New Research Postcards!

Reviewing Employment Outcomes: An Analysis of Students with I/DD in Postsecondary Programs

Recently, researchers examined peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 - 2020 to examine research evidence supporting the use of postsecondary education (PSE) programs as a facilitator of competitive integrated employment for individuals with intellectual disabilities. This review revealed some key findings, including:

• Most students with IDD got a job after exiting a PSE program, with a range of 50.8% to 91% reported across studies.

• Nearly all PSE programs in this review described use of both employment coursework and applied vocational experiences, like internships and job shadowing, to help students build work skills.

• The review indicates a positive impact of attending a PSE program on becoming employed for students with IDD. However, there is room for improvement in how programs report, measure, and track information related to employment in the future.

Article Citation: Avellone, L., Camden, J., Taylor, J., & Wehman, P. (2021). Employment outcomes for students with intellectual disabilities in postsecondary education programs: A scoping review. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 34 (3), 223-238. Access the article

Start on Success: A Collaboration Model Offering Work-Based Learning for Students with Disabilities

Virginia’s Start on Success (SOS) program is designed for high school seniors with disabilities who are pursuing a standard or advanced studies diploma. Students with disabilities should be provided opportunities to increase career pathway skills through Work Based Learning. To increase student success, SOS components consist of four evidence based practices related to in-school or post-school success for students with disabilities (Test, et al., 2009). These SOS core components contribute to the success of the program:

• Interagency Collaboration
• Career and technical education (CTE) course
• Paid Internship
• Mentorship

Article Citation: Ligon, K. St. John, K., Evans Getzel, E., McKelvey, S., & Lambert, A. (2021). Start on success: A school and business collaboration model offering work-based learning for students with disabilities. Techniques, 32-36. Access the article

Learn more about these articles and others by visiting the RRTC Research Articles Database.