The goal was to identify and describe effective ways for Business Education programs to facilitate the success of students from special populations.  Special populations were defined as individuals with disabilities, individuals from economically disadvantaged families, individuals preparing for nontraditional training and employment, single parents, including single pregnant women, displaced homemakers, and individuals with other barriers to educational achievement, including individuals with limited-English proficiency. 

The recommendations are in priority order with the top or most important methods listed first.  The last group of recommendations were provided in response to specific barriers identified by the focus group.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Class Bonding

Set up an environment acknowledging that all individuals have barriers to success - discuss openly and honestly

• Address Discrimination Issues Openly

Discuss issues about prejudice and student’s difficulties openly in small class settings.

• Assign Teams for Exposure to Culturally Diverse People

Assign students to diverse student/instructor teams for integration and cross experience teachings. 

• Peer Tutoring

Match, voluntarily, students who are doing well academically with students who are struggling. This reinforces learning for both the student and the volunteer tutor.

•  Design and Conduct Study Groups

Use concepts of peer tutoring and cultural diversity in study group and/or focus group design.

• Simplify Texts, Produce in Large Print and Other Languages

Simplified notes and texts as well as alternate formats will encourage special populations to learn independently and foster a supportive environment.   

• Identify Problems Up-Front

Instead of waiting until problems are overwhelming for students, identify even possible problems quickly and address up-front before they become a major barrier and perhaps cause the student to drop-out.   

• Provide a One Day Orientation and Two Weeks of Pre-Training

Bring special population students on-campus early, two weeks before regular semester begins. Work on basic skills: computer, math, keyboarding, English, studying.  Include Life Skills as well, which can ease the new students into a routine at school.

• Provide Goal Setting for Students

Assist students in identifying small, readily achievable goals and timelines throughout the semester. 

• Enhance Instructor Accessibility

Instructors can provide students their e-mail, cell and home numbers, if appropriate, for accessibility at off hours and for the convenience of students.  Spend one-to-one time with students, which can enhance student’s self confidence as well as providing valuable and relevant teaching opportunities.  This also promotes student/instructor bonding.

• Use Teamwork and Cooperative Learning Principles in Classes

• Encourage Two-way Communication including Board Work

Emphasis on students doing board work increases their confidence and allows them to view others and the learning process, including mistakes. 

• Have Resources Available On-Site

Provide program counselors and other services on campus during evening as well as daytime hours.  Consider on-line counseling.

• Request Students do a “Week in a Nutshell” report

Counselors read and respond to student’s needs as written in their weekly reports/journals.

• Be Creative and Inventive with Making School Accessible

Examples:  Purchase magnifiers for students with visual impairments if large print is not available.  Encourage modifications to exceed building codes such as ramp inclination decrease.

• Model a Caring and Positive Attitude

Reinforce the student’s self-confidence as well as remove any emphasis on negativity. Instructors should be available to students on an on-going basis to create a supportive environment.

• Use Multi-media Interactive CD’s

Allows students to work at their own pace, repeating if necessary. Hands-on, visual and voice are included for greater learning and retention.

• Conduct Regular Meetings with Student Representatives and Faculty

Communicate student status, identify problems early, solicit support and resources.

• Create a Supportive Program which Feels like Community

Teamwork provides a feeling of support and creates a sense of community.

• Improve Communications Between Students including Creating Clubs

Include a Program Alumni Club for mentoring and supporting new students. This also creates leadership opportunities for alumni.

• Invite Successful Students to Return and Relay Stories to Current Students  

• Use Role Models  

• Teach by Using Disability and Special Population Examples

Creates empathy, avoids discrimination, and sets the tone for the class in addition to providing valuable and relevant teaching opportunities.

• Integrate into the Entire Campus the Stand Alone Programs for Special  Populations

Promotes integration, diversity and inclusion

 RECOMMENDATIONS GIVEN IN RESPONSE TO IDENTIFIED BARRIERS

   Transportation

• Car or Van Pooling

• Shuttle within parking lots

• Bus passes (subsidized by grant funding)

• Student body funding for transportation

• Information and Resource experts to assist students with options

• Provide list of off-campus transportation resources such as: taxi, shuttle, bus, Para transit and trolley

   Peer or Faculty Support

• Instructors can make themselves more accessible to students

• Field trips

• Offer personal support counseling in addition to academic counseling

• Instructors need to encourage student’s communication with faculty and others

• Create instructional flexibility (home study, distance learning)

• Provide a mandatory orientation for new students

• Encourage freshmen to join clubs

• Create or distribute resource booklets of community services

• Create a class networking sheet for students to be able to share job search and other possibilities with each other

   Child Care

• Get the entire campus involved

• Distribute list of resources including sick child and after hour care (the list may be available from the college’s child development department)

   Resources

• Develop web page and/or handouts regarding resources

• Conduct Professional Development seminars for instructors on special populations

   Assessments

• Provide Math and English assessments for all new students in order to identify possible problems upfront

• Develop a questionnaire and/or test for previously undiagnosed disabilities

• Provide assessments in a timely manner (prior to classes beginning)

   Social Skills for Students

• Add social skills curriculum to life skills and personal development classes

• Encourage counselors to get students into life skills classes

• Increase the availability of life skills and personal development classes on campus