VITAL
VITAL serves students enrolled in a high school special education program and are recommended by their IEP team. It is part of K-12 Partnerships, and is provided by Grant Wood AEA, KCC, and their school district. VITAL is considered a “5th year” program, with funding provided by the high school.
VITAL supports students by providing:
- Assistance with transition planning, helps students learn how to navigate campus and be successful at college
- Works with student to assess and identify academic, social, and work-based goals
- Helps to connect students to Kirkwood resources for continued success in future
Location: Main Campus- Cedar Rapids
Modality: in-person
Rubric for Evaluation
Rating Scale:
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- 3 – Excellent. This resource goes above and beyond in this area.
- 2 – Adequate. Efforts are being made but more could be done to make it more accessible.
- 1 – Insufficient. This resource is not accessible in this way.
- N/A – not applicable for this resource.
| Current Use/Reflection | Notes |
| Who is the target audience for this resource? | The students must be students who have completed high school requirements, have an IEP (therefore have received special education services in high school), and are in their first year at Kirkwood. Students must be referred for VITAL services through the IEP team, so although many districts send students, some students get missed due to turnover of special education teachers, lack of awareness of the program, etc. |
| What are the services being offered by the resource? | Services offered include more intensive and structured supports than the “adult” services available at Kirkwood. Students are scheduled with VITAL staff daily (or several times a week) for assistance with study skills, test preparation, advocating for accommodations, assistance communicating with instructors, social skills and social activities, etc. |
| Are there known barriers or stigma that may prevent students from accessing the resource? | Barriers include students who no longer want to be identified as “special ed”, the fact that in order to receive the funding (special education funding provided through the referring district) the high school diploma is held, and the fact that the student may not accept any Federal Financial Aid while in VITAL, since the state is already funding the student’s education |
| Is there any data available regarding student perceptions/use of this resource? | Yes, but not necessarily formal stats. We have students fill out surveys at the end of each semester, but do not necessarily get detailed responses to the surveys. We also attempt to collect data from parents. We also select a panel of students to speak at our Orientation each year – the students who have exited speak to their experience in VITAL, etc. |
| Rating | Notes | |
| Physical Accessibility | ||
| Is the physical location accessible to the student population it serves? | 3 | We are located in 2043 Cedar Hall – very convenient location since we are close to the Test Center for students needing testing accommodations as well as services our students use or will use in the future (Learning Commons, TRIO, ASK) |
| Are the resource’s visual images adequate in clearly communicating services, etc.? | 2 | No, but it may not be possible for signage to indicate what VITAL actually is |
| Wayfinding signage leading to the resource is visible, high contrast, and easy to identify. | 1 | The sign right outside our classroom is hung in the recess of the hallway, so is not visible from the end of the hallway. Also, VITAL is an acronym, therefore should be in all caps – it is not |
| Scheduling/Time Accessibility | ||
| Do the resource hours and timing of programming meet student needs? | 2 | Current hours are 7 – 3. Some students would like to stay later in the afternoon, but we also encourage them to use Learning Commons, which is only open until 5. Although few students come in at 7:00 AM – it is the only time to answer emails, have team meetings, prep. High traffic hours are typically 10:10 – 1:25 |
| Does the resource offer an on-demand option for face-to-face and online students? | 3 | Students are scheduled into our room at specific times during the day. If they drop in, we can typically serve them, although they may have to wait if we are working with other students. This is discussed with students so they know that ideally they come in at the scheduled time – or we change the schedule to accommodate. |
| Do students have the ability to easily self-schedule at a time convenient for them? | 3 | Yes, students and VITAL staff sit down together at the beginning of the term and come up with a schedule that makes sense. If we need to, we make changes as the semester progresses -in order to accommodate for time with Learning Commons, study groups, transportation, etc. |
| Digital Accessibility | ||
| Are available online resources easy to locate and user-friendly? | 3 | We typically provide all services in a face-to-face format, but are willing to set up Zoom support if needed |
| Are necessary print resources available in digital formats? | 3 | Yes |
| Collaboration Support | ||
| Does the resource help students communicate, collaborate, work, or share information about academic content? | 3 | Our students are all in their first semester at Kirkwood, so many have the same core classes, sometimes in the same sections with the same instructors – so we encourage study groups in our room. We also have a social hour once a week in order for students to get to know each other, form friendships, attend Kirkwood events together – one of our favorite parts about the program!!! |
| Multilingual Accessibility | ||
| Does the resource currently provide or have access to translation tools or reference materials in commonly spoken languages by Kirkwood ELLs? | 1 | We just recently converted our brochure into Spanish, but that is the only language other than English |
| Does the resource use clear language and avoid jargon? | 3 | Yes, we try to keep our resources simple and to the point
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| Feedback | ||
| Is there a system in place for students and staff to provide feedback on services? | 2 | We collect informal date via student and parent surveys. We also collect data each semester on number of credit hours completed, average GPA, number of students over a 3.0, number of students on the Dean’s List. We do not currently have a system in place for instructors at Kirkwood to provide feedback about VITAL, but it is a great idea! |
| Is there a process for periodic reviews of the resource and ongoing improvement? | 3 | All VITAL staff are employed by Grant Wood AEA. We have an administrator that oversees the program – we meet regularly as a team to discuss how things are going, how we can improve, set goals, etc. We also work with our Dean at Kirkwood, Kristy Black, to review the program and make changes to improve services |
| Inclusivity | ||
| Does the resource actively engage with traditionally underserved populations? | 3 | We make every effort to include all students who have received special education in high school, although the decision to refer a student lies with the IEP team at the high school. We attend all events possible to promote the program, including transition nights and the Alternative Education Conference, which we are presenting at this month. |
| Does the resource take measures to ensure traditionally underserved populations feel welcome? | 3 | Once a student is referred and in VITAL, we make every attempt to take advantage of all Kirkwood resources available for underserved students – connecting them with the Food Pantry, the Equity office, the Black Student Union, LBGTQ+ services, etc. |
| Are there events and activities that promote inclusivity? | 3 | Our social worker from Grant Wood comes out once weekly to host a Social Hour. We encourage all students to participate and try to vary the topics to include our entire population. We also take groups of students to campus activities promoting inclusivity. |
| Are staff trained in cultural competence and inclusivity? | 3 | Yes, all of us are employed by Grant Wood and regularly participate in Professional Growth classes, activities, etc. to address implicit biases, promote inclusivity, etc. |
| Communication/Marketing | ||
| Which channels of communication are used to share services/programs | 2 | While we make every effort to promote VITAL to school districts, the fact remains that we are at Kirkwood every day working with students currently in the program. We simply cannot get out into the schools during the school day. We have said for years that we need a PR person in the program. We do, however, make every effort to communicate to school counselors, teachers, administrators, etc. |
| Is there a proactive strategy in place to ensure students and faculty are aware of resource materials/events/opportunities? | 2 | In regards to current students, we could make better use of our TALON shell to communicate events, although in the past it seemed as though many students necessarily read our announcements. We currently use Remind to communicate, and sometimes our personal cell phones, as well as email and phone calls. |
| Does the resource market itself to students appropriately? | 2 | We are always open to suggestions and ideas as to how to improve in this area. Since the program serves a specific population, and the IEP team has to be in agreement with the decision, it has been difficult to find the perfect marketing tool. |
| Academic Resource: Action Steps and Recommendations | –In regards to scheduling, consider having VITAL open later 2 days a week for students who prefer to stay and work late in the afternoon.
–Improve data collection in order to better track success rate, collect more formal feedback. |
| Institutional Action Steps | –Although the signage in our area was just recently replaced, possibly move signage to an area out of the recess so it is visible from the end of hall
–Possibly provide VITAL with Kirkwood “swag” – small gifts to hand out at our table when we attend transition nights at the local high schools. Have someone able to assist with outreach during the day. |