DSS Pathways and Persistence

The Program of Practice

Comprehensive Program Overview and the Problem of Practice

North Orange Continuing Education’s (NOCE) Disability Support Services (DSS) department offers a comprehensive, model program in the CAEP program area of Adults with Disabilities (AWD). NOCE is part of the North Orange County Regional Consortium (NOCRC) for adult education, and the DSS program through CAEP is called
DSS “Pathways and Persistence.” Along with traditional DSS accommodations and services, NOCE DSS offers instructional programs and services that support the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in higher education and competitive, integrated employment.

NOCE DSS is ideally set up to help adults with disabilities transition from K12 districts to postsecondary education, and then to move progressively through higher and higher levels of educational programs. Many students begin their journey by enrolling in NOCE’s DSS classes. These classes are foundational in that they help students with skill development in areas that support attending college, basic academics, employment, and independent living. NOCE has instructional programs designed for students who have mild intellectual disabilities (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and for individuals with moderate cognitive disabilities. Classes are offered on three NOCE campuses, through distance education, and in collaboration with several community service agencies.

Partnering with NOCE’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department has led to the development of new workforce preparation career exploration programs. The new curriculum is intended to create pathways for adults with disabilities into noncredit career certificates, credit instruction, and employment. Certificates include Childcare, Food Service, Animal Care, Retail and Customer Service, Healthcare Workers, Workplace Technology, Digital Marketing, Restaurant, and Guest Services. Basic skills courses are being developed to support pathways into credit instruction.

NOCE DSS has developed services that are not required by law and that support the inclusion of adults with disabilities in higher education. Examples of services include bus mobility skills training, specialized counseling, case management, educational coaching, labs that support neurodivergent learners, universal design for learning and the integration of emerging technologies, and peer mentoring. NOCE has partnered with our sister colleges to develop and deploy an Inclusion Ally program across the district. The goal of Inclusion Ally is to identify and provide training to instructors, professors, and administrators who support inclusion, and who are willing to try new programs and services that increase the likelihood of students successfully persisting and completing their goals for higher education.

The establishment of workforce services to help students attain employment has been a high priority at NOCE. Six programs have been established that assist students with setting employment goals, developing resumes, practicing interview skills, completing job applications, learning self-advocacy, identifying job openings, securing interviews, and obtaining jobs.

Problem of Practice

Individuals with disabilities are impacted by numerous barriers that lead to their exclusion from higher education and employment. Development and implementation of programs that help overcome these barriers is necessary for this population. People who have disabilities are amongst the least included individuals accessing higher education and competitive employment. Obstacles to their participation are high and there is a tremendous need for development of programming that supports their transition to higher education, their persistence, their completion, and their successful attainment of employment.

Much of the programming summarized in the program overview section reflects recommendations made in a recently published white paper, “Best Practices to Include Students with Disabilities in Higher Education as well as Postsecondary Programming Supporting Competitive, Integrated Employment (CIE).” (See link/web address at bottom of the application to access the white paper.) The best practices white paper was developed through a regional consortium serving individuals with disabilities (the Orange County Local Partnership Agreement (OCLPA) Steering Committee), and the statewide professional organization supporting higher education in California (the California Association for Postsecondary Education and Disability, CAPED). Members of the NOCRC DSS Advisory Group are members of both OCLPA and CAPED.

The Best Practices white paper includes an introduction by Stacy Eldred from Saddleback College which highlights critical aspects regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education. Here are some excerpts from Dr. Eldred’s introduction:

“Including individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in postsecondary education (PSE) is a relatively new phenomenon (Butler, Sheppard-Jones, Whaley, Harrison, and Osness, 2016).”

“Some researchers have suggested focusing on ‘how educational institutions can create access, systems, and practices that support and enable people with disabilities to live and learn in their schools and communities without such participation being predicated on ‘overcoming’ characteristics associated with disability’ (Bacon & Baglieri, 2021). Furthermore, in the context of postsecondary education, instead of asking how well a person with a disability can fit into the college environment as it currently is, Bacon and Baglieri (2021) suggested that programs reframe the question to ask how an environment can be recreated to encompass disability.”

