Slide 1

Findings from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2)

Collecting and Utilizing Postschool Outcome Data to Improve Transition Programs and Services at the National, State, and Local Levels

Lynn A. Newman, Ed.D.

SRI International

October 16, 2004

NLTS2 has been funded with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, under contract number ED-01-CO-0003. The content of this presentation does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. government.

Slide 2

Background

NLTS2 is a reprise of the original National Longitudinal Transition Study

–Congressionally mandated, 1983; conducted by SRI, 1984-1993

–Comprehensive information on secondary school-age students nationally as they transitioned to early adulthood

–Comparison of NLTS and NLTS2 important to the analysis agenda; facilitating valid comparisons has influenced the NLTS2 design

Slide 3

Primary Research Questions

•What are the characteristics of students receiving special education in high school?

•What educational programs and services do they receive as they age?

•What are their achievements in high school and early adulthood in terms of education, employment, social adjustment, and independent living?

•What services and experiences contribute to better results?

•How do programs, experiences, achievements, and other factors differ for youth with different characteristics?

•How have programs, experiences, and achievements changed since the late 1980s for young people with disabilities?

Slide 4

NLTS2 Overview

Focuses on / Youth
Study began / 2000-2001 School Year
Age at start of study / 13 to 16
Disability categories / All disability categories
Longitudinal / 9 years of data collection
5 waves of data collection

Slide 5

NLTS2 Sample

501 LEAs and 38 special schools representing variation in

–Geographic region

–District size (student enrollment)

–District wealth (student poverty)

11,272 eligible students

–Randomly selected by disability category

–Sampling rates higher for 16-year-olds to increase the number of youth who will be out of school the longest at the end of the study

Slide 6

NLTS2 Generalizes to:

•Students receiving special education who were 13 to 16 when the study began in 2001, as they transition into young adulthood

•Each of the 12 special education disability categories

•Each single-year age cohort

Slide 7

Data Collection Timeline

NLTS2
Year 1 2001 / Year 2 2002 / Year 3 2003 / Year 4 2003 / Year 5 2005 / Year 6 2006 / Year 7 2007 / Year 8 2008 / Year 9 2009 / Year 10 2010
Parent telephone interviews / X / X / X / X / X
Youth telephone interviews / X / X / X / X
Direct assessment/student in-person interviews / X / X
Teacher survey / X / X
School program survey / X / X
School characteristics survey / X / X
Transcripts / X / X / X / X / X / X

Slide 8

Data Sources Used Today

NLTS2 Findings are from Wave 1

•Student’s School Program Survey (2001-02), completed by the school staff member most knowledgeable about the student’s overall program.

• General Education Teacher Survey (2001-02), completed by the teacher of the first general education academic class in the week, for students who have such classes.

NLTS comparisons are from Wave 1

  • School record abstracts (1985-86 or 1986-87)

Slide 9

Today’s questions

What are secondary school students with disabilities’ experiences in terms of:

  • Course taking?
  • Instructional settings?
  • General education academic classroom context?
  • Supports and accommodations?
  • General education academic classroom experiences?
  • Differences in student outcomes associated with general education enrollment?

Slide 10

Overview of School Programs of Secondary School Students with Disabilities

  • Course taking
  • Instructional settings

Slide 11

Course Taking of Students with Disabilities*

Percentage taking course
Language arts / 95%
Math / 92%
Social studies / 88%
Science / 83%
Foreign language / 21%
Fine arts / 49%
Physical education / 72%
Occupational vocational education / 52%
Prevocational education / 34%
Study skills training / 36%
Life skills/social skills training / 35%

* Course taken spring semester 2001-02.

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 Student’s School Program Survey, and the 1998 NAEP High School Transcript Study (National Center for Education Statistics, 2001).

Slide 12

Academic Course Taking*

Student with disabilities / General student population
Any academic courses / 99% / 100%
Language arts / 95% / 100%
Math / 92% / 88%
Social studies / 88% / 94%
Science / 83% / 79%
Foreign language / 21% / 50%

* Course taken spring semester 2001-02.

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 Student’s School Program Survey, and the 1998 NAEP High School Transcript Study (National Center for Education Statistics, 2001).

Slide 13

Changes in Course Taking by Students with Disabilities

Percentage-point change
Any academic course / 1
Language arts / 0
Mathematics / +11**
Science / +21***
Social studies / +13***
Foreign language / +15***
Vocational education / -7**
Fine arts/performing arts / +16***
Life skills/study skills / +9***

Source: NLTS school record abstract and NLTS2 Wave 1 student’s school program survey.

Statistical significance: **p<.01, ***p<.001.

