Building a Future: Working with the Post-High School Expectations of Students & Parents.

This brief discusses findings from the first year of a 3-year study of expectations, planning, and outcomes for high school students (N=181) in Massachusetts school districts who are receiving special education services and their families. Students and parents will complete a survey once a year for 3 years. Students are from various racial/ethnic backgrounds, from grades 9-12, and in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Analysis of the first year's survey results indicate the following: (1) most students thought they were likely to find a job immediately after high school; (2) although both parents and students thought that work was important, they valued employment for different reasons; (3) students had higher expectations for work and rated their own level of self-determination higher than their parents did; and (4) parents perceived themselves to be more involved in students' life planning than students perceived them to be. Implications of these findings suggest the need to strengthen parent and student expectations early and connect students and parents as planning partners. (DB)