SECOND EDITION NATIONAL COLLABORATIVEON WORKFORCE …

GUIDEPOSTS SUCCESSfor

NCWD/YOUTH

NATIONAL COLLABORATIVECOLLABORATIVE ON WORKFORCEWORKFORCE AND DISABILITYDISABILITY

SECOND EDITION

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he National Collaborative onWorkforce & Disability for Youth(NCWD/Youth) was created tohelp state and local workforcedevelopment systems improve out-comes for youth with disabilities.Housed at the Institute forEducational Leadership (IEL) inWashington, D.C., NCWD/Youthis comprised of partners withexpertise in disability, education,employment, and workforce development policy and practice.

This document was developed and revised by the NationalCollaborative on Workforce &Disability for Youth, funded bygrants/contracts/cooperativeagreements from the U.S.Department of Labor, Office ofDisability Employment Policy(Numbers E-9-4-1-0070 and OD-16519-07-75-4-11). The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the positionor policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. Nor does mention oftradenames, commercial products,or organizations imply theendorsement by the U.S.Department of Labor.

BOUT THE COLLABORATIVEBOUT THE COLLABORATIVE


The transition from youth to adult-hood is challenging for almost everyyoung person. This is particularly true

for young people with disabilities. Yet, it isin those critical transition-age years that ayoung person’s future can be determined.Part of a successful future includes findingand keeping work. The total employmentrate is projected to increase by 15% in thefirst decade of the twenty-first century.Employment in occupations that generallyrequire a college degree or otherpostsecondary credential is projected togrow much faster than other jobs across alloccupations. Jobs requiring work-relatedtraining will still account for the majority of the new positions.

CHALLENGES FACING YOUTH WITHDISABILITIES IN THE WORKPLACEYouth with disabilities, and particularlythose with significant disabilities, often facedifficulties in accessing the workforcedevelopment system. The workforcedevelopment system encompassesorganizations at the national, state, andlocal levels with direct responsibility for

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GUIDEPOSTS FOR SUCCESS

planning, allocating resources (both publicand private), providing administrativeoversight, and operating programs to assistindividuals and employers in obtainingeducation, training, job placement, and jobrecruitment.

Today, there continues to be a stubborndilemma facing youth with disabilities. In spite of supportive legislation (e.g., theIn spite of supportive legislation (e.g., theIndividuals with Disabilities Education Act(IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA), and the Rehabilitation Act), andidentified effective practices, many of theseyouth continue to experience highunemployment as well as insufficientopportunities to obtain competitiveemployment with the potential of careergrowth. Many youth with disabilities, andparticularly those with significantdisabilities, experience poor education andemployment outcomes. Certainly, someyouth with disabilities have attainedsuccessful careers. Some of these youth havebenefited from well delivered specialeducation transition services, while othershave received timely and appropriately

ON AVERAGE,

WORKING-AGE WORKING-AGE

PEOPLE WITH PEOPLE WITH

DISABILITIES HAVE DISABILITIES HAVE

A LOWER LEVEL OFA LOWER LEVEL OF

EDUCATIONALEDUCATIONAL

ATTAINMENT, AREATTAINMENT, ARE

POORER, AND FARPOORER, AND FAR

LESS LIKELY TO BELESS LIKELY TO BE

EMPLOYED THANEMPLOYED THAN

ADULTS WITHOUT

DISABILITIES.

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delivered youth employment services; manyof these successes reflect both circumstances.Yet, these successes are not the norm.

Consider the following facts:• Special education students are more than

twice as likely as their peers in generaleducation to drop out of high school.

• Youth with disabilities are halfas likely as their peers withoutdisabilities to participate inpostsecondary education.

• The adjudication rate of youthwith disabilities is four timeshigher than for youth withoutdisabilities.

• Roughly 10% to 12% of allyouth will present some form ofmental health problem of

significant severity to call for some sort ofshort-term special services and treatmentat some point during their teenage years.

• More than half of youth identified withmental health needs will drop out ofschool, and only between 5% and 20%will enter postsecondary education.

• Approximately 5% of all school childrenhave some form of a learning disabilityand are served under special education,while between 15% and 17% of allchildren have reading difficulties. Lessthan 8% of those with learning disabilitiesgo on to college after high school.

