• Download the curriculum from www.ecu.edu/stepp/curriculum.cfm

• Available at no cost and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License.

• Materials may be freely shared, copied, distributed, and transmitted, as well as adapted and modified, as long as they are not used for commercial purposes and are attributed with the following citation: Johnson, E., James, M., King, L., Williams, S. & Grandy, L. (2013). Project STEPP Transition Curriculum. East Carolina University.

• Please consider sending us your feedback as you use the curriculum. We continue to refine and revise these resources and post updates to the curriculum website.

College Bound Transition Curriculum

BackgroundThe STEPP Program at East Carolina University is a comprehensive support program that facilitates the success of college students with learning disabilities by providing wrap-around services and resources with a strong emphasis on helping students prepare for the transition to college.

Over the past eight years, we have learned a great deal from our students’ successes, challenges, and experiences with transition, which has allowed us to further develop and refine this component of the program.

With the support of grant funding from the Oak Foundation, we expanded STEPP’s transition materials into a curriculum designed for use by teachers and transition specialists in the public schools.

History of the Curriculum Project

College Resources•Finding campus resources, support services, and sub-communities•Creating a campus resources directory•Accessing disability support services in college•Discussing and disclosing disabilities

Overview of Curriculum Modules

Finances•Key financial topics for college students•College costs•Financial aid and the FAFSA process•Budgets for college living•Responsible use of credit•Money management tips from college students

A package of resources intended for use by teachers and families supporting transition to college for students with learning differences

We are extremely grateful for the generous funding support from the Oak Foundation, which enabled the development of the initial curriculum modules, and from the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust, which is supporting the further expansion of the curriculum materials.

Planning for Academic Success•Goal-setting for college•Developing a “big picture” perspective of college life•Finding and maintaining an appropriate balance between academics and social life•Developing a balanced daily schedule by using long- and short-term planning tools•Understanding academic integrity•Calculating grades in college courses•Choosing a major

Campus Living•Living on campus•Types of housing options•Living with a roommate•Essential “packing list” items for college students•Diversity on college campuses•Conflict management

High School vs. College•Comparison and contrast of general differences between high school and college•High school and college comparisons and contrasts regarding:

• Classes and instructors• Studying• Grades and testing

•General academic information and vocabulary•Note-taking skills•Development of a college transition notebook

Technology•Introduction to technology use in college•Technology tools for postsecondary education, including assistive and instructional technologies•Online learning•Basic computer skills in keyboarding and formatting•Responsible use of technology and social media; online safety

Healthy Routines•Campus safety•Personal wellness•Stress management•Basic cooking•Independent living and follow-through on commitments

Communication•Informal and formal communication styles•Appropriate emails for the college setting•How to receive and learn from constructive criticism•How to dress for success in the college setting•Thank-you notes•Behavioral expectations in college classrooms

Recent Developments and Updates•STEPP staff members have continued to give presentations about the Transition Curriculum at various conferences and meetings to share this tool with a broader audience of educators.

•In 2013, we began to develop supplemental materials designed to help families use the curriculum more effectively by adapting them for use in the home setting. This led to the creation of a community events series dubbed “A Family Roadmap to the College Bound Transition Curriculum.” These events were held in Charlotte, Greenville, and New Bern in 2014.

•New grant funding from the Kenan Charitable Trust is currently enabling us to further expand the curriculum by creating a parallel series of family materials along with a module targeted towards middle-school students.

Curriculum Features•Designed to help students prepare for college one step at a time

•Fully developed lesson and activity plans

•PowerPoint slides with detailed teacher lecture notes for each lesson

•Student worksheets and handouts with teacher answer keys

•Guided notes for students included with each module

•Originally designed for use in Curriculum Assistance classes to support college-bound students with learning disabilities. However, much of the content can easily be adapted for use in different settings and with different student populations.