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The purpose of the current study was to conceptually replicate a multi-indicator construct of economic hardship in a national sample of adolescents with and without disabilities (N = 9,230). Using data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 (NLTS2012), the latent construct economic hardship was confirmed from six theoretically relevant indicators: household income, parent education level, parent employment status, one- or two-parent household, household internet access, and participation in government-assisted social programs (e.g., Supplemental Security Income benefits, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). In addition, we examined group differences on the latent mean of economic hardship based on disability category, race and ethnicity, and school and family factors. Mean differences showed significantly lower economic hardship for youth on 504 plans, youth with autism, and for White non-Hispanic youth; whereas there was significantly greater hardship for youth with intellectual disability and youth with emotional disturbance and among youth of color. The implications of the replicated and expanded findings for adolescents with and without disabilities are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to establish construct validity of a college and career readiness measure using a sample of youth with (n = 356) and without (n = 1,599) disabilities from five high schools across three U.S. states. We established content validity through expert item review, structural validity through initial field-testing, and convergent validity by correlating domain scores with school academic and behavioral data. A four-factor measurement model emerged representing the domains Ownership of Learning, Academic Engagement and Processes, Interpersonal Engagement, and Career Development. Domain scores were significantly correlated with achievement, college admission exam scores, and attendance. Implications for research and practice with an emphasis on transition service delivery via multi-tiered systems of support are discussed.

While early literature in accessibility services in postsecondary education largely focused on physically disabled students, their presence in the peer-reviewed literature from 1951-2012 was described as sparse by Gelbar et al. (2015). The studies that existed were largely descriptive, and no studies investigated the effectiveness of accommodations or services for physically disabled students. The present study extends this prior analysis and examines the professional literature on physically disabled students published from 2013-2021. Results indicated there was an increase in articles during this time that featured physically disabled students in the overall sample, and of articles focused on this cohort specifically. There was also an increase in the number of articles based in countries outside of the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, as well as a rise in the number of articles featuring qualitative designs. However, there remains a minimal number of articles featuring research designs that allow the field of postsecondary education and disability to determine research-based practices in providing access to the population, as well as articles that focus on 2-year and career/technical institutions and on faculty and institutional staff. Implications for research and practice are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

College and career readiness is crucial to success in postsecondary education, employment, and independent living. The College and Career Readiness for Transition (CCR4T) assessment is valid and reliable and can assist in transition planning for students with disabilities. The CCR4T assessment was designed for planning with students with and without disabilities. This article aims to provide an overview of this assessment and demonstrate how secondary educators and other stakeholders can use the data gathered to make decisions and inform the Individualized Education Program (IEP) as an age-appropriate transition assessment for youth with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Independent living skills (ILS) are crucial for the post-school success of students with disabilities. In this systematic literature review, we examined ILS interventions for secondary and postsecondary education students with intellectual disability or autism ranging from ages 13–24 years. Forty-two articles met the inclusion criteria and were examined. Findings indicated the most frequent intervention method used was prompting followed by video modeling/prompting. Technology was the most frequent modality used to deliver interventions. The most common types of ILS taught to students were cooking and cleaning. Implications for policy and practice include educators evaluating the range of ILS taught to students. Implications for future research include an emphasis on further developing technological interventions that expand to a wider variety of skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we sought to understand the contexts, experiences, and needs among secondary education stakeholders to inform both a theoretical framework and policy contexts underpinning college and career readiness (CCR). Results confirmed a theoretically constructed framework of academic and non-academic CCR skills, with participants offering descriptions that validated and extended the framework. In addition, participants provided critical understandings of educational contexts in which CCR occurs, with both policy constraints and facilitative influences described. Participants identified strategies, policies, and practices to support student readiness for college and career outcomes. Finally, we provide study limitations and implications for research, policy, and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]