FABRICIO E BALCAZAR, PhDCenter on Capacity Building for Minorities with

Disabilities ResearchUNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO

Prevailing approaches to school improvement do not effectively deal with factors leading to and maintaining students’ problems, specially in low-income communities of color.

Unstable neighborhoods Over committed families (multiple jobs,

multiple dependents, unemployment) Poor housing and transportation

options Limited communication/collaboration

between social service & advocacy organizations (ILC’s, VR, CBOs, schools)

Under-resourced schools Stressed organizations have a difficult

time of implementing “Best Practices” Unfair school funding formulas

(property taxes)

High demand on service providers contribute to

Poor person-centered planning (e.g., IEPs, ITPG’s)

Challenges of involving social support (families, peers, friends)

Challenges with collaborating with other agencies & service providers

Poor individual outcomes Academic (i.e., schools placed on

academic probation, high dropout rates, “crisis” driven intervention and support)

Transition (i.e., employment, independent living, post-secondary education)

Students are unmotivated and many do not care about their education. They do not see education as a real mechanism for social mobility

Many teachers do not expect minority students with disabilities to go to college and pursue post-high school education. They do not challenge or have high expectations for these students

Most low-income minority families have similar low expectations about their children with disabilities and are unaware of VR and other college assistance programs

Pregnancy Dropout Lower incomes than boys Low expectations from parents and

teachers Dependency Low self-esteem Discrimination

Direct facilitation of development and learning

Addressing contextual barriers

ENABLING COMPONENT

(1) Addressing interfering factors

(2) Re-engaging students in classroom instruction

The College Connection to Career Development and Choices in Transition Projects from UIC

Projects funded by RSA and OSERS

Organizations CPS CCC IORS

Activities

Service

Delivery

Skills Development

Outreach&

TrainingPost-Secondary

Support

Job Development

On-the-jobSupport

UIC Case Manager

Special Education Personnel

UIC Case Manager

Disability Services

Personnel

UIC Case Manager

CCC Career

Dev. OfficePersonnel

UIC Case Manager

•College Application•Finical Aid•Vocational Assessment•Job Shadowing•Training in goal setting action planning and help-recruiting•Self-Advocacy training

•Tutoring •Curriculum Adaptations•Assistive technology•Problem Solving•Advocacy regarding rights & Services•Peer Support

•Job Searching•Job Interviewing•Resume writing•Job Clubs

VRCounselor

•Job Etiquette•Job Maintenance•Career Advice•Assistive Tech.

The College Connection to Career Development Intervention Model

Problem solving with the students (including crisis managing)

Parents’ education and negotiation (referrals)

Classroom support, co-teaching (at high schools); visits to colleges; test preparation

Advocacy at the city colleges (dealing with teachers; accessibility); tutoring

Scheduled VR appointments with counselors; advocacy

Associate’s credit (30) Office specialist (19) Pre-college credit (12) Referred to IORS for job

placement (9) Pharmacy tech (6) A+ certification (5) Security training (5) Auto-mechanic program (4) CNA (4) Medical billing/coding (4) Cosmetology (3) Vocational training through

Harold Washington College (3)

Computer literacy (3) 4-year college (2) Radiology (2) EMT (2) Computer graphics (2) Medical terminology (2) Electronic industrial

maintenance mgr. (2) Medical office specialist (2) Fiber optics, electrical

classes, carpentry, sign language & PT/OT (1 each)

Dropped for various reasons (8)

The school does not function independently of the issues of the community that surrounds it. It is an integral part and a reflection of the problems affecting the community.

There is a need for comprehensive school reform that promotes school engagement in classroom instruction and deals with the multiple barriers facing low-performing youth.

The school services and supports should be coordinated with community agencies and state programs that deal with the multiple barriers that low-performing students face.

Additional resources could be used to build the networks and provide the supports (comprehensive case management) that low-income students with disabilities and their families need to graduate.

We need to agree on what success means for low-income minority youth with disabilities. Graduating with low standards or aging-out is not.

There is great variability among schools, districts, and states with regards to transition preparation and outcomes. There is a need for instituting and enforcing national standards for transition planning, preparation and curricula based on specific skills and experiences that promote post-high school employment.

Adult education and certificate programs at local colleges can offer multiple career opportunities to youth with disabilities. Some of these programs could be offered while the students are still in high school, since most professional training programs have been eliminated as a result of the NCLB emphasis on meeting academic standards.

Garcia-Iriarte, E., Balcazar, F. E., & Taylor-Ritzler, T. (2007). Analysis of case managers’ support of youth with disabilities transitioning from school to work. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 26, 129-140.

McDonald, K. E., Keys, C. B., & Balcazar, F. E. (2007). Disability, race/ethnicity and gender: Themes of cultural oppression, acts of individual resistance. American Journal of Community Psychology, 39, 145-161.

National Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA (2008). Frameworks for systematic transformation of students and learning supports. Los Angeles, CA: Author.

http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu