postsecondary school enrollment and experiences of youth with disabilities: a national perspective

Postsecondary School Enrollment and Experiences of Youth With

Disabilities: A National Perspective Findings From the National Longitudinal

Transition Study-2 (NLTS2)

Lynn Newman, Ed.D.SRI International

Institute of Education Sciences Third Annual Research Conference

Washington, D.C.

June 10-12, 2008

2

NLTS2 Overview

Stratified random sample

Nationally representative sample of 501 LEAs and 38 special schools, stratified by:• Geographic region• Enrollment size

• District wealth

11,275 students by disability category

Focuses on Youth, ages 13 to 16 at start of study

Study began 2000 – 2001 school year

Generalizes to All disability categories, each age cohort

Longitudinal10 years (now in year 8)

5 waves of data collection over 9 years (wave 4 recently completed)

NLTS2 has been funded with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Special Education Research, under contract number ED-01-CO-0003. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the U.S. Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. government.

3

NLTS2 Data Source

Parent telephone interview and youth telephone interview/survey

Wave 3, 2005

Responses for youth who have been out of high school up to 4 years (n=approximately 2,950)

Ages 17 through 21

4

Today’s Focus

• Postsecondary school enrollment

• Postsecondary school experiences

• Postsecondary accommodations and supports

• Preliminary postsecondary school completion rates

5

Postsecondary Enrollment

6

Postsecondary School Enrollment Since LeavingHigh School

26

43

53

Youth withdisabilities in 1990

Youth withdisabilities in 2005

Youth in the generalpopulation in 2001

Percent

Percentage-point difference

17***

10***

*** p < .001 comparing youth with disabilities in 1990 with youth with disabilities in 2005, and comparing youth with disabilities in 2005 with youth in general population.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, National Transition Study (NLTS), Wave 2 parent and youth interview/survey, 1990; U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Special Education Research, National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2), Wave 3 parent interview and youth interview/survey, 2005; U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) 2001 youth survey, responses for 17- to 21-years-old.

7

Postsecondary School Enrollment Since Leaving High School of Youth With Disabilities, by School Type and

Year of Data Collection

14

21

30

5

10

13

4-year college

Vocational,business, or

technical school

2-year orcommunity

college

Percent

Youth with disabilities in 1990


Percentage-point differences

*** p < .001 comparing youth with disabilities in 1990 with youth with disabilities in 2005.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, National Transition Study (NLTS), Wave 2 parent and youth interview/survey, 1990; U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Special Education Research, National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2), Wave 3 parent interview and youth interview/survey, 2005.

9***

11***

17***

Ever enrolled in a:

8

Postsecondary School Enrollment at the Time of the Interview of Youth With Disabilities and Youth in the

General Population, by School Type

12

8

6

13

29***4-year college

Vocational, businessor technical school

2-year or communitycollege

Percent


Youth in the general population in 2001

*** p < .001 comparing youth with disabilities and youth in the general population.

Note: General population comparison data not available for vocational, business, or technical school enrollment.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Special Education Research, National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2), Wave 3 parent interview and youth interview/survey, 2005; U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) 2001 youth survey, responses for 17- to 21-year-olds.

Enrolled at the time of the interview in a:

9

Difference in Postsecondary School Enrollment Associated With

Individual and Household Characteristics

10

Postsecondary School Enrollment Since Leaving High School, by Disability Category

7270

56

54

54

52

51

51

46

31

31

26

Visual impairment

Hearing impairment

Speech/language impairment

Other health impairment

Orthopedic impairment

Autism

Traumatic brain injury

Deaf-blindness

Learning disability

Emotional disturbance

Multiple disabilities

Mental retardation

Percent

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Special Education Research, National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2), Wave 3 parent interview and youth interview/survey, 2005.

11

Postsecondary School Enrollment Since Leaving High School of Youth With Disabilities, by High School

Leaving Status

51

37

23

18

16

1***

7***

18***Postsecondary

school

2-year orcommunity

college


technicalschool

4-year college

Percent

High school completers High school noncompleters

Ever enrolled in a:

*** p < .001 comparing high school completers with noncompleters.


12

Postsecondary School Enrollment Since Leaving High School of Youth with Disabilities,

by Household Income

30

22

17

8

43

29

28

12

56

38

21

22

Postsecondaryschool

2-year orcommunity college


technical school

4-year college

Percent

$25,000 or less $25,001 to $50,000 More than $50,000

Ever enrolled in a:

***

***

* p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001 comparing youth from households with incomes of $25,000 or less with those from households with incomes of more than $50,000.


13

Postsecondary School Enrollment Since Leaving High School of Youth With Disabilities, by Race/Ethnicity

31

19

15

41

32

23

5

38

25

24

14

44Postsecondaryschool


Vocational, business,or technical school

4-year college

Percent

White African American Hispanic

Ever enrolled in a:

** p < .01 comparing White youth with African American youth.


**

14

Postsecondary Experiences

15

Mean Number of Months Between Leaving High School and Beginning Postsecondary School

by Youth With Disabilities

5

5

7

3

Postsecondaryschool



technical school

4-year college

Mean number of months

Students enrolled in a:

Note: Refers to number of months between leaving high school and first enrollment in a specific type of postsecondary school, for those ever enrolled in postsecondary school.