Slide 14

Instructional Settings of Students with Disabilities*

Percentage taking courses
General education
Any courses / 88
Any academic / 69
All courses / 27
Average percentage of courses / 60
Special education
Any courses / 70
Any academic / 58
All courses / 9
Average percentage of courses / 37
Community/other setting
Any courses / 8
Any academic / 1
All courses / 2
Average percentage of courses / 3

* Settings for courses taken spring semester 2001-02.

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 student’s school program survey.

Slide 15

Average Percentage of Courses Taken in General Education Classes, by Disability Category

Learning disability / 68%
Speech impairment / 76%
Mental retardation / 31%
Emotional disturbance / 50%
Hearing impairment / 60%
Visual impairment / 63%
Orthopedic impairment / 58%
Other health impairment / 67%
Autism / 33%
Traumatic brain injury / 48%
Multiple disabilities / 24%
Deaf-blindness / 26%

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 student’s school program survey.

Slide 16

Changes in Instructional Settings of Students with Disabilities, by Type of Course

Percentage-point change
Any academic course
General education setting / +9***
Special education setting / -11***
Any nonacademic course
General education setting / -10***
Special education setting / +27***

Source: NTLS school record abstract and NLTS2 Wave 1 student’s school program survey.

Statistical significance: ***p<.001.

Includes only students taking the kind of course specified.

Slide 17

General Education Academic Classroom Context

Performance level

Classroom participants

Teacher characteristics

Supports and accommodations

Slide 18

Performance Level of General Education Academic Classes by Students with Disabilities, by Subject Area

Percentage of students in classes / Advanced placement/honors / At standard grade level / Below standard grade level
All general education academic classes / 2 / 82 / 16
Language arts / 2 / 81 / 17
Mathematics / 1 / 74 / 25
Science / 2 / 83 / 15
Social studies / 4 / 89 / 7

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 general education teacher survey.

Slide 19

Performance Level of General Education Academic Classes, by Disability Category

Students with: Visual impairments most likely to be in AP/honors courses.

Traumatic brain injury, mental retardation, or multiple disabilities most likely to be in below-grade-level classes.

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 general education teacher survey.

Slide 20

General and Special Education Academic Class Size

Average number
All students
General education academic class / 24
Special education / 20
General education students
General education academic class / 19
Special education / 0
Special education students
General education academic class / 5
Special education / 20

Slide 21

Adults in General and Special Education Academic Classes

Percentage in class with type of adult
General education teacher
General education / 98
Special education / 6
Special education teacher
General education / 22
Special education / 98
Classroom aide(s)
General education / 12
Special education / 52
1-to-1 instructional assistants
General education / 4
Special education / 10
Specialists
General education / 2
Special education / 4
Adult volunteers
General education / .2
Special education / 1
Average number of students per adult
General education / 21
Special education / 6

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 students’ school program and general education teacher surveys.

Slide 22

Characteristics of General Education Academic Teachers of Students with Disabilities

Percentage of students whose teachers are:
White / 88
African American / 5
Hispanic / 4
Teachers who are credentialed to teach their class / 96
Average number of years:
Teaching / 14
Teaching students with disabilities / 10
Percentage of students whose teachers agree that they are adequately trained to teach students with disabilities / 68

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 general education teacher survey

Slide 23

Supports and Information Provided to General Education Academic Teachers of Students with Disabilities

Percentage of students whose teachers report receiving type of support
Any type of support / 95
Information about student needs or abilities / 61
Consultation services by special education staff / 51
Smaller class size / 14
Teacher aides, instructional assistants, or aides for individual students / 13
Inservice training on needs of students with disabilities / 11
Special materials or equipment / 5

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 general education teacher survey.

Slide 24

Accommodations and Modifications Provided to Students with Disabilities in General Education Academic Classes

Percentage of students receiving accommodations
Any type of accommodation or support / 93
More time in taking tests / 75
Additional time to complete assignments / 66
Modified grading standards / 30
Tests read to student / 28
Modified tests / 26
Slower-paced instruction / 24
Shorter or different assignments / 20
Alternate tests or assignments / 16
Modifications to physical aspects of the classroom / 6

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 general education teacher survey.

Slide 25

Learning Supports Provided to Students with Disabilities in General Education Academic Classes

Percentage of students
Monitoring of progress by special education teacher / 60
More frequent feedback / 35
Teacher aide, instructional assistant, other personal aide / 19
Peer tutor / 18
Tutoring by an adult / 11
Reader or interpreter / 7
Learning strategies/study skills assistance / 23
Behavior management program / 8
Self-advocacy training / 3

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 general education teacher survey.