• Two-thirds of those with learningdisabilities have not been identified by theschool system as having such disorders.The majority of this population is poor,disproportionately female, minority, andwill not graduate from high school.

• Current special education students canexpect to face much higher adultunemployment rates than their peerswithout disabilities.

• Young adults with disabilities are threetimes likelier to live in poverty as adultsthan their peers without disabilities.

Little or no expectation of success, loweducational attainment, few vocationalgoals, and confusing government programswith conflicting eligibility criteria haveresulted in many youth with disabilities notmaking a successful transition from schoolto postsecondary education, employment,and independent living.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVECHANCES?Research has identified educational andcareer development interventions that canmake a positive difference in the lives ofyouth. Work-based learning experiences,preferably connected to curriculum content;student-centered individualized educationprograms that drive instruction; familyinvolvement in and support of educationand career development activities; andlinkages to individually determined supportservices have all been proven, by bothpractice and research, to lead to theeducation and employment success of allyouth, including youth with disabilities.

All youth need the following: • Access to high quality standards-based

education regardless of the setting;

• Information about career options andexposure to the world of work, includingstructured internships;

• Opportunities to develop social, civic, and leadership skills;

• Strong connections to caring adults;

• Access to safe places to interact with their peers; and,

• Support services to allow them to becomeindependent adults.

YOUNG ADULTSYOUNG ADULTS

WITH DISABILITIESWITH DISABILITIES

ARE THREE TIMESARE THREE TIMES

LIKELIER TO LIVE INLIKELIER TO LIVE IN

POVERTY AS ADULTSPOVERTY AS ADULTS

THAN THEIR PEERSTHAN THEIR PEERS

WITHOUTWITHOUT

DISABILITIES.DISABILITIES.


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CWD/Youth has identified Guidepostsfor Success based on what research tells

us that all youth need to transition toadulthood successfully. The Guidepostsprovide:

• a statement of principles;

• a direction that will lead to betteroutcomes for all young people; and,

• a way to organize policy and practice.

WHO SHOULD USE THEM AND HOW?Youth and families should look forprograms and activities that provide thesefeatures. Youth with disabilities should usethe Guideposts in developing anyindividualized plans, such as IndividualizedEducation Programs (IEPs), IndividualizedPlans for Employment (IPE), and servicestrategies as required by the WorkforceInvestment Act.

State level policy makers should use theGuideposts as a strategic organizationalframework which can assist them in movingthe state’s transition planning from a stove-pipe focus on guiding categorical programsand funding to a more coordinatedtransition system focusing on successfuloutcomes for all youth.

Administrators and policy makers at thelocal level should use the Guideposts inmaking decisions regarding funding, insetting and establishing local prioritiesrelated to transitioning youth, and inevaluating the work of agencies supportedby that funding.

Youth Service Practitioners should use theGuideposts, and tools that NCWD/Youthhas developed to implement them in theirwork.

The Guideposts are based on the importantfollowing assumptions:

1. High expectations for all youth,including youth with disabilities;

2. Equality of opportunity for everyone,including nondiscrimination, individu-alization, inclusion, and integration;

3. Full participation through self-determination, informed choice, andparticipation in decision-making;

4. Independent living, including skillsdevelopment and long-term supportsand services;

5. Competitive employment and economic self sufficiency, which mayinclude supports; and,

6. Individualized, person-driven, and culturally and linguistically appropri-ate transition planning.

The Guideposts framework is organized inthe following manner. After providing adetailed list within each Guidepost of whatall youth need, the framework thendescribes additional specific needs pertainingto youth with disabilities. By addressingthese specific needs policymakers, programadministrators, youth service practitioners,parents, family members, and youth willhave access to a foundation that will lead towork, further education, and independentcommunity living.