16

Full-Time Attendance at Postsecondary Schools by Youth With Disabilities

70

62

70

93

Postsecondaryschool



technical school

4-year college

Percent


Note: Of youth who have ever enrolled in postsecondary school, refers to current enrollment or for those not currently enrolled, their most recent enrollment. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Special Education Research, National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2), Wave 3 parent interview and youth interview/survey, 2005.

17

Primary Focus of Courses Taken at 2-Year or Community Colleges by Youth With Disabilities

58

29

10

3

Mostly academic

Mostly vocational

Both academic andvocational

Personal interest,neither academic or

vocational

Percent

Note: Of youth who have ever enrolled in postsecondary school, refers to current enrollment or for those not currently enrolled, their most recent enrollment.SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Special Education Research, National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2), Wave 3 parent interview and youth interview/survey, 2005.

18

Postsecondary Accommodationsand Supports

19

Disclosure of Disability by Youth With Disabilities in Postsecondary School

56

8

36

Does not considerself to have a

disability

Considers self tohave a disability and

has not informedschool of disability

Considers self tohave a disability andhas informed school

of disability

Percent

Note: Of youth who have ever enrolled in postsecondary school, refers to current enrollment or for those not currently enrolled, they most recent enrollment.\SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Special Education Research, National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2), Wave 3 parent interview and youth interview/survey, 2005.

20

Self-Identification of a Disability, by Disability Category

72

63

58

57

44

40

31

31

29

16

Speech/language impairment

Emotional disturbance

Other health impairment

Learning disability

Traumatiac brain injury

Mental retardation

Orthopedic impairment

Autism

Hearing impairment

Visual impairment Percent

Student does not consider self to have a disability:

Note: Responses of students who have ever enrolled in postsecondary school.


21

Receipt of Accommodations and Supports From Postsecondary School Because of Disability

24

26

12

25

Postsecondary school

2-year or community college

Vocational, business, or technicalschool

4-year college

Percent

Note: Of youth who have ever enrolled in postsecondary school, refers to current enrollment or for those not currently enrolled, their most recent enrollment.SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Special Education Research, National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2), Wave 1 school program survey, 2002, and Wave 3 parent interview and youth interview/survey, 2005.

Received accommodations and supports independent of whether informed school of disability and supports in:

22

Receipt of Accommodations and Supports From School Because of Disability

87

24

26

12

25

Received accomodations andsupports in high school

Postsecondary school

2-year or community college

Vocational, business, or technicalschool

4-year college

Percent

Note: Of youth who have ever enrolled in postsecondary school, refers to current enrollment or for those not currently enrolled, their most recent enrollment.SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Special Education Research, National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2), Wave 1 school program survey, 2002, and Wave 3 parent interview and youth interview/survey, 2005.

Received accommodations and supports independent of whether informed school of disability and supports in:

23

Receipt of Accommodations and Supports From School by Youth Who Consider Themselves to Have a Disability

and Have Informed School of Disability

63

76

33

69

Postsecondaryschool

2-year orcommunity

college


technical school

4-year college

Percent of youth who have informed school of disability


Note: Of youth who have ever enrolled in postsecondary school, refers to current enrollment or for those not currently enrolled, their most recent enrollment.SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Special Education Research, National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2), Wave 3 parent interview and youth interview/survey, 2005.

24

Types of Accommodations and Supports Received From Postsecondary Schools

by Youth with Disabilities

65

33

25

14

12

10

10

8

6

13

Additional time for tests

Tutor

Note taker

Technology, books on tape, Braillematerials

Other testing accommodations

Learning/behavior management support

Reader/interpreter

Additional time for/modified assignments

Early registration

Other accommocations or supports

Percent of youth who receive accomodations


25

Receipt of Help With Schoolwork From Postsecondary School, Not Necessarily Related to a Disability

44

44

29

55

Postsecondaryschool



technical school

4-year college

Percent



26

Postsecondary Students With Disabilities Got Help on Their Own Outside of What School Had Provided

44

38

35

50

Postsecondaryschool



technical school

4-year college

Percent



27

Youth With Disabilities’ Perceptions of Assistance With Postsecondary Schoolwork

20

6

10

10

32

31

45

40

48

63

45

50

4-year college


technical school


Postsecondaryschool

Percentage of students who received help, accommodations, or support with schoolwork

Not at all or not very useful Somewhat useful Very useful



28

Youth With Disabilities’ Perceptions of Sufficiency of Schoolwork Assistance

18

9

20

14

46

43

39

44

36

48

41

42

4-year college


technical school


Postsecondaryschool

Percentage of students who received help, accommodations, or support with schoolwork

Definitely or probably not getting enough Probably getting enough Definitely getting enough



29

A Preliminary Look at Postsecondary School

Completion

30

School Completion Goal of Postsecondary Students With Disabilities Enrolled at the Time of the Interview

89

81

98

97

Postsecondaryschool



technical school

4-year college

Percent

Working toward a diploma, certificate, or license at:


31

Postsecondary School Completion Within 4 Years of Leaving High School by Youth With Disabilities Who

Have Ever Been Enrolled in a Postsecondary Program

28

18

58

6

Postsecondaryschool



technical school

4-year college

Graduated or completed program at:


Percent of students who had ever been enrolled in postsecondary school but are not currently enrolled

32

For more information:

www.nlts2.org

Full Reports Fact Sheets & Data Briefs

Executive Summaries Data Tables

postsecondary school enrollment and experiences of youth with disabilities: a national perspective

Documents

youth interviewsurvey

interview of youth

high school of youth

department of education

youth survey

experiences of youth

special education research

school type