Slide 26

Classroom Instructional Practices in General Education Academic Classes

Curriculum

Discipline practices

Instructional groupings

Instructional materials

Instructional activities outside the classroom

Slide 27

Extent of Curriculum Modification for Students with Disabilities in General Education Academic Classes

Some modifications / 52%
Unmodified / 35%
Substantial modifications / 11%
Specialized curriculum / 2%

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 general education teacher survey.

Slide 28

Extent of Curriculum Modification, by General Education Academic Subject

Percentage of students / General curriculum without modification / Some modification / Substantial modification or specialized curriculum
Language arts / 38 / 47 / 15
Mathematics / 43 / 49 / 8
Science / 27 / 62 / 11
Social Studies / 33 / 51 / 15

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 general education teacher survey.

Slide 29

Extent of Curriculum Modification in General Education Academic Classes, by Disability Category

Percentage of students / General curriculum without modification / Some modification / Substantial modification or specialized curriculum
All youth / 35 / 52 / 13
Learning disability / 35 / 52 / 13
Speech impairment / 50 / 43 / 7
Mental retardation / 29 / 52 / 16
Emotional disturbance / 38 / 53 / 10
Hearing impairment / 46 / 49 / 5
Visual impairment / 42 / 50 / 87
Orthopedic impairment / 40 / 53 / 8
Other health impairment / 31 / 55 / 14
Autism / 33 / 47 / 20
Traumatic brain injury / 26 / 59 / 16
Multiple disabilities / 14 / 53 / 33

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 general education teacher survey.

Slide 30

Discipline Practices for Students with Disabilities in General Education Academic Classes

Percentage whose discipline is the same as that for other students in the class
All youth / 84
Learning disability / 87
Speech impairment / 93
Mental retardation / 72
Emotional disturbance / 71
Hearing impairment / 87
Visual impairment / 84
Orthopedic impairment / 78
Other health impairment / 78
Autism / 41
Traumatic brain injury / 88
Multiple disabilities / 59

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 general education teacher survey.

Slide 31

Instructional Groupings of Students with Disabilities and Students in General Education Academic Classes as a Whole

Percentage whose teachers use instructional groupings
Rarely or never / Sometimes / Often
Whole-class instruction
Students with disabilities / 5 / 31 / 64
Whole class / 3 / 28 / 69
Small-group instruction
Students with disabilities / 17 / 64 / 19
Whole class / 16 / 65 / 19
Individual instruction from a teacher
Students with disabilities / 14 / 60 / 26
Whole class / 15 / 63 / 22
Individual instruction from another adult
Students with disabilities / 59 / 28 / 13
Whole class / 71 / 23 / 7

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 general education teacher survey.

Slide 32

Instructional Materials Used with Students with Disabilities and Students in General Education Academic Classes as a Whole

Percentage whose teachers use materials
Rarely or never / Sometimes / Often
Textbooks, worksheets, and workbooks
Students with disabilities / 3 / 14 / 83
Whole class / 2 / 13 / 85
Supplemental print materials
Students with disabilities / 34 / 50 / 26
Whole class / 32 / 41 / 27
Lab equipment, tools
Students with disabilities / 71 / 16 / 13
Whole class / 71 / 16 / 13
Screen-based media
Students with disabilities / 22 / 59 / 19
Whole class / 21 / 60 / 19

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 general education teacher survey.

Slide 33

Computer Use by Students with Disabilities and Students in General Education Academic Classes as a Whole

Percentage of students
Rarely or never / Sometimes / Often
Computer used for:
Academic drills and skill practices
Students with disabilities / 75 / 18 / 7
Whole class / 77 / 16 / 7
Word processing or spreadsheets
Students with disabilities / 48 / 43 / 9
Whole class / 47 / 43 / 10
Internet
Students with disabilities / 42 / 52 / 7
Whole class / 41 / 52 / 7

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 general education teacher survey.

Slide 34

Instructional Activities Outside the Classroom for Students with Disabilities and Students in General Education Academic Classes as a Whole

Percentage whose teachers use activity
Rarely or never / Sometimes / Often
School-based instructional experience (e.g., library, computer lab)
Students with disabilities / 32 / 52 / 17
Whole class / 31 / 53 / 16
Field trips
Students with disabilities / 78 / 19 / 3
Whole class / 80 / 18 / 2
Community-based instruction/experience
Students with disabilities / 90 / 8 / 2
Whole class / 90 / 8 / 2

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 general education teacher survey.

Slide 35

Students’ Classroom Participation

Slide 36

Participation of Students with Disabilities and Students in General Education Academic Classes as a Whole

Percentage of students
Rarely or never / Sometimes / Often
Respond orally to questions
Students with disabilities / 20 / 43 / 36
Whole class / 1 / 32 / 67
Present to class or group
Students with disabilities / 50 / 43 / 7
Whole class / 37 / 54 / 9
Work independently
Students with disabilities / 8 / 43 / 49
Whole class / 2 / 41 / 57
Work with a peer or group
Students with disabilities / 12 / 52 / 36
Whole class / 6 / 52 / 42

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 general education teacher survey.

