Program Announcement: Transition Outcomes for Special Education Secondary Students CFDA 84.324A

Program Officer:
Dr. Robert Ochsendorf
Robert.Ochsendorf@ed.gov
(202) 219-2234

Purpose

The purpose of the research program on Transition Outcomes for Special Education Secondary Students (Transition) is to contribute to the improvement of transition outcomes for secondary students with disabilities. Transition outcomes include the behavioral, social, communicative, functional, occupational, and academic skills that enable young adults with disabilities to obtain and hold meaningful employment, live independently, and obtain further training and education (e.g., postsecondary education, vocational education programs). Through the Transition program, the Institute intends to support research to: (1) explore malleable factors¹ (e.g., transition services, students' competencies) that are associated with better transition outcomes for secondary students with disabilities, as well as mediators or moderators of the effects of these practices, for the purpose of identifying potential targets of intervention; (2) develop innovative interventions to improve the transition outcomes of secondary students with disabilities; (3) establish the efficacy of fully developed interventions for improving the transition outcomes of secondary students with disabilities; (4) provide evidence on the effectiveness of interventions for improving the transition outcomes of secondary students with disabilities when implemented at scale; and (5) develop and validate measures that assess skills predictive of successful transition outcomes for secondary students with disabilities.

The long-term outcome of this program will be an array of tools and strategies (e.g., assessments, intervention programs) that have been documented to be effective in improving transition outcomes for secondary students with disabilities.

Background

Education practitioners and policymakers face considerable challenges in improving transition outcomes for secondary students with disabilities. According to recent reports from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (Wagner et al., 2003; Wagner et al., 2005), a study of a nationally representative sample of adolescents across the disability categories, students' grade-level equivalent performance on standardized achievement tests was on average about 3.6 years behind grade level in reading and mathematics. Among those individuals who were no longer in school, about 28 percent had dropped out prior to receiving a diploma. In addition, a substantial minority experienced social and behavioral problems (e.g., about 17 percent were reported to have difficulty controlling their behavior in class; about 13 percent had been arrested). In the first two years after high school, individuals with disabilities were much less likely to attend postsecondary education than were individuals without disabilities. In the first two years after high school, about 21 percent of youth with disabilities were not engaged in their community either through postsecondary education, job training, or employment.

The Institute's Transition program is intended to address the challenges for improving the transition outcomes of secondary students with high- or low-incidence disabilities.

Under this topic, the Institute will consider proposals to develop innovative or evaluate existing interventions intended to improve students' transition from high school to work settings, independent living, or further education and training. For example, an applicant might propose to develop a work-related intervention including school and workplace components that is intended to improve transition into employment for students with significant intellectual disabilities.

Under the Transition program, the Institute also supports research to develop and validate instruments intended for use by practitioners and designed to assess behaviors and skills for students with disabilities that are related to successful transitions from school to work, independent-living, or further education. For example, an applicant could propose to develop and validate an instrument to assess specific behaviors and functional skills (e.g., social interaction and communication skills, motor skills, personal living skills) that are predictive of successful transition to employment for students with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities.

References

Wagner, M., Marder, C., Blackorby, J., Cameto, R., Newman, L., Levine, P., & Davies-Mercer, E. (2003). The Achievements of Youth with Disabilities during Secondary School: A Report from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2. Menlo Park: CA: SRI International.

Wagner, M., Newman, L, Cameto, R., Garza, N., & Levine, P. (2005). After high school: A first look at the postschool experiences of youth with disabilities. A report from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.

Wilson, S. J., Lipsey, M. W., & Derzon, J. H. (2003). The effects of school-based intervention programs on aggressive behavior: A meta-analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71 (1), 136–149.