Western Connection Program Profile
Logistical Information
The Western Connection Program for students with intellectual disabilities is coordinated by the Danbury Public School System and supports students on the campus of Western Connecticut University, focusing on developing the skills and experiences necessary for the students to achieve success during adult life in the areas of employment, self-determination and post-secondary education.
The program opened in September 2003 with seven students. The staff includes Ellen Curran, special educator, and an instructional assistant/job developer. There are strong partnerships with college student mentors, college administrative personnel, and professors, all of whom provide support either directly to the students or to the overall program.
Home base for the Western Connection staff and students is an office adjacent to the Dean's office on the main campus of WCSU in White Hall, one of the main classroom buildings in the area of the Music Department. There are currently eight students enrolled for the 2007-2008 school year. The students served at Western Connection have mainly intellectual and learning disabilities.
Participating students come into the program from several different school systems within southwestern Connecticut. The school systems are charged tuition based on the program costs divided by the number of currently enrolled students. All IEPs are conducted in their home districts.
Program Components
The focus of Western Connection is to increase student skills and experiences in the areas of employment, self-determination, and post-secondary education. This is achieved through several components.
All Western Connection students audit college classes on campus, and WCSU has given them a special tuition rate and a list of eligible courses. Professors are contacted beforehand and are offered assistance by Western Connection staff.
Functional academics are provided mainly through employability skills workshops and special intersession courses developed for the students and taught by WCSU professors.
Support for employment comes in several forms. The instructional assistant/job developer works individually with students on career development and preparation (interviewing skills, resume development, applications, etc.) and provides support once students acquire jobs in the community. Student can also participate in on-campus internships in a variety of areas, including childcare, office skills, library work, shipping and receiving, and more. In addition, job-seeking skills are taught through activities on campus, such as visits to the Career Development Center.
In terms of recreation and fitness activities, students have access to the college gyms and can attend football games, concerts, and more on campus. They often attend activities on campus with their student mentors.
Funding Sources
The Western Connection Program began with a one-year start-up and implementation grant by the State Department of Education of Connecticut. Maintenance of the program is funded by tuition, which is determined by the costs involved for the number of students enrolled, divided by that number of students and then shared by all the sending school districts. WCSU provides, at no cost, classroom space on campus along with access to copiers, phones, fax machine, and campus facilities (including college ID cards, food areas, gyms, libraries, computer labs, and the career center). The university offers Western Connection students a reduced tuition rate for auditing classes.
Referral Process
Students and families are referred through the IEP process in each district.
New Student Protocol
Students enter the program through a rolling admissions schedule, with the majority of admissions completed by April 1 st of each year. The 4-step admissions process includes, first, a family tour and meeting at the campus, where person-entered planning occurs and program goals and expectations are discussed. Next, all forms must be gathered and reviewed, including health records, psychological and educational evaluations. Then each family is offered a survey that asks about courses and activities. Their choices are reviewed by college personnel and accepted or rejected by the Dean. And finally, the Western Connection instructor attends the new student's IEP meeting to help develop a plan specific to the individual and the new environments. When the student arrives to WCSU on the first day, the new student orientation takes about 3-4 hours and includes a campus tour, a talk by the campus police and University computing center, the acquisition of college ID cards, and a dry run of classes that students will be auditing.
Students are assessed through a variety of procedures, including on-going observations in the classroom, college classes and on-the-job by instructor and/or assistant, the development of a quarterly report for each student, informal interviews with families and students conducted by the instructor in the beginning of program and then as needed throughout program.
Family Involvement
At the beginning of the program, families visit the campus for a tour and interview by Rich Emmett. Throughout the school year, families are contacted by the Western Connection staff as needed. Individual sending school districts contact the families specifically about IEP meetings and paperwork. The Western Connection program coordinates with the Danbury Public School System's Academy program to conduct monthly Parent Resource Group meetings.
Contact Information
For more information about the Western Connection Program, contact:
@ Western Connecticut State University
Ellen Curran, Western Connection Coordinator
(203) 837-8218
currane@wcsu.edu
@ Danbury Public Schools
Joyce Emmett, Dir. of Special Education
Danbury Public Schools
emmetJ@danbury.k12.ct.us
@ CT DOE
Patricia L. Anderson, Ph.D.
CT State Department of Education
Bureau of Special Education
(860)713-6923
patricia.anderson@ct.gov