Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 29(3), 299-302 299 McDaniel Step Ahead: A Summer Transitional Program for First Year College Students with Disabilities Dana L. Lawson1 Sarah A. Gould1 Melanie L. Conley1 Abstract In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of students with disabilities seeking postsecond- ary education. The complexity of needs is also increasing, resulting in more students withdrawing from college or taking leaves of absence in their first year. In 2012, the Student Academic Support Services office (SASS) at McDaniel College piloted McDaniel Step Ahead, a five-day transition program that aims to fine-tune the academic, social, and independent living skills of first year students with disabilities. As a result, there has been a notable increase in the number of students with disabilities still in active status at the end of their first year. The early connection with SASS and McDaniel resources creates a natural venue for early detection and intervention. This practice brief describes the implementation of Step Ahead, the needs addressed by Step Ahead, the data collected from past years, and the implications and challenges for planning future years. Keywords: Disabilities, college, transition The Step Ahead summer experience at McDaniel a similar length (one to three weeks) may cost between College anticipates challenges that first-year students $2,600 to $5,800. with disabilities may encounter and provides strategies The need for Disability Services (DS) offices to for students to become strong self-advocates. Specifi- help facilitate a successful transition to college is argu- cally, Step Ahead participants sharpen their skills in note- ably greater than ever. Enrollment of students with dis- taking, reading comprehension, time management, study abilities has more than tripled in the past twenty years strategies, assistive technology, communicating with (Hong, 2015), yet most professors report not feeling professors and roommates, college-level writing, and properly prepared or equipped to instruct students with independent living skills such as maintaining hygiene disabilities (Orr & Goodman, 2010), making the need and interacting with peers. for self-advocacy all the more important. Additionally, Though summer bridge programs are offered nation- students with disabilities are frequently not prepared to wide, Step Ahead is distinctive in its broad applicability thrive in a postsecondary setting due to lack of transi- (in contrast to programs that focus on a specific diagno- tion planning; planning that starts too late or provides sis, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder), and its low cost. too little information; or lack of knowledge about post- Step Ahead is intended for all students, not just students secondary accommodations, services, and expectations. diagnosed with learning disabilities, registered with the Dual enrollment is one strategy found to be effective disability support office, known as the Student Academic in preparing students for college, but not all students Support Services (SASS) office, Step Ahead is offered have access to this type of program (Brand, Valent, & at the low cost of $250. Other residential programs of Danielson, 2013). 1 McDaniel College 300 Lawson et al.; McDaniel Step Ahead Depiction of the Problem Daniel Step Ahead participants represent a wide array of demographic categories. The number of students en- Between fall 2010 and fall 2015, the number of rolled in Step Ahead increased from 24 students in 2012 students registered with McDaniel College’s SASS to 32 students in 2015. Disability diagnoses include increased by 32%. In addition, the percentage of the ADHD, learning disabilities, psychological disorders, college student population registered with the SASS of- physical impairments, and Autism Spectrum Disorders. fice increased from 9% of the total population in 2010 to Although the participants were predominantly White in 14% of the population in 2015. Not only has the number 2012 (84%), the racial and ethnic diversity has increased of students with disabilities increased, but the level of by 12% by 2015. Participant ages range from 17-25, need of these students has also increased. with up to 13% being transfer students. Over the past five years, there has been an increase To meet participants' complex array of needs during in the number of students in all disability categories at Step Ahead, a host of campus departments collaborate McDaniel College. The level of academic, psychologi- to support a well-rounded, comprehensive program. cal, social, and emotional need is higher. There are also The Office of Institutional Advancement works to se- more students on the Autism Spectrum, many students cure continuing funding to offset the base cost of Step with more than one diagnosis, and a large spectrum of Ahead. Student Affairs provides informational sessions IQs ranging from borderline to superior. Numerous to introduce students to all aspects of student life, and students have received high levels of support in high academic departments present mock lectures. Deans host school and often anticipate receiving identical support social events to offer a welcoming, personal atmosphere. in college. Some students attended alternative high The collaboration and support across campus offices schools where they may not have had regular homework and departments is crucial to the success of McDaniel assignments and were not assessed through papers and Step Ahead. tests. Several students had one-on-one support in the classroom. As a result, many incoming students arrive Description of Practice unprepared for college-level work. Additionally, many students who receive mental health treatment at home do McDaniel Step Ahead provides tools for navigating not continue with services when they arrive at college. college life, including how to self-advocate, and how to Consequently, there is an increase in students going to properly utilize supports within our disability services the hospital for psychological reasons. Because Mc- office. The five-day program features team-building Daniel is a residential campus, not all students have a activities, academic workshops, field trips, and tips