Survey Methods and Limitations

Survey Process Overview
Three main pieces of information are currently collected and used:

1. Demographic Information
Student data as reported by the SEA and the LEA on the Federal Student Data Report is used, including:

• the student's name, district of attendance, date of birth, gender, ethnicity and primary disability  educational environment (i.e. program model/setting for primary disability)
• leaver/exiter status (i.e. exit with a regular diploma, certificate of attendance, or termination at the maximum age of eligibility)
• beginning with the 2006-07 school year students who have dropped-out of their secondary placement will also be included as a type of leaver

2. Contact Information
LEAs are asked to provide the address and telephone number of the former students. (Contact Form) Prior to the interview, former students receive a letter describing the survey (Student Letter) as well as a letter from State Director of Special Education, Stephanie Petska, citing the requirements of this data collection and explaining why it was permissible to utilize this confidential information without parent/guardian/ student consent. (DPI Letter) The telephone number is used to contact the student for a personal interview.

3. Interview with the Former Student
Multiple attempts are made to contact all of the former students identified by LEAs to participate in a 50-question telephone interview. The interview takes approximately 8 to 10 minutes and includes 4 open-ended questions. (Survey Questions) Responses are accepted from the former student or a parent or guardian who is familiar with the former student's high school history and current living situation.

Secured Site Data Entry & Report Reviewing
All persons visiting the Wisconsin Post High School Outcomes website are able to view all components of the site except for the secure section and links to the statewide reports. Those desiring to utilize the secure section of this website are required to submit the Usage Agreement to receive a protected username and password.

Limitations of the Survey
A limiting factor in the survey is the small number of responses for individual items when analyzed by low incidence disabilities and some minority areas. Some of these individual cells have fewer than five responses, making it necessary to interpret results with caution. During the third year of the survey, more exiters were added to Group 2 to increase the number of respondents in each cell.

For this survey and prior to the 2006-07 data collection year, only those students with disabilities who were receiving special education and successfully exited their high school education were included in the population, and results were not compared to non-disabled leavers or dropouts. This may present a somewhat limited view of outcomes for all students with disabilities who received special education and related services and no longer attend high school. Beginning with the 2006-07 school year, students who have dropped-out of their secondary placement are included in the post high school survey process.