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6 Sep 2017
Report

Career and Technical Education, Inclusion, and Postsecondary Outcomes for Students With Disabilities

Roddy Theobold, AIR
Dan Goldhaber, AIR
Trevor Gratz, University of Washington
Kristian L. Holden, AIR

Each year, nearly 6.5 million public school students (approximately 13% of all students enrolled in public education) receive special education services as part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The 2004 reauthorization of IDEA placed greater emphasis on using these funds to improve the postsecondary outcomes (including “training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills”) of students receiving special education services.

This study used longitudinal data on all high school students in Washington State, including postsecondary education and workforce outcomes, to investigate predictors of intermediate and postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities. Particular attention was paid to career and technical education (CTE) enrollment and the extent of inclusion in general education classrooms, as prior research suggests these factors may be particularly important in influencing the outcomes of students with disabilities.

Infographic: Why Is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Important for Employment Success for Students With Disabilities? (PDF)

The study found generally weak relationships between CTE enrollment in any particular grade and intermediate and postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities; however, it replicates earlier findings that students with disabilities who are enrolled in a “concentration” of CTE courses have higher rates of employment after graduation than students with disabilities who are similar in other observable ways but are enrolled in fewer CTE courses.

In addition, there was consistently strong evidence that students with disabilities who spend more time in general education classrooms experience better outcomes—fewer absences, higher academic performance, higher rates of grade progression and on-time graduation, and higher rates of college attendance and employment—than students with disabilities who are similar in other observable ways but spend less time in general education classrooms.

Career and Technical Education, Inclusion, and Postsecondary Outcomes for Students With Disabilities (PDF)

Related Centers

Center

National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER)

The National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER) is a joint project of AIR and scholars at Duke University, Northwestern University, Stanford University, the University of Missouri, the University of Texas at Dallas, and the University of Washington.

Related Work

2 Jun 2016
Video

lss-chaney-mosley-01_245x165.png

Chaney Mosley

Long Story Short: How Does Career and Technical Education Help Prepare Students for the Workforce?

Career and technical education provides students with the employability and technical skills they need to enter the workforce. In this video interview, Chaney Mosley talks about what elements such educational programs need to successfully prepare students and who benefits the most.
Topic: 
Education, College and Career Readiness, Workforce

Further Reading

  • Career and Technical Education in High School and Postsecondary Pathways in Washington State
  • American Institutes for Research Experts to Present About Education and Workforce at National Public Policy Conference
  • ‘Carl Perkins’ Is in the House
  • AIR Experts to Discuss Education Research Issues at Association for Education Finance and Policy Annual Conference
  • “Making College Work” Offers Policy Recommendations to Better Support Disadvantaged College Students
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Dan Goldhaber

Dan Goldhaber

AIR Vice President and Director, CALDER

Topic

Workforce
Disability and Rehabilitation
Education
College and Career Readiness

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