about vehicle, which makes it difficult for students to connect college life. Participants meet the SASS staff and take with resources in the community since Westminster, the initial steps in creating a sound college routine that Maryland does not have a large public transportation incorporates college resources, supportive faculty and system. In the end, more students are withdrawing from staff, and peer interaction. college or taking leaves of absence within or at the close Students of diverse backgrounds may participate, of their first year. To address these issues, McDaniel as enrollment is open on a rolling basis to all registered College piloted McDaniel Step Ahead in 2012. Without incoming students. By making Step Ahead attractive Step Ahead, students with disabilities were at risk of to incoming students and their families/ guardians, the higher attrition rates due to academic deficiency, unmet program has hosted a cohort of 25-35 students each year mental health needs, and prolonged difficulty acclimat- since its inception. ing to the campus environment. Essential learning strategies are taught and rein- forced throughout the five-day program via audio, visual, Participant Demographics and Institutional and kinesthetic workshop activities. Through modeling Partners/Resources appropriate classroom behaviors, email etiquette, and self-advocacy while discussing accommodations, Step McDaniel College is a small (approximately 1,600 Ahead participants build confidence and – in the case of undergraduate students), selective, private, coeduca- students who have never had to self-advocate – acquire tional liberal arts college in Westminster, Maryland the language necessary to discuss their unique learning whose students come from 37 states and 30 countries. differences, likely challenges, and accommodations Fifty-three percent of the undergraduate students iden- with their professors. Step Ahead also allocates time tify as female; 76% are White. Forty-one percent of to elucidating the differences between high school and the entering freshman class of 2015 are first-generation college. Participants have the opportunity to practice as- college students. Mirroring the general population, Mc- sistive technology in hands-on workshops, which builds Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 29(3) 301 confidence and camaraderie by allowing some students Evaluation of Observed Outcomes who are already familiar with assistive technologies the opportunity to shine as experts while giving novice McDaniel Step Ahead collects qualitative and users the freedom to learn in a low-stakes environment. quantitative data each year for future planning. All McDaniel Step Ahead spans several hours over participants take a pre-assessment survey prior to the the course of each day and strikes a balance between start of Step Ahead and a post-assessment survey on the academic workshops and social activities. Contact final day of the program. These surveys assess how stu- between the SASS office and participants begins in the dents perceive their level of preparedness academically, weeks leading up to Step Ahead; students are contacted socially, and independently. The pre-test and post-test by both peer mentors and SASS office staff. Once stu- responses are compared for each question. In 2012, post- dents arrive on campus, it is a fully immersive experi- test averages were higher in 24 out of 25 comparisons, ence; students can feel connected to campus and the 21 of which were statistically significant. The greatest surrounding community. Each participant is assigned a increases appeared in the students’ familiarity with re- Step Ahead peer mentor, who is vetted and trained by sources at McDaniel and the Westminster community. SASS staff. The mentors are also students registered In 2013, 23 out of 24 post-test averages were higher, 18 with SASS and are able to provide a peer perspective on of which were statistically significant. In 2014, the post- being a college student with a disability, with the aim of test averages were higher in 23 out of 24 comparisons, reducing stigma surrounding the use of academic sup- 19 of which were statistically significant. The data from ports, as well as providing an initial social connection all three years are nearly identical, demonstrating that for incoming students. Step Ahead mentors continue to Step Ahead is consistently effective. In addition to the plan social events and provide outreach throughout the assessment data, a brief survey is sent to the families/ first semester. Peer mentors have proven invaluable to guardians of Step Ahead participants. In 2012, 2013, and Step Ahead as a resource for students who are new to 2014, 100% of families/guardians who completed the self-advocacy or who face social challenges. survey agreed that they would recommend Step Ahead By establishing early connections with SASS staff, to future incoming students with disabilities. students enrolled in Step Ahead (and their families/ Retention data are also monitored at the end of guardians) benefit from early intervention strategies. each year. For the 2012 cohort, 67% of students were Step Ahead students meet and become familiar with still in active standing, but only 50% were still active resources for self-care, such as Campus Safety and the at the end of their second year. After much reflection, Wellness Center. Families/guardians are invited to a par- data interpretation, and improvements, Step Ahead 2013 ent information session that provides information about yielded much stronger data with 90% of participants still the differences between accommodations in high school on active status after their first year, and 86% active at and college, outlines the students' right to privacy as it the end of their second year. In the 2014 cohort, 83% relates to FERPA, and provides guidance to help them of participants were still active at the end of their first transition into the role of parents of college students. year, and 72% by the end of their second year. Also, Feeling unable to predict what college will be like Step Ahead 2013 was the pilot year for the Step Ahead is a common anxiety for first-year students, so living mentor program, which may have contributed to the on campus