“Students with disabilities face barriers and challenges in (inclusive postsecondary environments) IPSE environments (Adams & Brown, 2006). These barriers and challenges include structural, organizational, behavioral, and attitudinal but all are underpinned by a society that, despite the introduction of anti-discrimination legislation, still does not fully embrace the inclusion of people with disabilities (Adams & Brown, 2006).”

“Although progress has been made by legislative mandates, little guidance exists regarding how inclusion could be applied in the higher education contexts (Gilson, Whirley, and Foster, 2019).”

NOCE has participated in the Postsecondary Education Transition Consortium for nearly two decades. The consortium became the Disability Support Services Advisory Group for NOCRC when CAEP was established. This group of community partners came together to address the lack of transition, postsecondary success, and employment of individuals who have disabilities. Many recommendations from the advisory group led to new programs at NOCE, and CAEP resources have contributed to the development of instructional programs, labs serving neurodivergent learners, employment programming, transition counseling, and much more.

The Response

Response

The problem of practice is a societal challenge with great opportunities at the local level as each individual campus in higher education can make decisions on how to better include students who have disabilities in higher education and the workforce. Consortia like NOCRC (CAEP), OCLPA, and PSETC are made up of community partners who can make decisions about program development. The consortia NOCE participates with include community colleges, 4-year universities, K12 districts and adult transition programs, Orange County Department of Education (OCDE), Regional Center of Orange County (RCOC), State Department of Rehabilitation (DOR), State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD), Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), vendored service agencies, business partners, families, and students/participants.

NOCE worked closely with NOCRC, PSETC, and OCLPA partners to identify the needs of individuals with disabilities in postsecondary education and employment. Partners explored potential new instructional programs and services and provided recommendations for program development. Ideas for new programs and services were incorporated into the NOCRC (CAEP) three-year plans, the DSS Plan (Title 5), and the NOCE Strategic Plan. Once goals for program development were identified, resources could be pursued. In NOCE’s case, this meant obtaining funding from NOCRC/CAEP, DOR, RCOC, OCTA, SCDD, Student Equity (community colleges), DSS allocation, NOCE, Cypress College, and NOCCCD.

CAEP resources have been utilized to help develop quite a few NOCE DSS programs. CAEP funds were utilized to pilot Transition Counseling. This is a service where a DSS counselor goes to the K12 campuses and provides support with applying for and transitioning to the postsecondary campuses. Funding for this service was successfully shifted to the California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) and continues today. Resources from CAEP helped start Project Search Anaheim Kaiser. This is a multi-agency collaboration that provides 10 classes and a year-long set of internships in a hospital setting, ultimately leading to employment. CAEP funding supported the development of the Project Search instructional component plus technology utilized by students participating in the cohort. A job development position was partially funded by CAEP and partially funded by another program, bringing a full-time job developer to NOCE. This full-time position has led to numerous students finding employment.

The NOCRC DSS Advisory Group had a goal of providing specialized labs to support neurodivergent students on all 3 campuses, including one lab that supports noncredit and credit students (Cypress College). CAEP funding was braided with resources from NOCE, Cypress College, and the North Orange County Community College District (NOCCCD) to develop the three Academics Relationships Independence Self-Advocacy Emotional Health (ARISE) labs. ARISE was designed to provide support for neurodivergent students in the areas of executive functioning, organizational skills, social relationships, and much more. The labs are open to all students and have evolved to include many aspects of wellness. CAEP resources have been used to fund counselors, professional experts, classified staff, and peer mentors who work in ARISE, and to provide furniture and technology for the labs.

