In Heok Lee

Causal Effects of Inclusion on Postsecondary Education Outcomes of Individuals With High-Incidence Disabilities

Using data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 results of a propensity score analysis revealed significant causal effects for inclusive placement in high school on postsecondary education outcomes for adolescents with learning disabilities or emotional-behavior disorders 2 years after high school completion. Students earning 80% or more of their academic credits in general education settings (inclusive placement) were twice as likely to enroll and persist in postsecondary education when compared with students receiving fewer credits in inclusive classroom settings. These findings extend results of past descriptive and correlational studies by detecting a direct causal link between inclusion and postsecondary education.

Development Patterns of Occupational Aspirations in Adolescents with High-Incidence Disabilities:

This study analyzed the longitudinal development of occupational aspiration prestige scores over a 12-year period (Grade 8 to 8 years postsecondary) to better understand this aspect of career choice from adolescence into adulthood for people with high-incidence disabilities. A curvilinear trajectory was detected where aspirations increased during high school, but decreased after school completion. The only covariate positively associated with the intercept factor was academic achievement. Higher socioeconomic status was associated with a positive change in the slope of aspirations across the 3 time points before school completion. In adulthood, disability status was the only significant factor associated with aspiration change. Findings are considered with regard to the potential influence of special education services and disability on career development and choice.

Intermediate Work Outcomes for Adolescents With High-Incidence Disabilities

A longitudinal sample from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 was used to determine differences in work outcomes between (a) individuals with learning disabilities or emotional-behavior disorders and (b) individuals with or without disabilities. Twelve factors were arranged into individual, family, school-peer, and community categories. Individuals with high-incidence disabilities were more likely to be unemployed, whereas those without disabilities were more likely to be employed for 20 hr or more per week. A limited number of risk factors were significant contributors of work outcomes. Ordered logistic regression revealed individuals with high-incidence disabilities and all women experienced less positive work outcomes. Parental discussions with children about work plans enhanced the likelihood of positive work outcomes, but only for adolescents without disabilities.

Postsecondary Education Persistence of Adolescents With Specific Learning Disabilities or Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

While experiences of students with disabilities transitioning from high school to college have been well documented, the influence exerted by selected factors on these experiences is less well understood. Using data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, the influence of selected risk and resilience factors on the short-term postsecondary educational outcomes, that is, persistence, of adolescents with specific learning disabilities or emotional/behavioral disorders was examined. A logistic model revealed group differences between individuals with disabilities and peers without disabilities. All selected risk and resilience factors significantly predicted educational persistence. No significant differences were observed between adolescents with specific learning disabilities or emotional/behavioral disorders, but three factors—grade point average, socioeconomic status, and number of friends having plans to attend a 4-year college—were significant predictors of educational persistence for adolescents with disabilities. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Use of propensity score matching for training research with observational data

Abstract Evaluations of vocational education and training (VET) programs play a key role in informing training policy in Australia and elsewhere. Increasingly, such evaluations use observational data from surveys or administrative collections to assess the effectiveness of VET programs and interventions. The difficulty associated with using observational data is that they are inherently prone to selection bias, which results from individuals self-selecting into a given VET program based on differences in background characteristics or other external factors. The effects of the VET program on outcomes of interest are thus confounded with the effects of pre-existing systematic differences between program participants and non-participants. Propensity score matching (PSM) can mitigate selection bias in evaluation studies with observational data by statistically balancing program participants and non-participants post hoc on observed background characteristics. This article seeks to offer a general introduction to PSM and to provide interested VET researchers with an initial stepping stone for using the method in their own work.