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The Post-High School Outcomes of Youth With Disabilities up to 4 Years After High School
NCSER 2009-3017
April 2009

Differences in Experiences by Length of Time Out of High School

Youth included in this report varied in their length of time out of high school, ranging from 1 month or less to 4 years post-high school. Thirty-nine percent of youth had been out of high school less than 1 year, 26 percent out between 1 and 2 years, and 36 percent out of high school for 2 to 4 years. Most post-high school experiences did not differ significantly across the number of years since youth had left high school. The experience that did differ by length of time out of high school was related to enrollment in postsecondary school. The likelihood of ever having been enrolled in postsecondary education was higher for those who had been out of high school longer than 1 year. Thirty-one percent of those out of high school up to 1 year had been enrolled in postsecondary school at some point, compared with 63 percent of those out of high school 1 to 2 years and 65 percent of those out of high school 2 to 4 years.