Differences Between Secondary and Post-Secondary Educational Settings
What is the law?
Secondary: Educational requirements are covered under IDEA and ADA/Section 504.
Post-Secondary: Educational requirements are covered under ADA/Section 504 (Subpart E).
What is the intent of the law?
Secondary- IDEA: Provides a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment to students with disabilities.
Post-Secondary- Section 504: Ensures that no otherwise qualified person with a disability is denied access to the benefits of, or is subjected to discrimination in, any program or activity provided by any public institution or entity.
Who is covered under the law?
Secondary: All infants, children, and youth requiring special education services until age 21 or graduation from high school.
Post-Secondary: All qualified individuals with disabilities who meet the entry age level criteria or particular program entry criteria of the college and who can document the existence of a disability as defined by the ADA.
Who is responsible for identifying and documenting the need?
Secondary: School districts are responsible for identifying, evaluating, and planning educational services at no expense to the parent or individual.
Post-Secondary: Students are responsible for self-identification and for obtaining disability documentation from a professional who is qualified to assess their particular disability as defined by the ADA.
Who is responsible for initiating service delivery?
Secondary: School districts are responsible for identifying students with disabilities and providing special instruction, individualized education plans, and/or accommodations.
Post-Secondary: Students are responsible for notifying the Office of Disability Services staff of their disability and of the need for accommodations. Accommodations (not special education) are provided on a semester-by-semester basis in order for students with disabilities to have equal access to the institution’s programs, services, and activities.
Who is responsible for enforcing the law?
Secondary: IDEA is basically a funding statute, enforced by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services in the U.S. Department of Education. ADA/504 are civil rights statutes, enforced by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), U.S. Department of Justice, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Post-Secondary: ADA/504 are civil rights statutes, enforced by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), U.S. Department of Justice, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
What about self-advocacy?
Secondary: The parent or guardian is the primary advocate. Students with disabilities should learn about their disability, the importance of self-advocacy, the accommodations they need, and ways to become a self-advocate. In Pennsylvania, they should start participating in their Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings starting at age 14.
Post-Secondary: Students must be able to communicate what their disability is, their strengths, weaknesses, and how the disability impacts and functionally limits major life activities. They must be able to identify and justify any requested accommodations.
K-12 Experience for Students with Disabilities: Education is mandatory and free
Teacher responsibilities:
- Trained to teach/ trained as an educator.
- Helps students learn and process information.
- Checks students’ work and provides feedback.
- Reviews assignments, test material, and due dates.
- Reminds students of incomplete work.
- Structures time for students.
- Initiates help sessions and support services.
- Available for communication during the school day.
- Communicates and co-educates with parents.
- Teachers (or parents) advocate for students.
IEPs – Students with an IEP can expect teachers to also:
- Know accommodations listed in the IEP and follow them daily.
- Report regularly on progress.
- Communicate with parents; parents participate in IEP goals and accommodations.
- Adapt materials or teaching to the student’s learning style.
- Allow extra testing time, separate testing, a support staff, or other accommodations in class (if listed in the IEP).
Student responsibilities:
- Attends class.
- Learning/growth in skills in different classes.
- Pass grade-level requirements (unless grading is designated otherwise by IEP).
University Experience for Students with Disabilities: Education is voluntary and expensive
Teacher responsibilities:
- Trained as an expert in subject, not necessarily as a teacher.
- Provide a syllabus of expectations and general course outline at the start of the class.
- May hold office hours for discussion or may require pre-arranged meetings.
- May lecture/talk for the duration of class.
- May discuss assignments in person or assign online.
- Waits for students to ask for help.
- May or may not check students’ work.
- May or may not provide feedback on work, tests, projects.
- Not responsible for reminding students of due dates.
- Does not communicate with parents.
Other responsibilties:
- Complete work as assigned, on time.
- Seek additional help (such as tutoring), if needed for understanding.
- Re-read materials or read additional materials, if needed for understanding.
- Responsible for tracking deadlines and due dates.
- Utilize books, online resources, and communications aligned with the teacher’s preferences.
- Manage time outside of class to complete assignments.
- Independently take notes.
- Initiate attending office hours or make an appointment with teacher/ professor if needed.
- Provide information to / consults with parents independently (without teachers and counselors)
- Advocates for self.
Student responsibilities – IEPs do not apply in higher education. Students who need accommodations usually must complete a version of the following steps (may vary by school):
- Contact the school’s disability services, meet with a counselor, and provide proof of disability or proof of need for accommodations.
- Write out or independently express which specific accommodations are important to the student’s success in a particular class. (Accommodations may vary for students depending on class topic).
- Each semester, contact the teacher/professor for each class to request specific accommodations. Contact can be made by email, but some teachers/professors may ask to meet in person.
- If accommodations are granted, the student is often responsible for reminding or following through. For example, students who request extra testing time might be required to make an appointment at the student services center and might be required to take the test on the same day as the rest of the class.
- If accommodations are not granted, the student should consult with the student disabilities counselors to identify if the student can be successful or if there is a better class to substitute in his/ her schedule.
Other downloads
| Name | Description | Type | File |
|---|---|---|---|
| Differences Between Secondary and Post-Secondary Disability Laws | Legal Differences | Download file: Differences Between Secondary and Post-Secondary Disability Laws | |
| Differences between High School and College | Educational Differences | Download file: Differences between High School and College |
This information was developed by the Autism Services, Education, Resources, and Training Collaborative (ASERT). For more information, please contact ASERT at 877-231-4244 or info@PAautism.org. ASERT is funded by the Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations, PA Department of Human Services.