The Graduation Cliff: Improving the Post-School Outcomes of Students with Disabilities. Summary Report

There is a federal movement to improve student outcomes targeting some of these predictors in several recently launched initiatives, but where does Arizona stand? What are we currently doing to move the needle, and what do we still need to do? This report prepared for the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council has two objectives: (1) gain an in-depth understanding of the transition process to post-secondary education and employment for youth with disabilities enrolled in special education in Arizona, how National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) predictors are utilized, and if there are differences due to race/ethnicity, gender, or disability; and (2) understand the hopes and dreams of middle school and high school students and their parents, as well as what is currently being done to support these aspirations across the state. To address these questions, Arizona's Morrison Institute for Public Policy (MI) surveyed 224 Arizona parents and guardians and 634 high school students with disabilities from 17 districts. MI also conducted 10 focus groups that included family members and middle and high school youth. It further interviewed 30 experts, youth, and families. This summary report highlights six of the report's findings and discusses their implications. [For the full report, see ED574407.]