CAEP funds have been used to provide project administration, case management, curriculum development, and new instructional programming. All of NOCE’s programs require administrative support to develop, implement, and manage projects. Resources from CAEP were used to hire a Special Project Administrator (SPA) who helped with the development and implementation of many new programs. The duties of the SPA eventually transferred to permanent administrative and classified coordination positions. The SPA provided case management services to new students. Transition counselors and regular DSS counselors eventually took over the case management duties. Funds from CAEP were utilized to hire a new full-time instructor and instructional staff. These positions supported the development of the new workforce certificates, instruction through Project Search, and the expansion of instruction to partner locations in the community.

The NOCE DSS Department in collaboration with community partners have used the NOCRC/CAEP consortium and other consortia to develop a model program, “Pathways and Persistence.” The program is intentionally designed with four divisions that establish pathways into higher education and the workforce for individuals who have disabilities: 1. Services that support the inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education, 2. Services that support employment (workforce), 3. Instructional programs (describe briefly in the comprehensive program overview above), and 4. Traditional DSS services (e.g. counseling, accommodations, alternate media, etc.). Examples of CAEP funded services were identified above. Below are some examples of services funded by other resources.

Services that support the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in higher education include bus mobility training, educational coaching, specialized counseling, case management, transition counseling, labs that support neurodivergent students (ARISE), peer mentorship, and faculty and staff professional development (Inclusion Ally). Organizations that have provided resources to support these services include: NOCRC/CAEP, DOR (DOR Services Grant, College to Career/C2C, California Subminimum Wage to Competitive Integrated Employment Project/CSP, Mobility), RCOC (Independent Vocational and Educational Supports/IVES, Mobility), OCTA (Mobility), SCDD (State Council Grant), NOCE DSS allocation, NOCE Student Equity, NOCE General Fund, Cypress College, NOCCCD (facilities).

Workforce services include assisting students with setting employment goals, developing resumes, practicing interview skills, completing job applications, learning self-advocacy, identifying job openings, securing interviews, and obtaining jobs. NOCE’s programs that support workforce include (agency supported noted in parentheses): CAEP Job Development, Workability III/WAIII (DOR), C2C (DOR, RCOC), CSP, (DOR, RCOC), Project Search Anaheim Kaiser (CAEP, DOR, RCOC), Disney and Ralphs Grocery partnerships (DOR, CAEP).

The Unique Features of the Program

Unique Features

One aspect that makes the NOCE/NOCRC Pathways and Persistence program so unique is that there are very few postsecondary institutions in California and across the nation who have, as part of their mission, the intent to develop instructional programs and services that specifically target the problems of lack of inclusion of individuals with disabilities in higher education and the workforce. NOCE, like all Colleges, Universities, and postsecondary institutions, is required to provide accommodations for students who enroll in the school’s programs. NOCE has sought to be a “destination” institution that is known for encouraging the enrollment of students with disabilities and supporting them as they transition through multiple levels of noncredit and credit instruction, and the attainment of employment.

Another unique aspect that makes NOCE’s Pathways and Persistence program a model for other institutions is the high level of collaboration with consortia (NOCRC, PSETC, OCLPA), professional organizations (CAPED, UCLA Tarjan Center), and community partners (DOR, RCOC, OCDE, OCTA, K12 Districts, SCDD, vendored service agencies, business partners, families, and students). NOCE is driven by the input from its community, and has developed numerous programs based on what the community has indicated that it needs.

NOCE and the Pathways and Persistence program wants other higher education institutions to benefit from what has been developed to support students. The program meets frequently with other colleges, universities, and organizations around the state to share ideas and support the development of instructional programs and services on other campuses. Member of the NOCRC DSS Advisory who are members of other consortia and professional organizations have collaborated on two publications that support others as they develop programs and services on their campuses. The two publications include the white paper identified previously and a book on transition referenced below.