for five days before first-year orientation higher retention rate of later years. is comforting to many participants. Students have the Program data indicates that participation in Step opportunity to attend condensed class lectures from Ahead fosters connections between peers, strengthens McDaniel professors to get a feel for classes and note- students’ self-advocacy skillset, familiarizes students taking. This activity fosters goodwill between the faculty with the accommodations available to them, and miti- and the SASS office, increasing faculty buy-in while gates stressors common to the first-year experience, such offering students early access to different teaching and as feeling intimidated by professors or anticipating that communication styles. This access can be especially their disability will be stigmatized (Kranke, Jackson, beneficial for first-generation and/or low-income stu- Taylor, Anderson-Fye,& Floersch, 2013). Upon comple- dents who may feel more reticent than their peers due to tion of the program, the majority of students reported a sense of otherness or being an outsider to the college that they felt ready for college, and that they enjoyed experience. Regardless of background, the academic their time in Step Ahead. workshops in Step Ahead build self-esteem, reduce anxiety, and normalize the experience of navigating higher education with a disability. 302 Lawson et al.; McDaniel Step Ahead Implications and Portability References Changes are made to Step Ahead each year based on Brand, B., Valent, A., & Danielson, D. (2013). Improv- staff observations and evaluation data. After reviewing ing college and career readiness for students with the retention data from the pilot year in 2012, two major disabilities. American Institutes for Research. changes were implemented. First, each student was Hong, B. S. (2015). Qualitative analysis of the barri- matched with a Step Ahead peer mentor, an upperclass- ers college students with disabilities experience man who also has a documented disability. Since the in higher education. Journal of College Student implementation of the mentors in 2013, the SASS office Development, 56, 209-226. has observed an increase in students feeling comfortable Kranke, D., Jackson, S. E., Taylor, D. A., Anderson-Fye, coming to the SASS office to use resources. Addition- E., & Floersch, J. (2013). College student disclosure ally, staff has observed improved relationships among of non-apparent disabilities to receive classroom students; they remain friends and support each other accommodations. Journal of Postsecondary Educa- throughout their time at McDaniel College. Second, as- tion and Disability, 26, 35-51. sistive technology was incorporated into the workshops, Orr, A. C., & Goodman, N. (2010). “People like me don’t which led to a notable increase in students using assis- go to college:” The legacy of learning disability. tive technology during the semester. Other campuses Journal of Ethnographic & Qualitative Research, adopting a program such as Step Ahead should consider 4, 213-225. including peer mentors and using assistive technology for best results. Other campuses should also consider About the Authors daily evaluations to gain valuable feedback from the students. Changes are made to the content of the Step Dana Lawson received her B.S.W. degree in Social Ahead workshops yearly based on workshop evaluations Work from McDaniel College and M.S.W. degree from that students complete at the end of each day. These University of Maryland School of Social Work. Her daily evaluations also provide feedback on the pacing experience includes working as a mental health therapist of the schedule and help us determine the right balance for three years prior to moving to an academic setting. of academic and social activities. She is currently the Associate Director and Coordinator Step Ahead faces several ongoing challenges, which of Special Programs for the Student Academic Support would affect its portability to other campuses. The first Services office at McDaniel College and has served challenge is funding, to pay for expenses such as staff five years. She can be reached by email at: dlawson@ salaries, social activities, and workshop supplies. Staff- mcdaniel.edu. ing presents a second challenge. It would be difficult for a one-person DS office to offer this program because of Sarah Gould earned her B.A. degree from Muskingum the staff to student ratio required. Step Ahead has ap- University, and her M.A. from West Virginia Univer- proximately ten staff members each year for a maximum sity. Her experience includes teaching high school and of 35 students. DS offices of all sizes will need to find college writing, and she is currently working as an accessible, available spaces on campus to host activi- Academic Counselor in the Student Academic Support ties and hold workshops. A growing student population Services office at McDaniel College. She can be reached seeking disability services is an ongoing challenge that by email at: [email protected]. makes it difficult to keep the program small. Not only is the population of students growing, the level of need Melanie Conley received her B.A. degree in Psychol- is also increasing. The needs of each cohort are very ogy and Elementary Education from Western Maryland different, which requires a level of flexibility once the College and MS in Counselor Education degree from program begins. McDaniel College. Her experience includes working With the success of Step Ahead, areas of additional as an elementary school teacher and working with stu- research have been identified to consider how to ap- dents in public school special education. She returned ply this program to other populations. Modifying the to McDaniel to work with students with disabilities in program for other specific at-risk populations, such as the higher education environment. She is currently the first-generation, international, or transfer students is a Director for the Student Academic Support Services of- future possibility. Research could also be conducted fice at McDaniel College and has served five years. She on how to alter the program for students with specific can be reached by email at: [email protected]. types of disabilities.