Resources for High School Educators


Dear High School Partners,

We understand and appreciate your relationship with your high school students with IEPs and 504 plans. We know that your students’ lives after high school will change significantly and that you want to prepare your students as best as possible for college. As you know, the groundwork that supports student success must be laid long before high school graduation or exit. To help you prepare your students for Cypress College, we have created this website with helpful resources designed to facilitate the high school transition to college.

Cypress College DSS looks forward to meeting your students, and we are ready for your handoff. We will do everything we can to make your students’ transition to college as easy as possible. We value your partnership and look forward to supporting your soon-to-be Cypress College Chargers!

Your Cypress College DSS Team

Resources

Cypress College Tour and DSS Presentation for High School Classes

We encourage high school educators to schedule a Cypress College DSS and campus tour for their classes. This is one of the best ways for students to envision being college students and registering for classes and disability services at Cypress College. Your students will see what the campus is like and will get to meet some of the professionals who will be supporting them along their college journey.

To schedule a DSS and campus tour for your class, submit your DSS Presentation request online as early as possible. We have many high schools classes requesting presentations and tours, so the sooner you submit your request, the better chance you will be able to secure the day and time you requested!

Share Information with Families

Parents, families, and friends of high school students rely on their high school teachers and counselors to provide information about what to expect after high school. We’ve got you covered! We have a “Resources for Families and Students” webpage designed specifically for new incoming students from high school. Please share our website with your students and families/friends.

Skills Needed for College

  1. Help your students become independent. Independence will look different for every student. Regardless, all students should learn how to make choices and do things without their parents or teachers. Some examples are
    • Find classes.
    • Gather supplies.
    • Use a locker.
    • Get lunch and snacks.
    • Follow a schedule.
    • Read and respond to email.
    • Text.
  2. Help your students find out about their disabilities. Students should be able to
    • Name their disability and describe how their limitations affect their learning.
    • Identify their strengths in learning.
    • Identify strategies to compensate for their challenges.
    • Describe their rights under Section 504 and 508 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
    • Know how to access their IEPs or 504 plans in order to apply to DSS when they arrive at Cypress College.
    • Know about the accommodations that helped them in high school.
  3. Help your students develop academic interests. College requires students to access books and think about different content areas. Students should have areas of interest and the ability to communicate these interests.
    • Read books (including audiobooks).
    • Watch documentaries.
    • Talk about what they are learning.
  4. Help your students learn/use assistive technology. It is important for students to learn how to use technology that assists them.
    • Practice listening to digital books that highlight words and reads them aloud.
    • Use technology, such as Read/Write, to use speech to text and text to speech. Learn to use word prediction and vocabulary tools.
    • Learn to use smartphone accessibility features.
    • Use an electronic calendar.
  5. Encourage students to take on responsibilities at home. Practicing skills at home can make the high school to college transition easier. Students should work on
    • Using an alarm to wake up on their own.
    • Learning to set phone reminders to help with being on time.
    • Cooking for themselves.
    • Doing laundry.
    • Packing backpack and lunch every day.
    • Making to-do lists.
    • Learning to manage money (budgeting, using a bankcard, pay for things on their own).
  6. Continue helping students develop self-advocacy skills. Students should
    • Help develop and direct their IEP meetings.
    • Participate in making decisions.
    • Ask peers for help when needed and offer their support to peers.
    • Take on leadership roles at school or in community.

*Adapted from Inclusive Services at UCCS “Getting Ready for College.”