The Effects of Transition Planning and Postsecondary Outcomes for Students with Disabilities in an Urban School Division

Abstract

According to The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (2004), young adults with disabilities continue to face significant difficulties in securing jobs, accessing postsecondary education, living independently, fully participating in their communities, and accessing necessary community services. Furthermore, studies have indicated that IEPs generally do not always contain transition related information. In this dissertation study, the postsecondary outcome data from Indicator 13 and Indicator 14 and student attendance at IEP meetings for students with disabilities were examined. There were two levels of research to this study. In level one, there was an overall picture of the data by completing various descriptive analyses. In level two, differences were investigated as well as relationships analyzed. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data in level two. Logistic regression was used to predict the presence of an outcome based on values of a set of predictor variables. From the collection of IEP student attendance data, the researcher examined the different effects of participation. The IEP attendance data were also included in the regression model to show the strength of student attendance. In conclusion, students with disabilities were working after high school (50%-69% of variance), enrolled in a two or four year college or university (50% chance), or enrolled in some type of postsecondary school or training program (50% chance). Moreover, adding gender was significant in being employed and not being employed (71.3% chance), enrolling in a two or four year college or university (72.1% chance), or enrollment in some type of postsecondary school or training program (75.9% chance). Ethnicity was non-significant, suggesting that ethnicity had no real measured influence on postsecondary employment, enrollment in a two or four year college or university, or enrollment in some type of postsecondary school or training program. Finally, students with disabilities attended their IEP meeting at a high rate (92%).