Predictors of In-School and Post-School Success

Recently, the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) conducted a systematic literature review to identify in-school predictors of post-school success in the areas of employment, education, and independent living for secondary students with disabilities (Test, Mazzotti, Mustian, Fowler, Kortering, & Kohler, 2009). As a result of this literature review, NSTTAC has identified 16 evidence-based predictors of post-school employment, education, and independent living success from the correlational research including career awareness, community experiences, exit exam requirements/high school diploma status, inclusion in general education, interagency collaboration, occupational courses, paid employment/work experience, parental involvement, program of study, self-advocacy/self-determination, self-care/independent living skills, social skills, student support, transition program, vocational education, and work study.

As NSTTAC has been disseminating these findings, we have had requests to gather a comprehensive list of predictors of in-school and post-school success for all secondary students. In an effort to respond to this request, NSTTAC has begun to develop a comprehensive list of predictors of in-school and post-school success across students with disabilities, students without disabilities, students at-risk, and students with mental health issues. To do this, NSTTAC reviewed reports and documents from various sources, including the National High School Center, Center for the School of the Future, National Dropout Prevention Center, Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation, Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk, and National Network on Youth Transition for Behavioral Health.

To be included reports and documents had to meet the following criteria: (a) included secondary education for students with and/or without disabilities, students at-risk, and/or students with mental health issues and (b) provided information or data on secondary in-school program variables as predictors of in-school and post-school success supported by research. Reports and documents were excluded from analysis if they did not supply empirical references and did not discuss secondary variables as predictors of in-school and post-school success.

From the reports/documents, NSTTAC has developed an initial draft of the following table, which provides information about in-school predictors of in-school and post-school success for students with disabilities, students without disabilities, students at-risk, and students with mental health issues. At this point, we are asking for your assistance. Please review the following tables and provide any feedback or additional information or references that you feel needs to be included. Please send your feedback to David W. Test at dwtest@uncc.edu

The rest of this document, including tables and references can be found at this link.