THE GUIDEPOSTS


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…ALL YOUTH NEED…ALL YOUTH NEED

TO PARTICIPATE TO PARTICIPATE

IN EDUCATIONALIN EDUCATIONAL

PROGRAMSPROGRAMS

GROUNDED INGROUNDED IN

STANDARDS, CLEARSTANDARDS, CLEAR

PERFORMANCEPERFORMANCE

EXPECTATIONS,EXPECTATIONS,

AND GRADUATIONAND GRADUATION

EXIT OPTIONS…

n order to perform at optimal levels inall education settings, all youth need to

participate in educational programsgrounded in standards, clear performanceexpectations, and graduation exit optionsbased upon meaningful, accurate, andrelevant indicators of student learning andskills. These should include the following:

• academic programs that are based on clearstate standards;

• career and technical education programsthat are based on professional andindustry standards;

• curricular and program options based on• curricular and program options based onuniversal design of school, work, andcommunity-based learning experiences;

• learning environments that are small andsafe, including extra supports such astutoring, as necessary;

• supports from and by highly qualifiedstaff;

• access to an assessment system thatincludes multiple measures; and,

• graduation standards that include options.

In addition, youth with disabilities need todo the following:

• use their individual transition plans todrive their personal instruction, and usestrategies to continue the transitionprocess post-schooling;

• have access to specific and individuallearning accommodations while they arein school;

• develop knowledge of reasonableaccommodations that they can request andcontrol in educational settings, includingassessment accommodations; and,

• be supported by highly qualifiedtransitional support staff that may or may not be school staff.

G U I D E P O STSCHOOL-BASED PREPARATORY EXPERIENCESSCHOOL-BASED PREPARATORY EXPERIENCES


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5

IN ORDER TO IN ORDER TO

IDENTIFY ANDIDENTIFY AND

ATTAIN CAREERATTAIN CAREER

GOALS, YOUTHGOALS, YOUTH

NEED TO BENEED TO BE

EXPOSED TO EXPOSED TO

A RANGE OF A RANGE OF

EXPERIENCES.EXPERIENCES.

G U I D E P O STCAREER PREPARATION AND WORK-BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCESCAREER PREPARATION AND WORK-BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCES

areer preparation and work-basedlearning experiences are essential in

order for youth to form and developaspirations and to make informed choicesabout careers. These experiences can beprovided during the school day or throughafter-school programs, and will requirecollaborations with other organizations. All youth need information on careeroptions, including the following:

• career assessments to help identifystudents’ school and post-schoolpreferences and interests;

• structured exposure to postsecondaryeducation and other life-long learningopportunities;

• exposure to career opportunities thatultimately lead to a living wage, includinginformation about educationalrequirements, entry requirements, incomeand benefits potential, and assetaccumulation; and,

• training designed to improve job-seekingskills and work-place basic skills(sometimes called “soft skills”).

In order to identify and attain career goals,In order to identify and attain career goals,youth need to be exposed to a range ofyouth need to be exposed to a range ofexperiences, including the following: experiences, including the following:

• opportunities to engage in a range ofwork-based exploration activities such assite visits and job shadowing;

• multiple on-the-job training experiences(paid or unpaid), including communityservice, that are specifically linked to thecontent of a program of study and schoolcredit;

• opportunities to learn and practice theirwork skills (so-called “soft skills”); and,

• opportunities to learn first-hand aboutspecific occupational skills related to acareer pathway.

In addition, youth with disabilities need todo one or more of the following:

• understand the relationships betweenbenefits planning and career choices;

• learn to communicate their disability-related work support and accommodationneeds; and,

• learn to find, formally request, and secureappropriate supports and reasonableaccommodations in education, training,and employment settings.


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• exposure to personal leadership and youthdevelopment activities, includingcommunity service; and,

• opportunities that allow youth to exerciseleadership and build self-esteem.

Youth with disabilities also need thefollowing:

• mentors and role models, including personswith and without disabilities; and,

• an understanding of disability history,culture, and disability public policy issuesas well as their rights and responsibilities.