Slide 37

Participation of Students with Disabilities in Group Discussions, by Class Setting

Percentage of students
Rarely / Sometimes / Usually or almost always
Participation of students with disabilities
General education academic classes / 22 / 34 / 45
Vocational education classes / 9 / 32 / 59
Special education classes / 8 / 31 / 61
Participation of a subset of students enrolled in all 3 types of classes
General education academic classes / 22 / 32 / 46
Vocational education classes / 6 / 33 / 61
Special education classes / 4 / 37 / 59

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 student’s school program survey and general education teacher survey.

Slide 38

Teacher’s Perceptions and Expectations of Students’ Performance

Slide 39

Teachers’ Perceptions of Appropriateness of Placement of Students with Disabilities in General Education Academic Classes

Very appropriate / 66%
Somewhat appropriate / 26%
Not appropriate / 8%

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 general education teacher survey.

Slide 40

Teachers’ Perceptions of Appropriateness of Placement of Students with Disabilities in General Education Academic Classes (concluded)

Placements of students with mental retardation, multiple disabilities, and/or emotional disturbances were most frequently rated as “not appropriate.”

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 general education teacher and student’s school program surveys.

Slide 41

Teachers’ Expectations of Students with Disabilities in General Education Academic Classes

Percentage of students with disabilities:

Who are expected to keep up with other students in class: 97%

Who do keep up: 71%

Source: NLTS2 Wave 1 general education teacher survey.

Slide 42

Teacher’s Expectations of Students with Disabilities in General Education Academic Classes, by Disability Category

Percentage who are expected to keep up with other students in class / Percentage who do keep up
Learning disability / 99 / 78
Speech impairment / 98 / 79
Mental retardation / 84 / 54
Emotional disturbance / 98 / 65
Hearing impairment / 96 / 87
Visual impairment / 97 / 86
Orthopedic impairment / 96 / 78
Other health impairment / 98 / 68
Autism / 89 / 76
Traumatic brain injury / 93 / 75
Multiple disabilities / 93 / 71

Source: NTLS2 Wave 1 general education teacher survey.

Slide 43

What is the relationship between spending more time in regular education classes and students’:

  • Engagement in school?
  • Academic performance?
  • Social adjustment?

Slide 44

Independent Variables Included in Multivariate Analysis

Disability/Functioning / Individual and Household Characteristics / Parent Support / School Program/Performance
Disability category
ADD/ADHD
Number of domains affected
Age at identification
Functional cognitive skills
Self-care skills
Social skills
General health
Persistence / Age
Gender
Race/ethnicity
Uses language other than English
Household income
Mobility
Membership in school or community group / Expectations for postsecondary education
Family involvement at home and school / Percentage of classes in general education
Enrollment in vocational education
Number of social adjustment supports
Has a tutor
Number of instructional accommodations
Student absenteeism
In-class behaviors
Class size
Student no longer receiving special education services
Ever retained at grade level
Disciplinary actions

Slide 45

Differences in Engagement, Academic Performance, and Social Adjustment Associated with Percentage of Time in General Education Classes

More time in general education classes is associated with:

  • Lower overall grades.***
  • Fewer days absent per year.**
  • Closer to grade-level performance on both standardized reading and math tests.***
  • Lower rates of receiving disciplinary action at school.***
  • Higher rates of school or community group membership.***

From multivariate analyses, controlling for independent variables.

Statistical significance: **p<.01, ***p<.001.

Slides 46-51

What Have We Learned?

Youth with disabilities are likely to have school programs that emphasize academics and participation in general education classes, more so than in the past.

Youth with disabilities in general education academic classes are likely to be:

  • In grade-level classes.
  • In larger classes, with less access to adult help.

Youth with disabilities in general education academic classes are likely to:

  • Have teachers who receive support for serving students with disabilities, most often information about students’ needs and consultation from a special educator.
  • Receive a variety of accommodations, modifications, and supports, most often more time for tests and assignments and progress monitoring by a special educator.
  • Have at least some modifications to their curriculum.

Many teacher-driven activities in general education academic classes are experienced equally often by students with disabilities and by the class as whole, including:

  • Instructional groupings.
  • Instructional materials.
  • Computer use.
  • Instructional experiences outside the classroom.

Students with disabilities consistently participate less actively than their classmates in general education academic classes. They are less likely to:

  • Respond orally to questions.
  • Make presentations to the class.
  • Work independently.
  • Work with a peer or group.

Youth with disabilities in general education academic classes are likely to have teachers who: