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Creating a Community Vision of Post-Secondary Success for All Youth

Creating a Community Vision of Post-Secondary Success for All Youth. Richard Luecking TransCen, Inc. National Center on Secondary Education and Transition. Good News!. I.D.E.A Workforce Investment Act (Title IV – Rehabilitation Act Reauthorization)

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Creating a Community Vision of Post-Secondary Success for All Youth

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  1. Creating a Community Vision of Post-Secondary Success for All Youth Richard Luecking TransCen, Inc. National Center on Secondary Education and Transition

  2. Good News! • I.D.E.A • Workforce Investment Act (Title IV – Rehabilitation Act Reauthorization) • Expanding knowledge of effective transition methodology • Post-school employment success need not be a function of categorical labels

  3. Bad News • Employment rates for adults with disabilities remain low • Employment rates for people with severe, multiple disabilities are very low • Educational and adult service systems are seldom in synch

  4. Purpose of Marriott Foundations Bridges…from school to work program To provide a paid internship experience for youth with disabilities during their last year in secondary school

  5. Features of Bridges • Available to any youth with a disability in last year of high school • Standard pre-internship orientation • 12-week internship • Wages paid by host company/employer • Pre and post-placement staff support

  6. Scope of Bridges Study • Years of Participation: 1993 – 1997 • Number of Participants: 3,024 • School Districts Participating: • Montgomery County, MD • Washington, DC • Fairfax County, VA • Chicago, IL • Atlanta, GA • Los Angeles, CA • San Francisco, CA

  7. Participant DemographicsPrimary Disability n = 3,019

  8. Internship Success • Overall Completion Rate: 86% • Rate high across all demographic categories • Post-internship Job Offers from Host Company: 77% • Rate high across all demographic categories

  9. Internship SuccessWork Behaviors • Number of weekly hours worked • Attendance • Wages All predicted completion and post-internship job offers from host company

  10. Employment Status at Follow-up Intervals • Employment Rates • 6 months: 68% • 24 months: 60% Wages Number of weekly hours worked Percentage of workers with benefits at each successive interval

  11. Significant Predictors of Post-Secondary Employment Success@ 6 months • Post-Internship Job Offers: 5x more likely to be employed • Internship Completion: 4x more likely to be employed

  12. Significant Predictors of Post-Secondary Employment Success@ 12 Months • Post-internship job offers: 3x more likely to be employed • Internship Completion: 2x more likely to be employed

  13. Significant Predictors of Post-Secondary Employment Success@ 12 Months • Emotional Disability: ½ as likely to be employed • Mental Retardation: less likely to be employed

  14. Conclusions… • Work experience is valuable for all categories of youth with disabilities • Youth with any category of disability can perform work that is valuable to employers

  15. Conclusions… • Successful high school work experience = higher adult employment rates • Continued post-school support is necessary for some categories of youth in order to sustain employment success

  16. Service Integration for Transition of Youth with Severe Disabilities FEATURES: • Community-based transition class • Paid employment, integrated workplaces • Non-work activities in normalized settings

  17. Service Integration for Transition of Youth with Severe Disabilities FEATURES: • Individual choice • Blending of school, VR, DD resources • Adult agency employment specialists working with school personnel

  18. Service Integration for Transition of Youth with Severe Disabilities INTENDED OUTCOMES • Paid work as adults • Post school success to sustain work success

  19. Service Integration for Transition of Youth with Severe Disabilities INTENDED OUTCOMES: • No Service Disruption: first day after school exit looks the same as last day of school • Same jobs • Same community activities • Same staff support

  20. Service Integration for Transition of Youth with Severe Disabilities • 83% exited school as employed adults (71 of 87) • 88% served by same adult agency (77 of 87) • Average hours worked: 15.5 Outcomes of Model Implementation

  21. Implications for Practice • Increase opportunities for employer-based, paid work experiences prior to school exit • Develop curriculum that includes opportunities to develop and internalize work behaviors throughout secondary school years

  22. Implications for Practice • Enhance teacher pre-service preparation and in-service training so that educators develop skills to organize and supervise work-based experiences • Develop mechanisms for early referral and connection to post-school support services

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