G U I D E P O ST

…ALL YOUTH …ALL YOUTH

NEED NEED

OPPORTUNITIESOPPORTUNITIES

THAT ALLOW THAT ALLOW

THEM TO THEM TO

EXERCISE EXERCISE

LEADERSHIP LEADERSHIP

AND BUILD AND BUILD

SELF-ESTEEM.SELF-ESTEEM.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND LEADERSHIP

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Youth Development is a process thatprepares young people to meet the

challenges of adolescence and adulthoodthrough a coordinated, progressive series ofactivities and experiences which help themgain skills and competencies. Youthleadership is part of that process. In order to control and direct their own lives basedon informed decisions, all youth need thefollowing:

• mentoring activities designed to establishstrong relationships with adults throughformal and informal settings;

• peer-to-peer mentoring opportunities;• peer-to-peer mentoring opportunities;

• exposure to role models in a variety ofcontexts;

• training in skills such as self-advocacy andconflict resolution;


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oung people need to be connected toprograms, services, activities, and

supports that help them gain access tochosen post-school options. All youth mayneed one or more of the following:

• mental and physical health services;

• transportation;

• housing;

• tutoring;

• financial planning and management;

• post-program supports through structuredarrangements in postsecondary institutionsand adult service agencies; and,

• connection to other services andopportunities (e.g. recreation).

Youth with disabilities may need one ormore of the following:

• acquisition of appropriate assistivetechnologies;

• community orientation and mobility/traveltraining (e.g. accessible transportation, busroutes, housing, health clinics);

• exposure to post-program supports such asindependent living centers and otherconsumer-driven community-basedsupport service agencies;

• personal assistance services, includingattendants, readers, interpreters, or othersuch services; and,

• benefits-planning counseling, includinginformation regarding the myriad ofbenefits available and theirinterrelationships so that youth maymaximize those benefits in transitioningfrom public assistance to self-sufficiency.

G U I D E P O STCONNECTING ACTIVITIES

YOUNG PEOPLE

NEED TO BE

CONNECTED TOCONNECTED TO

PROGRAMS,PROGRAMS,

SERVICES, SERVICES,

ACTIVITIES, ANDACTIVITIES, AND

SUPPORTS THATSUPPORTS THAT

HELP THEM HELP THEM

GAIN ACCESS GAIN ACCESS

TO CHOSEN TO CHOSEN

POST-SCHOOL

OPTIONS.


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articipation and involvement of parents,family members, and/or other caring

adults promotes the social, emotional,physical, academic, and occupational growthof youth, leading to better post-schooloutcomes. All youth need parents, families,and other caring adults who do thefollowing:

• have high expectations that build upon theyoung person’s strengths, interests, andneeds and that foster each youth’s abilityto achieve independence and self-sufficiency;

• remain involved in their lives and assist• remain involved in their lives and assistthem toward adulthood;

• have access to information aboutemployment, further education, andcommunity resources;

• take an active role in transition planningwith schools and community partners; and,

• have access to medical, professional, andpeer support networks.

In addition, youth with disabilities needparents, families, and other caring adultswho have the following:

• an understanding of the youth’s disabilityand how it may affect his or hereducation, employment, and daily livingoptions;

• knowledge of rights and responsibilitiesunder various disability-related legislation;

• knowledge of and access to programs,services, supports, and accommodationsavailable for young people withdisabilities; and,

• an understanding of how individualizedplanning tools can assist youth inachieving transition goals and objectives.

G U I D E P O STFAMILY INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPORTS

ALL YOUTH ALL YOUTH

NEED THE NEED THE

SUPPORT OF SUPPORT OF

PARENTS, FAMILYPARENTS, FAMILY

MEMBERS, MEMBERS,

AND OTHER AND OTHER

CARING CARING

ADULTS.ADULTS.

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OLL ABOR AT IVE PARTNERS

Center for Workforce Development, the Institute for Educational Leadership

National Youth Employment Coalition

Center on Education and Work, the University of Wisconsin, Madison

National Center on Secondary Education & Transition, the University of Minnesota

The PACER Center

NCWD/YOUTHYOUTH1-877-871-0744 (toll free)

1-877-871-0665 (TTY toll free)

http://www.ncwd-youth.info

[email protected]


NCWD/YOUTH1-877-871-0744 (toll free)1-877-871-0744 (toll free)

1-877-871-0665 (TTY toll free)1-877-871-0665 (TTY toll free)www.ncwd-youth.info www.ncwd-youth.info [email protected] [email protected]


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SECOND EDITION NATIONAL COLLABORATIVEON WORKFORCE …