Survey Background

The National Longitudinal Transition Study of Special Education Students (NLTS) was mandated in 1983 by the United States Congress to provide information to practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and others in the special education community regarding the transition of youth with disabilities from high school to early adulthood. The first NLTS (1987 through 1993) included more than 8,000 youth with disabilities from 300 school districts across the nation, representing students in high school special education during the 1985-86 school year. Telephone interviews, surveys of teachers and principals who served them, and analyses of students' school records contributed to a comprehensive look at many aspects of the lives of young people with disabilities.

The NLTS was the first study to describe the experiences and outcomes of youth with disabilities nationally during high school and early adulthood. Findings of the NLTS have been widely cited in the literature, and can be reviewed in-depth here, or by contacting the Office of Special Education Programs at 202-205-9864.

In 1999, OSEP began designing its second longitudinal transition study of high school-aged students with disabilities as they leave high school and engage in post high school activities. SRI International has again been contracted to conduct this study and is currently collecting student data for the NLTS-2. The NLTS-2 involves a nationally representative sample of almost 12,000 students who were 13-16 years old and received special education in December 2000. In 2003, more than 7,000 parents and guardians completed phone interviews for a 70% response rate. The study will follow these students until 2010. Results of this study can be viewed at www.nlts2.org.

The Wisconsin Post High School Outcomes Survey (WPHSOS) assesses the outcomes of students with disabilities who successfully exited their high school educational placement by examining the student's participation in independent living activities, postsecondary education, and employment, one and three years after exiting their secondary placement. Additionally, student participation in high school job exploration, employment, and vocational preparation is assessed. The Wisconsin Statewide Post High School Outcomes Survey also assesses several areas related to the implementation of the federal transition requirements, including student participation in their own IEP meetings, inclusion of the student's interests and preferences in the IEP, course of study, needed transition services, content items, and outside agency participation. Beginning with the 2006-07 school year, students who have dropped-out of their secondary placement will also be included in the post high school survey process.

Executive Summaries and full text of the first through fourth years of the Wisconsin Post High School Outcomes Survey can be found at http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/sped/posthigh.html