High School vs College
High Point University > Office of Accessibility Resources and Services > High School vs College

Differences between High School and College Students with Disabilities

What laws apply to students with disabilities?

Elementary – High school College
IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), No Child Left Behind, and Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 specific to Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Title II specific to discrimination.

  • School funding is dependent on student performance.
 ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and amendments, Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, FERPA, and Title II.

  • Goal of preventing discrimination and ensuring equal access to the same opportunities, programs, and activities as others.
  • Maintain student confidentiality.

 

Who is responsible for initiating, creating, and maintaining accommodations?

Elementary – High school College
  • The School and School District
  • Teachers
  • Parents
  • The student must initiate accommodation request by self-disclosing their disability(ies).
  • The student must take the lead in the intake meeting.
  • OARS can only act when the student addresses needs.

 

What is the role of the parents in obtaining accommodations for their student?

Elementary – High school College
The parent can engage with school staff about the student without the student’s consent or presence.
  • Parental involvement should mainly involve advising and encouraging the student toward self-advocacy.
  • If the parent participates in OARS meetings, the parent is expected to be a silent observer. The parent can only join OARS meetings if the student signs the FERPA waiver and OARS general consent forms.

 

What are the responsibilities of instructors?

Elementary – High school College
Teachers can do the following:

  • Modify expectations, rigor, and content of the curriculum.
  • Allow assignments to be turned in late with little or no grade penalty.
  • Allow tests to be retaken with little to no penalty.
  • Provide missed information due to absence.
 Instructors are only required to ensure that the approved accommodations are implemented in each course, unless fundamental alteration occurs.

Instructors are not required to do the following:

  • Lower or substantially modify essential course requirements.
  • Change content of tests or assignments or modify test format.
  • Allow retesting or accept late assignments.
  • Provide missed information/notes due to absence.
  • Inform OARS of a student’s disability-related concerns.

 

What are the responsibilities of the students?

Elementary – High school College
Participate in Free Appropriate Public Education.
  • Assume independence and control of learning.
  • Understand expectations of each course and instructor.
  • Submit notifications to instructors each semester.
  • Understand how to implement accommodations in each course and what to do if accommodations are not appropriately implemented.
  • Communicate approved accommodations to other parties, or request that OARS do so, when necessary.