Information for First-Time Students

For High School Students
(and Parents)

Welcome to SPC. The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (OSSD) is happy to provide you information on College services, and to assist students with disabilities in the transition from high school to college.

It is important for students and parents to be aware that the basis for services changes at the college level. In elementary and secondary schools, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) makes the school district responsible for identifying and evaluating students, and then for providing the appropriate services. Teachers, counselors, and parents are often very involved in planning and carrying out these services.

At the college and university level, however, accommodation is based on the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Colleges and universities have no responsibility to identify or seek out students with disabilities. It is the student's responsibility to make his or her disability known to the proper individuals, to provide correct and current paperwork documenting the disability, and to request accommodation personally. In addition, the student's documentation must support the need for a service or accommodation in order for it to be approved.

The College has developed this brochure to help students better understand some of these changes, and make a smooth transition to college. To read or print this document, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded for free here.

Documentation Guidelines

Learning Disability

• The College requires a psychologist's report with qualifying cognitive and processing standardized test scores AND a diagnosis of a learning disorder. The report can be from a licensed school or private psychologist. A list of accepted tests is available upon request. The College may require updated testing in order to provide accommodation if the information is more than 3-5 years old
• An IEP is not sufficient by itself at the college level.
• A student who does not have current documentation is welcome to be re-tested by any licensed psychologist who diagnoses learning disabilities. Learning Specialists have a list of area Ph.D.s who give SPC students a price discount; a student may request a copy of the contact information.

ADD/ADHD

• The College requires a letter or report less than 1 year old from a psychologist, psychiatrist, or other M.D. qualified to diagnose the condition. Must be on letterhead, signed, and state the specific diagnosis.

Psychological, emotional, or psychiatric disorders

• The College requires a letter or report less than 1 year old from a psychologist, psychiatrist, or other M.D. qualified to diagnose the condition. Must be on letterhead, signed, and state the specific diagnosis.

Medical/Orthopedic

• The College requires a letter or medical report from a physician qualified to diagnose the condition, on professional or hospital letterhead, signed, with specific diagnosis. Condition or effects must be long term to permanent.

Vision

• The College requires a letter or medical report from a physician qualified to diagnose the condition, on professional or hospital letterhead, signed, with specific diagnosis.

Hearing

• The College requires an audiogram indicating level of hearing loss.
• Communication preferences will be reviewed with the home campus Learning Specialist.
• Students requiring an interpreter or captionist for the initial Learning Specialist meeting must make a request for services in advance. Please call 727-791-2523 TTY or fill out an Interpreter Request Form.

Types of Services Available

SPC offers a comprehensive academic support program for qualified students, based on the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. All accommodations and services are arranged on an individual, case-by-case basis. The student must provide qualifying medical or psychological documentation that indicates the specific need for a reasonable accommodation in order to have equal access to programs and activities of the College. The student must also personally request, in a timely manner, that approved accommodations be provided for specific classes or activities.

Accommodations for qualifying students may include, but are not limited to:

Some services or equipment which a student may have been provided in elementary or high school are not reasonable accommodation at the college or university level. They are deemed "personal services", and are not the responsibility of the institution. Some of these "personal services" include home computers and software or tools for home use, training to use assistive technology products, portable electronic equipment also used outside of classes, custom orthopedic chairs or inserts, personal aides or companions, orientation and mobility training, meal and personal care assistance, and transportation. The College is committed to working with agencies or others who do provide these services once they are arranged by the student, to ensure equal access and a minimum of disruption to the educational process.

Tutoring is also considered a personal service at the college level. However, SPC does provide a limited number of free tutoring hours specifically for OSSD students, with professional staff, as a courtesy and support tool. Tutoring is available on a weekly appointment basis each semester on selected SPC sites and is primarily focused on general education courses involving writing or mathematics use. Students may be placed on a waiting list if the tutoring schedule is full when they make a request. OSSD students are also encouraged to use the campus learning commons and online tutoring available to all SPC students.

Service animals are permitted on campus with a certifying letter from a medical or psychological professional attesting to the specific need and the service the animal is trained to perform. The student is responsible for the care and upkeep of the animal and its behavior while on campus.

College Admission Requirements

A standard high school diploma or a GED is normally expected for admission to the College as a degree-seeking student. There are exceptions formulated by the State of Florida in some cases for students with qualifying disabilities. However, these exceptions are not guaranteed, are based partly on "ability to benefit" rules, and contain substantial limitations.

