Employment Outcomes from Secondary School Programs

This article focuses on a number of employment-related outcomes that can be used to evaluate the effects of secondary school employment programs, describe a person's quality of life, and reflect special education's goals of increasing a person's independence, productivity, and community integration. A recent study is also summarized that determined among special education graduates the relationships among several employent-related outcome measures and 19 predictor variables, including student characteristics, school variables, and economic characteristics. The article concludes with a discussion of two catalysts---financial incentives and the Individual Transition plan---that will facilitate the change to an employment outcome orientation in special education.