Postschool Outcomes For Youth Research Articles

Coaching in Complexity: Lessons Learned Investigating Implementation of Interventions in High Schools

High schools hold great potential as contexts within which educators implement evidence-based practices shown to change post-school outcomes for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Unfortunately, educators feel unprepared to use transition and disability-focused evidence-based practices. Coaching, as an essential feature of effective professional development, is an important process for supporting educators in their development of competencies for use of these practices. To inform the use of coaching in complex high school settings, the model used by the Center on Secondary Education for Students With ASD to implement a comprehensive package of disability- and transition-focused interventions in 30 schools is described and coaching data analyzed to offer lessons learned for developing professional development supports for secondary school practitioners. Limitations and implications for research and practice are discussed.

On the sidelines of what works: scientifically based indifference

ABSTRACT A team of systematic reviewers successfully completed a government-commissioned review of ‘what works to improve post-school outcomes for youth with disabilities’ in 2012. Despite its success, interviews with 10 review team members revealed dissatisfaction with the process and indifference to its outcomes. The purpose of our analysis was to examine how the systematic review process itself led to review team members’ feelings of indifference, resignation, and pessimism. Drawing on the writings of Henry Giroux, Gert Biesta, and Hanna Arendt that warn of the death of democracy and the rise of totalitarianism, we explored how the systematic review certification process, examinations, rules, and structures deadened democratic deliberation and critique necessary, we argue, to conducting good educational science. We end with a call for systematic reviews in education whose researchers, products, and processes remain ethically oriented to keeping democracy alive.

Parent and Youth Post-School Expectations: Students With Intellectual Disability in Rural Schools

While research exists on parent expectations associated with post-school outcomes of youth with intellectual disability, limited research examines issues of parent—and youth—post-school expectations relative to issues of community, such as living in rural versus urban or suburban settings. Through a secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) 2012, we examined parent and youth expectations regarding post-school outcomes for students with intellectual disability relative to school locale (i.e., rural, urban, and suburban) and severity of intellectual disability. Youth from rural schools reported high rates of positive post-school expectations with regard to independent living and being employed, and their rates relative to independent living exceeded parental expectations. However, across the different variables, school locale was only a factor in the binary or ordinal logistic regression analyses for two dependent variables: parental expectation for their child to support themselves financially and parental expectations of obtained level of education.

Teacher Control over Interagency Collaboration: A Roadblock for Effective Transitioning of Youth with Disabilities

Poor post-school outcomes for youth with disabilities have consistently been reported internationally. Interagency collaboration between school systems and post-school services is critical and key to improving post-school life for these youth. An initial Queensland study that benchmarked the teacher practice of 104 transition teachers and associated personnel indicated that interagency collaboration practices had the lowest levels of implementation. These results were the motivation behind a second study which investigated the hypothesis that lack of teacher control over interagency collaboration practice formed a roadblock for effective transitioning of youth with disabilities. Results generally confirmed the hypothesis and provide further understanding about the multi-faceted nature of interagency collaboration and the stakeholders involved in this process. Three interconnected actions are proposed to bypass identified roadblocks. If these actions are put in place, schools should improve their connections with post-school services, teachers should enhance their practice, and students should achieve improved post-school outcomes.

Relationships Between Self-Determination and Postschool Outcomes for Youth With Disabilities

This article reports the results of a follow-up analysis of 779 students with disabilities who participated in group-randomized, control group studies designed to examine the efficacy of self-determination interventions in secondary school to examine the relationship between self-determination status when exiting high school and adult outcomes 1 and 2 years post-high school. Findings suggest that self-determination status upon exiting high school predicts positive outcomes in the domains of achieving employment and community access 1 year post-school, and that exposure to self-determination interventions in secondary school may lead to more stability in student outcomes over time. The complexity of the relationship between self-determination intervention and outcomes is discussed, as are recommendations for future research and practice.

De Escuela a la Vida Adulta/From School to Adult Life: Transition Needs for Latino Youth With Disabilities and Their Families

Postschool outcomes for youth with disabilities vary depending on culture, ethnicity, race, gender, and socioeconomic status. The aim of this study was to identify and describe the needs of youth with disabilities from Latino backgrounds who are transitioning from school to adulthood in Oregon. Using a conceptual model that included community context, cultural context, and individual factors, the authors conducted individual and focus group interviews with school and transition professionals, Latino youth, and their families to identify available transition services and barriers faced by this population. The results were summarized into five major categories: (a) language issues, (b) concerns regarding documentation and citizenship, (c) lack of culturally appropriate practices, (d) barriers to family participation and, (e) limited school and community resources. Findings support the need for changes in transition service delivery for Latino students with disabilities at both the individual and school district levels.

Paid Internships and Employment Success for Youth in Transition

This article presents information on the characteristics and postschool outcomes of youth who participated in the Marriott Foundation's Bridges... from school to work internship program at seven national sites from 1993 to 1997. A comprehensive database of 3,024 participants was analyzed to determine the extent to which participant and programmatic variables predict post-school employment status at 6, 12, and 18 month follow-up intervals. Neither gender, race, or primary disability made a significant difference in employment status at six months post-internship. Work behaviors during the internship were highly predictive of postschool employment at 6 and 12 month follow-up intervals. A disparity between disability groups and racial categories was noted in post-school employment rates the further out from school exit. The implications of this program model and these findings for future research and practice are discussed.

An Analysis by Gender of Long-Term Postschool Outcomes for Youth with and without Disabilities

This study analyzed gender differences in postschool outcomes for youth with learning disabilities, mild mental retardation, and no disabilities. Data were collected on two cohorts of graduates (549 youth who were graduated in 1985; 398 youth, in 1990) from three school districts. Data were collected at 1, 2, 6, and 7 years postgraduation. Comparisons were made between genders within disability groups on employment, postsecondary education attendance and graduation, engagement, independent living, marital status, and parenting. In contrast to the findings of other studies, few significant differences were noted between genders, except for the parenting category. A similar analysis between youth by disability category resulted in considerably more significant differences.