Transitioning from High School
Whether you are a Running Start student or are continuing your education after graduating high school, if you received accommodations during your K-12 education, you may qualify to receive them at North Seattle College.
Transferring an IEP or 504
At the college level, IEP and 504 plans are no longer used by instructors. Instead, Disability Services can provide accommodations based on your documented needs. While high school accommodations don’t always transfer directly, your high school IEP or 504 plan can help you get started with Disability Services.
All students looking to set up accommodations through the DS office need to go through the same process. The first step is to fill out our Application for Accommodations, and attach documentation of your disability to your application. A copy of your IEP or 504 plan can serve as appropriate documentation, so long as it contains a diagnostic statement. If you don’t have a copy at home, you can contact your school district to obtain one – public schools keep your educational records for 7 years post-graduation!
For more information about the application process, please see our step-by-step guide on the New to DS page.
Differences Between High School and College
Students getting ready to enter college need to plan for the ways that higher education will be different from high school. These differences include higher academic expectations, increasing independence, and new social environments. A key difference is that students must advocate for themselves in postsecondary education. In high school, students often rely on parents, family members, and teachers to get the services they need. It is important for students to prepare for the changes that will occur within the college classroom and with receiving accommodations and services.
| Area of Difference | High School | College |
| Structure | More structure; school sets schedule | Less structure; student sets schedule |
| Teacher contact | Frequent: may see teachers every day | Less frequent: may only see professors one to three times a week |
| Legal protection | IDEA: students are entitled to a free appropriate public education | ADA & 504: students must be found eligible for services and reasonable accommodations |
| Special education classes | Specialized instruction, classes, and resource room services for students with disabilities | Special education classes do not exist at the postsecondary level, but supports do exist |
| Documentation | The school district evaluates the student and develops the individualized education program (IEP) | Student must provide disability documentation to receive accommodations. Student’s IEP or Summary of Performance (SOP) may not be considered sufficient documentation in some cases |
| Accommodations | Determined as part of the IEP process | Student must contact Disability Services for providing accommodations |
| Advocating | Teachers and parents advocate for services | Student must advocate for accommodations and services |
| Communication | Parents notify school when student is going to be late or absent from school | Student must notify professor if they are going to be late or absent from class |
| Parents’ role | Parents can see student records and are notified and must sign permission for any changes or decisions for the student | Students are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Parents do not communicate with professors or have access to grades and student information |
Parent/Guardian Involvement
Parents or Guardians are involved in the process of acquiring accommodations at the college level only when the student asks for them to be. Students are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which means that parents do not automatically have access to student’s records.
As disability information needs to be kept particularly confidential, students who have already signed a FERPA release with the college may still need to fill out a DS-specific Release of Information form if they wish to have any records or information released to their guardians. Please contact ds@seattlecolleges.edu if you are a student who would like to release any information to their parents/guardians.
In meetings with Disability Services, we welcome parents as long as the student states that they would like to have them there. In general, we find that the set-up process for accommodations is a great opportunity for students transitioning out of high school to practice self-advocacy along with their family’s support.