Grade-Appropriate Checklists

9th Grade

  • Contact a guidance counselor and design a college preparatory class schedule.
  • Develop a clear understanding of the nature of your disability and how it affects learning.
  • Take courses or participate in groups that promote skills in time management, studying, assertiveness training, stress management, and exam preparation.
  • Prepare for all classes.
  • Explore career options (interest inventories, career fairs, discussion with school personnel, and parents).
  • Develop skills for academic independence (time management, study skills, notetaking, and so forth).
  • Participate in extracurricular activities (athletic and non-athletic).
  • Continue to remediate and/or compensate for basic-skill deficits.
  • Determine what types of courses are necessary for admission to college (keep in mind, modified courses may not be acceptable for admission to some postsecondary institutions).
  • Investigate assistive technology tools (communicative devices, unique computer needs, TTY, etc.).

10th Grade

  • Continue academic preparation and remediation/compensation strategies, and identify any assistive technology needs.
  • Identify interests, aptitudes, and accommodation needs.
  • Continue to develop self-advocacy skills (asking for help, communicating needs to instructors, and so forth).
  • Meet with guidance counselor to discuss college and college requirements.
  • Find out if the schools you are interested in require or recommend that candidates take the ACT or SAT exams. If they do, make preparations to take the appropriate exam.
  • Find out about documentation required by ACT/SAT in order to receive testing accommodations.
  • Attend college fairs.
  • Visit colleges and other postsecondary education training options.
  • Gather information about college programs and about services offered for students with disabilities and make certain you understand their requirements for documentation of disability.
  • Identify application deadlines for postsecondary support programs.
  • Investigate eligibility requirements and services available through the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services.
  • Participate in volunteer and paid work experiences.
  • Determine need for technology training and assessment.

11th Grade

  • Continue academic preparation and remediation/compensation strategies, assistive technology needs, and self-advocacy skills.
  • Focus on matching interests/abilities and career goals to appropriate postsecondary education choice.
  • Identify appropriate postsecondary choice.
  • Take ACT or SAT with or without accommodations.
  • Establish tentative career goal.
  • Identify people to write recommendations for you.
  • Invite Department of Rehabilitation Services counselor and other appropriate adult agency representatives to IEP meeting for discussion and planning of post-high-school options.
  • Tour postsecondary campuses and be sure to include the disability services office.
  • Investigate services offered by postsecondary setting and determine which settings match individual needs and goals.
  • Learn to use public transportation options.
  • Obtain picture identification or driver’s license.
  • Obtain documentation of disability from current assessment (within two years of graduation date) because colleges require current assessments.
  • Check with the learning institution(s) of your choice regarding requirements for disability documentation.

12th Grade

  • Strengthen self-advocacy skills (your legal responsibilities change after the age of 18).
  • Prepare transition packet for disability documentation including: current and past evaluation reports, transcripts, test scores, current IEP, medical records, writing samples, and letters of recommendation.
  • Role-play interviews.
  • Talk with students who are receiving services at colleges and other postsecondary training setting about their experiences.
  • Schedule an interview and tour with your schools of interest. Be sure to include the disability services office on each tour.
  • Prepare applications.
  • Determine need for assistive technology and assessment.
  • Once you have chosen your top schools, begin the process of applying for accommodations through the school’s disability services office.