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Postsecondary Education and Employment Outcomes for Youth with Intellectual Disabilities

Postsecondary Education and Employment Outcomes for Youth with Intellectual Disabilities

This Think College Fast Facts report gives an overview of how postsecondary education experiences can improve employment outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities, based on a secondary analysis of the RSA 911 research data (the Dept. of Vocational Rehabilitation national database)   One role of Vocational Rehabilitation is to support postsecondary education in accordance with student's Individualized Plans for Employment (IPE). This data note compares the employment outcomes of youth with intellectual disabilities who did and who did not receive postsecondary educational supports as a part of their IPEs. Data analysis revealed that youth who participated in postsecondary education were 26% more likely to exit the VR program with employment, and their weekly wage earning were 73% higher than those who had no postsecondary education experiences. This study suggests that postsecondary education for persons with intellectual disabilities is indeed a promising practice.

APA Citation: 

Migliore, A., Butterworth, J. and Hart, D. (2009) Postsecondary education and employment outcomes for youth with intellectual disabilities. Think College Fast Facts, Issue No. 1. Boston, MA: University of Massachusetts Boston, Institute for Community Inclusion.

Year of Publication: 
2009
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Project: 
National Coordinating Center
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