113. Navigating An IEP Or 504 Plan
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Release Date: 07/31/2020
646. ENROLLING IN A TRADE SCHOOL
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Not everyone assumes that life after high school automatically entails immediate enrollment in college. Many teens graduate ready to pursue a more practical education. Amy and Mike invited education market researcher Brady Colby to explain the implications of enrolling in a trade school. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What exactly is a trade school? What are recent trends for trade schools? Why might trade schools be getting more popular? How should parents or guidance advisors incorporate trades into post-high school planning? Are the rise of...
info_outline
645. TRUE COLLEGE ROI
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
One should not take on what is potentially the biggest expense of a lifetime lightly. Motivated students can absolutely make sure college pays off academically, socially, and emotionally; financially, though, can be a big question mark. Amy and Mike invited educator Gage Mersereau to define the concept of true college ROI. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does ROI mean in the context of college? What are the major factors to determine your true college investment? Why should plans after graduation factor into college plans? Why should ROI factors be understood...
info_outline
644. EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: April 2025
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
The Tests and the Rest podcast has always been relentlessly focused on exploring important topics in testing, admissions, education, and learning with amazing expert guests. Sometimes, though, we enjoy an unstructured opportunity to discuss our own takes on major issues, upcoming events, and our endeavors at the intersection of business and education. Catch up with us in the latest episode of EXTEMP with Amy & Mike. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What have Amy and Mike been up to in the last month? How is Amy using ChatGPT? What is College Eagle? What updates...
info_outline
643. A TEST TAKER’S PERSPECTIVE ON THE ENHANCED ACT
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
The ACT has been a remarkably stable exam, administered in roughly the same way for decades. However, a new version is on the horizon, and some intrepid souls have braved the uncertainty of the field test to experience it. Amy and Mike invited someone who sat for the April 2025 Enhanced ACT to share the test taker’s perspective. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What were your general impressions about the enhanced ACT test experience in the digital format? What did you find to be the same on the enhanced ACT? What did you find to be different on the enhanced ACT? ...
info_outline
642. GETTING READY FOR THE AP ECONOMICS EXAM
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take, and AP Economics is no exception. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Michael Rodriguez to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP Economics exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the Macro vs Micro AP Economics exam? How do students score points on the AP Economics exam? What are the highest priority topics on...
info_outline
641. GETTING READY FOR THE AP PRECALCULUS EXAM
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take, and AP Precalculus is no exception. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Joey Lin to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP Precalculus exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP Precalculus exam? How do students score points on the AP Precalculus exam? What are the highest priority topics on the test? How...
info_outline
640. GETTING READY FOR AP WORLD LANGUAGE EXAMS
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take, and the various AP World Language and Culture exams are no exception. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Milton Alan Turner to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for AP World Language exams. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on AP World Language and Culture exams? How do students score points on AP Language exams? What are...
info_outline
639. SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: Wise
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
AKA Not Just Your Tutoring Software–It’s Your Tech Team What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the story behind Wise? How does Wise work? Who currently uses Wise? What kinds of outcomes do users experience? What should someone curious about Wise know about it? ABOUT WISE Founded by a former test prep tutor, is a feature-packed tutor management platform built for both online and in-person tutoring, supporting one-on-one and group tutoring formats. Backed by the founders of Teachable, Plaid, Rippling, and others, it is trusted by over 1,000...
info_outline
638. MENTAL MATH AND AUTOMATICITY
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Mental math trains working memory, boosts confidence, supports faster problem-solving, enhances number sense, and facilitates everyday calculations. So why do so many teachers deemphasize this valuable academic and life skill? Amy and Mike invited educator Mike McGibbon to explore the value of mental math and automaticity. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why do you need mental math if you have a calculator? What does automaticity mean and why is it important? What are some examples of higher-level problem types that depend upon automatic math skills? What is math...
info_outline
637. SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: ScoreSmart
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
A test platform by tutors and for tutors Better SAT and ACT Tests, Smarter Analytics with educators Sonya Muthalia and Neill Seltzer What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the story behind ScoreSmart? Which tests does ScoreSmart support? Who currently uses ScoreSmart? What kinds of outcomes do users experience? What should someone curious about ScoreSmart know about it? ABOUT SCORESMART is the brainchild of Sonya Muthalia and Neill Seltzer. ScoreSmart is dedicated to giving discerning tutors tests they can trust, scores calibrated to the...
info_outlineIndividualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 plans provide paths to procure formal help for K-12 students who struggle in school. However, pursuing these plans can be an education in themselves. Amy and Mike invited parent advocate Mary Jo O’Neill to explain the intricacies of navigating an IEP or 504 plan.
What are five things you will learn in this episode?
- What is the role of a parent advocate?
- What is the difference between a 504 and an IEP?
- How do you start the process to apply for a 504 and an IEP?
- Who qualifies and who doesn't for a 504 or an IEP?
- What happens if a student is denied a 504 or IEP?
MEET OUR GUEST
Special Education Advocate Mary Jo O’Neill, M.Ed., has a broad background in education. She began her career as a teacher in public and private schools, including Julie Billiart School. She was also an Advocate with Lawrence School. In addition to her time in the classroom, Mary Jo created a division within the Academic Support Center at Notre Dame College to provide quality educational opportunities and support services to students. Mary Jo most recently created her own consulting practice, in which she served as an Intervention Specialist and Parent Advocate for over ten years. She joined Hickman & Lowder in 2018.
Mary Jo serves on the national board of the International Dyslexia Association and is an advisor for the local branch and is also a member of the Julie Billiart Network Board. She authored the Forward of Expect a Miracle by Sandy and David Petrovic, Infinity Publishing (2014). Mary Jo graduated cum laude from Vermont College of Norwich University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education. She received her Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Cleveland State University. She is a Licensed Intervention Specialist: Mild to Moderate Learning Disabilities.
Find Mary Jo at Hickman & Lowder at 216-861-0360.
LINKS
The Difference Between IEPs and 504 Plans
What do all these special education acronyms mean?
Using an ETR When Drafting an IEP
How do I apply for testing accommodations?
RELATED EPISODES
TRANSITIONING YOUR IEP OR 504 PLAN TO COLLEGE
TEST PREP FOR STUDENTS WITH ACCOMMODATIONS
INCREASED COLLEGE COSTS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS
ABOUT THIS PODCAST
Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.