- relocation from home community
- linkages to post-secondary education
Community College—
School for the Deaf
Success in Interagency Collaboration
In analyzing the success of our program, one common denominator continues to surface: multi-agency collaboration in an adult
environment. CSDB has set up a collaboration that enables students to take advantage of the regular educational program at nearby
Pikes Peak Community College (PPCC), with its new Deaf Prep program. PPCC's new Deaf Prep program, under the direction of Lindsey
Antle, is a remedial curriculum in English, Mathematics, Study Skills, Critical Thinking, Resource Management, and American Sign
Language.
Students live at CSDB in a college-style dorm and remain eligible for IEP services while attending PPCC classes, where they are
introduced to a post-secondary environment, a faculty fluent in ASL, and a demanding curriculum. Students may remain in Deaf Prep
from one to four semesters. After the first semester, they are encouraged to choose electives from the college's developmental
studies or academic curriculum. The goal is for Deaf Prep students to exit the program for work, community college education,
on-the-job training, or a four-year college or university education.
Staff Juggles Schedules
Students Take Responsibility
For CSDB staff, perhaps the most difficult aspect of the collaboration is scheduling. There is a plethora of activities available
for students and often decisions have to be made about what can be eliminated. Students are involved in college classes from 12:30
p.m. to 5 p.m. The remaining time is typically used for homework, tutoring, appointments with counselors, accessing community
agencies, jobs, household chores, and leisure activities. Students are responsible for handling their daily schedules, as well as
maintaining their living environment.
Thus students themselves develop a schedule of duties. They meet as a group weekly to discuss and resolve concerns. They establish
their own rules for participation and suggest a variety of activities. For example, Their concern about legal rights and
responsibilities prompted a presentation from the local police department, and their concern with medication issues resulted in
the nursing staff at CSDB providing training related to over-the-counter and prescription drugs.
Thanks to the determination of hard-working and dedicated staff members, and with the continued support from the community, the
program is receiving positive responses from students and service providers alike. "Wow! This is great!" exclaimed one student.
"This is the first time I really feel like I'm being independent." Responsibilities are many, but the satisfaction of being
independent and of having the opportunity to participate in their own governance while still receiving support from staff and a
variety of community agencies has been a powerful motivator for these young adults. We are extremely encouraged by the enthusiasm
of the students and encouraged by their progress. If the enrollment trend continues, we will more than double the number of
students in the next school-year. The future seems bright.
For more information on the transition program at CSDB, contact Principal Nick Sims, (719) 578-2209; csdbnick@pcisys.net. For more information on the Deaf Prep program at PPCC, contact Director
Lindsey Antle, (719) 540-7210; ANTLE@PPCC.CCOES.EDU.
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