A Guide to

Assessing
College
Readiness
For Parents of College-Bound Children with Learning Disabilities or AD/HD

www.landmark.edu

Putney, Vermont
Landmark Colleges
Guide to Assessing College
Readiness
For Parents of College-Bound Children with
Learning Disabilities or AD/HD

Does your son or daughter aspire to attend college? To help parents assess college
readiness, Landmark College has identified five essential foundations that are
particularly critical for students with learning disabilities or AD/HD in order to
succeed in a traditional higher education setting. Understanding these core areas
can help students recognize the challenges that they will face in college and identify
areas where additional support and development may be needed.

This guide is designed as a first step in helping students understand the complex
sets of skills, abilities and practices associated with these five foundation areas.
Scores obtained using this guide provide an opportunity for discussion; they are
not intended to predict or limit a students potential, or provide a diagnosis.

At the end of the questions, you will find a brief discussion about each of the five
foundations and steps a student can take to improve in that area, based on Landmark
Colleges nearly quarter-century of experience focusing exclusively on educating
students with learning disabilities and AD/HD.
DIRECTIONS
For each of the foundation areas, you will find five questions. If your college-bound son or daughter answers "yes," mark the yes
box adjacent to the question with a check (). Count checks marked in the yes boxes in each foundation area and record the
number in the box marked total.

Academic Skills YES

1. Can you read up to 200 pages in a week?
2. Do you have a system for taking notes?
3. Can you write a paper of 10 or more organized pages that refers to two or more sources?
4. Do you have a system for preparing for tests and exams?
5. Can you clearly summarize a college-level reading assignment?
Total from this section

Self-Understanding (Metacognition) YES

1. Can you define and describe your diagnosis of a learning disability?
2. Have you read your psychoeducational testing?
3. Do you know your academic strengths?
4. Do you know which academic tasks give you the most difficulty?
5. Can you identify the academic supports you need to be successful?
Total from this section

Self-Advocacy YES
1. Do you know your legal rights as a student with a learning disability or AD/HD?
2. When you run into difficulty, do you ask for help?
3. Do you schedule your own appointments with doctors, advisors and counselors?
4. Do you have access to your psychoeducational testing?
5. If a school or college refused to provide you with an appropriate accommodation, would you contest the decision?
Total from this section

Executive Function YES

1. Do you have a system for keeping track of your projects, books and papers?
2. Do you have a system for scheduling and managing your time?
3. Are you able to ignore difficulties and focus on the task at hand?
4. Are you able to complete all the steps of a project in a timely manner?
5. Do you have a strategy for completing tasks that you find boring?
Total from this section

Motivation and Confidence YES

1. Do you have an academic subject that you find interesting?
2. Do you know what you want to get out of your first year of college?
3. Do you know that you can succeed?
4. When you think about what you have to do in college are you excited?
5. Can you imagine your life in 10 years?
Total from this section
HOW TO SCORE THE GUIDE
Transfer the total for each foundation area into the spaces provided below. (Students may have significant strengths in some
foundation areas, yet still struggle in one or more.)
These totals together and record that number in the box at the bottom for Total number of questions marked yes.
Multiply the total number of answers marked yes by four (4) to get the foundation percentile.

Foundation Area Indications Score

Academic Skills Scoring below three in this area indicates that a student would benefit from explicit
instruction (including direct explanation, guided practice and feedback) in Academic
A student must be Skills. Further testing can help identify specific skills needing development.
able to read and write
with a high level of At Landmark College, students must take a battery of achievement tests, including one
independence. of the following: Nelson Denny, Woodcock Johnson, Gray Oral Reading or Wechsler
Individual Achievement Test. Landmark accepts students reading below a sixth-grade
level as well as students entering from some of the most selective colleges and
universities in the country. Testing helps us meet our goal of ensuring that every student
has the academic skills needed to work independently at the college level. Explicit
instruction techniques are an integral part of Landmark Colleges approach to teaching.

Self-Understanding A score lower than three in Self-Understanding suggests that a student would benefit
(Metacognition) from further development of metacognition a students awareness and understanding
of his own learning profile. The first step is for the student to meet with the psychologist
A student must be or neuropsychologist who conducted the testing or another qualified provider for a
intimately aware of his thorough explanation of test results.
or her strengths and
challenges in learning. At Landmark, first semester students are required to engage in an in-depth research
project involving their testing. Our staff neurophysiologist works closely with students as
well as their advisors and professors to help them understand the results. Students are
often retested to clarify any gaps.

Self-Advocacy Scoring less than three in Self-Advocacy indicates that a student would benefit from
instruction in the laws and regulations regarding individuals with disabilities and higher
A student must education. Because college students are adults, they cannot be compelled to use
independently ask for services and accommodations and, therefore, are required to advocate for themselves.
and at times even This means college students must personally request any required accommodations.
fight for services
and support. At Landmark College, first semester students are required to study the laws pertaining to
disabilities in higher education and practice self-advocacy under the guidance of advisors
and professors.

Executive Function A score below three in this area suggests that a student would benefit from focused
instruction on executive function skills.
A student must be
able to keep track of At Landmark College, students are required to practice a variety of techniques intended
assignments, organize to externalize executive functions. Beginning in their first semester, students learn the
books/materials Master Notebook System a weekly planner and e-mail calendar system designed to
and manage time build new pathways for self-management, time management and organization. Many
independently. Landmark students benefit from explicit instruction in executive function from their advisor
or a coach. An ADD coach can help students establish clear structures and strategies
for managing various projects and determine the next actions required to move each
project forward.
Foundation Area Indications Score

Motivation and Scoring below three in Motivation and Confidence suggests a student cannot clearly
Confidence visualize successfully completing a college education. College students who would
rather be somewhere else working for a living, attending trade or technical school,
A student must have pursuing dreams such as sailing around the world are unlikely to take advantage of the
clear set goals and resources necessary to complete a college degree. Furthermore, students who do not
believe that he or she believe they are capable of doing the required work are likely to give up, even skipping
can succeed. classes or finals.

For many Landmark students, engaging in studies at the level needed for college involves
a constant struggle with self-doubt and insecurity. We know the best antidote is success,
but many students need a great deal of encouragement to complete that first semester.
Landmark students often benefit from individual coaching to visualize their own success,
establish goals and create a plan they can use to achieve those goals.

Skills Total Total number of questions marked yes.

Foundation Percentile Multiply the above Skills Total by four (4) to get the overall percentile.

UNDERSTANDING THE RESULTS

This guide is intended for use as a starting point for discussion. Understanding the areas where a student might struggle can help
determine the appropriate supports. Scores developed through the questionnaire should provide a good sense of the various
challenges the student faces.

For each Foundation Area, there is a brief definition followed by an explanation of implications associated with the score. These scoring
implications for each Foundation Area are considered more important and informative than the overall percentile.

However, scoring 80 percent or higher suggests a student is likely to succeed independently in a traditional college environment.
Scoring below 50 percent suggests a student is likely to struggle in a traditional college setting. For these students, the kind of
specialized strategies and skills-building offered at Landmark College may be beneficial before pursuing a traditional college experience.

If you have any questions about this guide, contact Landmark College at 802-387-6718.

www.landmark.edu
 www.landmark.edu

Putney, Vermont

Copyright 2009 by Landmark College

This document may be freely shared and distributed, but full credit must always be attributed to Landmark College.
Additional copies are available by calling Landmark Colleges Office of Admission at 802-387-6718 or
by e-mailing admissions@landmark.edu.