This longitudinal transition study was conducted in collaboration with teachers who interviewed students who graduated from 177 school districts in a Great Lakes state. Special education students were interviewed at exit and 1 year following graduation using a survey based on the National Longitudinal Transition Study. The data were analyzed using…

The current U.S. federal mandate for educational accountability requires state departments of education to collect data on the postschool employment and postsecondary school and/or training enrollment of young adults with disabilities. To examine how these data have been collected, we conducted a literature synthesis of follow-up and follow-along…

A survey of 89 graduates with learning disabilities of a large public university found they were employed at comparable rates and salaries to graduates from the institution at large and at higher rates than individuals with LD who did not graduate from postsecondary institutions. Also provided are data on postgraduate education, types of…

Data from the Benefit-Cost Project at the University of Minnesota are analyzed, involving 239 mildly handicapped students who had exited school between 1977 and 1984. Few significant differences were found between graduates and non-graduates, though graduates were employed at a slightly higher rate. (DB)

Examination of the employment status of 1,393 former special education students revealed that 73 percent were employed one year after exit. If students held a job at the time of school exit, there was an 87 percent probability of employment one year after high school. Employment status was also related to gender, disability, and urban or rural…

This article presents information on the characteristics and post-school outcomes of youth (N=3,024) who participated in the Bridges School to Work internship program at seven sites from 1993 to 1997. Neither gender, race, nor primary disability made a significant difference in employment status at 6 months post-internship. Work behaviors during…

In an effort to examine the transition status of Apache Native American school leavers, a 38-item survey collected information from 48 former students with and without learning disabilities. Results indicated the students with learning disabilities had higher rates of unemployment and substance abuse and were less likely to live independently or…

Special education (n=52) and general education (n=54) students who attended an Apache Indian reservation high school were interviewed 0 to 4 years after graduating or leaving school. Both groups reported that they found mathematics and English most helpful and that they wished for more computer, business, and office skills training. (DB)

This follow-up study of 54 graduates of a California high school career and vocational services program for students with developmental disabilities or learning disabilities found that only 39 percent were in competitive employment and that jobs were predominantly in the food, building, fabrication, and packaging service occupations. Most…

Thirty-eight high-school special education students were surveyed after graduation concerning their work history, career roles, involvement with social agencies, life satisfaction, and career skill ratings. Approximately 50 percent of the group were competitively employed, mostly part time. Subjective quality of life was not related to any…

This literature review examined the current status of young adults with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) two to five years after leaving high school, in employment, residential environment, social and interpersonal networks, dependency, and learned helplessness. Suggestions for school-implemented community adjustment programs are offered. (DB)

This follow-up study interviewed 720 former special-education students nine months after exiting New York schools for employment, postsecondary education, and community living outcomes. Results indicate special-education program components contributing to success included work experiences, occupational education, transition planning, and…

This study determined whether experts in special education transition services perceived a need for a common theoretical model and core set of outcome variables for follow-along research at the state level, evaluated a model for use in follow-along studies, and suggested research questions to be measured in a common format across statewide…

This paper examines the qualities and limitations of information utilization in special education program planning and improvement; discusses the results of a federally funded transition follow-along and follow-up research and demonstration project in Minnesota; and describes methods for organizing, managing, and reporting follow-along and…