The Outcome

Outcome and Supporting Data and Program is Replicable

NOCE’s/NOCRC’s Pathways and Persistence Program collects and tracks data in many areas. In particular, data is collected that reflects progress made toward the overarching goals of increased inclusion in higher education and employment. Some examples of outcomes that are tracked include:

• The number of students who receive support through the ARISE labs.
• The number of students who receive educational coaching to support them as they take inclusive classes.
• The number of students earning high school diplomas, noncredit CTE certificates, and credit programs.
• The number of students earning DSS and Workforce certificates.
• The number of students who receive employment services.
• The number of students who attain employment.

Sample data for the previous 4-5 years is featured below (tables did not copy/paste correctly and reset them in this text box):

ARISE Lab Students 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24
Unduplicated 493 224 359 363 419
Duplicated 3,670 2,361 2,960 7,169 9,363

Ed Coaching 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 Total
Students w Coach 85 67 55 59 72 338
Inclusive Classes 118 152 105 118 202 695
Classes Passed 109 115 90 103 147 564
Dropp/No Pass 0/3 0/20 10/0 6/8 23/20 39/51
Total Hours 2,475 2,199 1,310 1,089 1,990 9,063

Graduates 19/20 20/21 21/22 22/23 23/24
HS Diploma 16 11 12 17 15
Noncredit/credit Cert/Degree 13 27 17 26 55
Total 29 38 29 43 60

Year 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24
Total DSS/Workforce Cert 273 155 240 249 265
Total Graduates 55 33 48 48 54

DSS Workforce 20/21 21/22 22/23 23/24
Employment Services 92 95 122 164
Vocational Assessment 39 35 36 38
Interviews 47 49 57 81
Employed 45 38 34 38
Retention Services 73 62 58 44
90 Days 48 26 31 35
Work Experience 15 16 26 20

NOCE’s/NOCRC’s Pathways and Persistence Program utilizes qualitative data to illustrate and report on student success. For example, the NOCE departmental review process for DSS included not only quantitative data, but also the qualitative data in the following areas: enrollment trends, student persistence, course retention, gaps in services, use of student learning and student services outcomes to make decisions, guided pathways, program successes and challenges, collaborations with community partners, resources allocation needs, and a SWOT analysis.

Providing opportunities to tell student success stories in commonplace. For example, during this year’s commencement, the program highlighted a graduate who earned a Student Success Award:

Dar’rius Smith is a remarkable student. Since beginning with Disability Support Services in 2017, Dar’rius has consistently gone above and beyond—excelling in his classes, supporting fellow students, and sharing his skills, especially in technology. With a deep interest in computers, 2D and 3D design, and creative arts like poetry, Dar’rius steadily advanced through College Prep courses, completing the iOS Swift Programming series and Google IT Support classes—all while commuting up to three hours by bus from Los Angeles to the Anaheim Campus. His excellent attendance and constant presence in the ARISE lab, where he helps peers and works on personal projects, speak volumes about his dedication. Dar’rius credits NOCE for transforming his confidence and work ethic. Through supportive instructors and counselors, he’s gained both academic skills and job-readiness experience in areas like audio editing and photography. Now completing his Google IT Support Professional Certificate, Dar’rius is preparing to transfer to Cypress College, where he plans to pursue a career in remote IT support or game beta testing. Dar’rius reminds us all, “It’s never too late to improve or to keep learning.” We are proud to honor him as a 2025 Student Success Award recipient.

Program is Replicable

The Pathways and Persistence Program through NOCE/NOCRC is highly replicable. It was the intent of NOCE and the NOCRC DSS Advisory to develop a model program that could be replicated anywhere throughout the state of California or the country. The White Paper, referenced earlier, is intended to outline best practices such as the ones implemented by NOCE/NOCRC in North Orange County. The white paper and a previous publication, Transition, A Conversation with Parents; A Guide for Individuals with Disabilities, their Parents, and the Professionals Dedicated to Serving Them, 1st Edition are tools that and postsecondary institution can use to develop ideas that better support students with disabilities in higher education and competitive, integrated employment.

Link to webpage with both publications:
https://noce.edu/programs/disability/

Link to the White Paper:
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Link to Transition, A Conversation with Parents:
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