The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) is pleased to announce receipt of $999,561 over four years from the Oak Foundation to help members better support postsecondary transition for students of color and students experiencing poverty who
also experience learning differences. “We have offered occasional trainings related to the needs of these students, but never provided sustained programming,” NCAN CEO Kim Cook said. “We understand, however, that a sizeable number of students served
by NCAN member organizations may be affected by learning differences, frequently those that go undiagnosed. Without the right support, these students face even greater challenges in entering and persisting in postsecondary education.”
What is a learning difference, exactly? For Oak Foundation, the learning differences population includes students who have specific learning disabilities (such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia) as well as individuals who may have other
related neurological processing challenges that can impact learning (such as attention deficits, sensory processing disorders and executive function challenges). It includes students who have been tested and received a formal learning difference diagnosis
and/or 504 plan or individualized education plan (IEP) as well as those who have not.
The grant project involves two streams of work. First, NCAN will offer eight grants of $45,000 each over two years to member organizations
to build new or better postsecondary transition protocols with their selected partner colleges and universities for students with learning differences. Stay tuned to your email this month for details on how and when to apply for these grants. Second,
NCAN will share the learning and models from these grants with all members and provide relevant professional development using our established channels (member newsletters, webinars, conference workshops, and e-learning units).
Before applying for this Oak Foundation grant, NCAN’s member advisory council discussed their experiences with supporting students with learning differences in postsecondary planning and transition. Several members spoke about the prevalence of
learning differences (primarily those that are undiagnosed) and the need to work with students in the summer before freshman year to get the accommodations they need at their colleges. Members observed that higher education institutions vary widely
in their ability to do this well. Students may also be reluctant to disclose their needs and seek support for a variety of reasons. Some advisory council members also shared several excellent resources related to supporting these students that might
get strong uptake among NCAN members if we promote them more widely (e.g., a curriculum to improve executive functioning, a training for families on how to get accommodations, and training on how to spot potential undiagnosed learning differences).
This robust conversation affirmed for NCAN that a grant initiative related to improving support for students with learning differences would be of value to our membership.
Addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion
will be a fundamental theme in this initiative. Students who have learning differences that are served by our members are also experiencing inequity in higher education based on race and economic circumstance. NCAN’s professional development will
use an equity lens to explore the intersection of these factors.
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