Assessing Post-School Outcomes for Indiana Students with Disabilities

ICI’s Systems Improvement Group (SIG) was recently awarded a two-year, $150,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Education to conduct the state’s post-school outcomes survey of students with disabilities. The Indicator 14 Postschool Follow-Up Survey will gather information on youth with disabilities who are no longer in secondary school and had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in place at the time of leaving school. “The survey will assess the extent to which these students are enrolled in postsecondary education within one year of leaving school, are competitively employed, or are employed in some other training program,” says project director Maureen Hawes (pictured). “The data gathered through this survey is used to respond to federal reporting requirements and to target resources to support students as they transition out of secondary school.”

The Systems Improvement Group is comprised of technical assistance professionals who have provided technical assistance to state and local education agencies across the U.S. to support their efforts in demonstrating accountability with federal requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Over the past four years, SIG has conducted the Part B data collection requirement for the Indiana Department of Education for Indicator 14. Michael Sharpe and Tri Tran are also part of the project staff.