Getting
Ready: A Self-Assessment
The
following is a self-assessment that can be used by you, your
adolescent, and members of the high school transition team.
By completing this assessment, you will gain a better understanding
of your adolescent's postsecondary needs. Here are some questions
your adolescent needs to ask himself/herself.
1.
How good is my academic background compared to the students
with whom I will be competing?
-
Am I enrolled in regular college preparatory courses, modified
courses, or individualized courses?
-
If I am in a special class or resource room, am I getting
the same experiences as everyone else?
-
Am I doing the same assignments, participating in the same
laboratory exercises, having the same opportunities to use
a computer, and learning the same body of information as
everybody else?
2.
What are my individual strengths and weaknesses?
-
Is it easier for me to remember information given during
a class lecture or when the material is read from the text
book?
-
Which high school subjects are easier for me and which are
more difficult?
3.
What are my short term and long term goals?
- oAre
there academic areas in which I am trying to improve or
need some remedial course work?
4.
How much time is provided to help me by a tutor or resource
room teacher?
-
In what subject areas?
-
What kind of help am I used to receiving from these sources?
5.
What is my reading level?
-
Do I find that reading is a frustrating task?
-
Do I have difficulty decoding unfamiliar words, understanding
reading assignments, or completing reading assignments within
a reasonable amount of time?
6.
Do I have difficulty with written language?
-
Do I know the process for gathering and organizing information
for lengthy compositions like term papers?
-
Do I have trouble with using correct punctuation and sentence
structure?
7.
Do I have a hard time with verbal expression, i.e. retrieving
the appropriate words, understanding what others are saying,
and using words in the correct context?
8.
Do I have an eye-hand coordination problem such as finding
certain information on a page or performing tasks which require
fine motor coordination?
9. Do I find that I often misspell words?
-
Do I mix up the sequence of letters when spelling words
or get confused when trying to spell irregular words that
are not spelled as they phonetically sound?
10.
Do I have difficulty doing mathematics?
-
Has it been harder for me to master the basics such as multiplication
tables and fractions?
-
Do I forget the sequence of steps when answering various
mathematical questions?
-
Do I use a calculator to assist me?
11.
What kinds of tests am I used to taking to assess what I have
learned?
-
Multiple choice? Essay tests? Oral exams?
-
Do I need extra time when taking tests?
-
Do I need a quiet room?
12.
What are my study habits?
-
Do I pay attention in class for an extended period of time
or do I get easily distracted?
-
Are assignments often not completed because I need more
time?
-
Do I take good notes or is important information left out?
13.
How clear is my handwriting?
-
Are assignments difficult to read?
-
Do I need a typewriter or word processor?
14.
What are my social goals?
-
In what type of activities and clubs have I participated?
- What
are my hobbies?
-
What do I like to do to relax and to have fun?
Adapted
from Life After High School: More Than Just a Job, [Brochure]
by Roberta Gajewski and Sylvia Panzer. 1994, Indiana: Indiana
Division of Aging and Rehabilitative Services and Crossroads
Rehabilitation Center.
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