CPT (College Placement Test) Eligible Certificate of Completion

Students who have completed sufficient credits and all other graduation requirements except for passing scores on the FCAT and who received a CPT-Eligible Certificate of Completion may take the College Placement Test. They may be admitted to remedial or credit courses and classified as degree seeking. They may be ineligible to receive financial aid unless all scores indicate "ability to benefit": Qualifying scores are:

Reading: 55 or higher
Sentence Skills: 60 or higher
Arithmetic: 34 or higher.

Such students may continue to pursue earning a standard high school diploma by retaking the FCAT while enrolled in a community college.

Students who enter with CPT Eligible Certificates of Completion may not enroll in programs that provide training for police officers, correctional officers, classroom teachers, or any health-related program. Such students also may not transfer to a public Florida university until the AA degree is earned.

Certificate of Completion, Certificate of Attendance and Special Diploma
Options 1 and 2

A student receiving a regular Certificate of Completion or Certificate of Attendance, or a student receiving either Special Diploma from a Florida public high school during or after Spring 1983 shall not be eligible for admission until:

A. the applicant receives a standard high school diploma.
B. the applicant receives a GED.
C. the applicant receives a CPT Eligible Certificate of Completion and demonstrates the ability to benefit.
D. the applicant receives an approved waiver.

Waivers are granted only in extraordinary circumstances and require substantial documentation of ability and cause. Financial aid restrictions and limitations on the choice of major may still apply, even if a waiver is granted. Students wishing to request a waiver of state admission requirements should speak with the home campus Associate Provost to begin the appeal process.

First Steps in Enrollment

The steps for first-time enrollment are outlined on the college web page concerning admissions. Any student who believes he or she has a qualifying disability and needs accommodation should speak with a Learning Specialist prior to taking the College Placement Test. A student must present qualifying paperwork and personally arrange services with a Learning Specialist in order to receive accommodation for the placement test or College classes.

College Placement Testing

To facilitate students' placement in classes that are consistent with their current ability levels, SPC uses the College Placement Test (CPT) program in English language skills, reading comprehension, and mathematics. First-time degree-seeking students and some transfer students are required to take all or part of the CPT unless they present:

• valid SAT scores (less than two years old) of 440+ in math or 440+ in English OR
• valid ACT scores (less than two years old) of 17+ in English, 18+ in reading, and 19+ in mathematics OR
• an official college or university transcript showing a passing grade in college-level mathematics and English Composition I and II or other stipulated courses.

Students who apply to certain certificate programs are also required to take the CPT to prove performance level in one or more areas.

• The CPT is untimed and is normally given in a computerized multiple-choice format presenting one question at a time. A paper version is also available.
• The number of questions presented will vary individually on the computerized version, as the program adjusts the number and level of items according to each student's performance.
• The average completion time is approximately 2-2½ hours.
• Students may not use a calculator during the CPT unless it is specifically approved as an accommodation.

Any student who believes he or she has a qualifying disability and needs accommodation should speak with a Learning Specialist prior to taking the College Placement Test. A student must present qualifying paperwork and personally arrange services with a Learning Specialist in advance in order to receive accommodation for the placement test.

More information on the CPT is available at the college's Placement Testing web site.

Orientation and Advising

First-time students must complete a short online New Student Orientation prior to registering for classes. The orientation is provided in a multi-modal accessible format with a synchronized written script and audio presentation.

After completing the orientation, students are expected to meet with an academic advisor or academic counselor to discuss CPT results, indicate academic and career goals, and prepare an educational plan. (Online students will work with a cyberadvisor.) OSSD Learning Specialists are SPC counselors and can assist students with registration questions by appointment. OSSD students may also plan registration with any SPC advisor or counselor on a walk-in basis.

After the advising meeting, students are expected to register for classes personally either by using the MySPC student web portal, or by presenting a completed registration form at any SPC campus business office. Assistance in completing the form is available on campus for students with qualifying disabilities. Learning Specialists do not routinely enter or change a student's registration, but can assist OSSD students who have disability-related scheduling issues and/or concerns about academic requirements.

The College provides a Technical Support Help Desk to address technical questions and computer access issues while registering or using College websites. The SPC Technical Support phone number for students is 727-341-4357. The Help Desk can also be contacted via email at OnlineHelp@spcollege.edu