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Demographic Differences
Differences in the rate at which out-of-school youth with disabilities complete high school are apparent for groups who differ in selected demographic characteristics (figure 2).
Age. Not surprisingly, the lowest high school completion rate (48 percent) occurs among youth with disabilities who were ages 15 through 17 and not in school, ages at which most youth typically still would be in high school. However, this youngest group experienced the largest increase over time in the likelihood of finishing school (37 percentage points).
The high school completion rate is significantly higher among 18-year-olds than 15- through 17-year-olds—71 percent—a 25-percentage-point increase since 1987. The school completion rate is highest (80 percent) among out-of-school 19-year-olds with disabilities, although this is not a significantly higher rate than in 1987.
Household income. The completion rate is significantly higher among youth with disabilities from wealthier households (i.e., with incomes of more than $50,000) than among low-income youth (82 percent vs. 64 percent), an income-related difference that also is apparent in the general population (Kaufman, Alt, and Chapman 2001). However, both the lowest and middle income groups show significant increases over time in their school completion rates (19 and 26 percentage points, respectively), an increase not shared by the highest income group.
Race/ethnicity. Although Hispanic youth with disabilities appear to have a lower rate of school completion than White or African-American peers (60 percent vs. 74 percent and 77 percent), this difference is not statistically significant. Similarly, although all three racial/ethnic groups demonstrate similar increases over time in their school completion rates, only the increases for White and African-American youth with disabilities reach statistical significance (18 and 22 percentage points, respectively).
Gender. No differences are noted in the school completion rates of boys and girls with disabilities. However, boys show a statistically significant increase over time that is not evident for girls (20 vs. 10 percentage points for boys and girls, respectively).