Wagner M M, Blackorby J
SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, USA.
Future Child. 1996 Spring;6(1):103-20.
Results are reported from the National Longitudinal Transition Study of Special Education Students. Dropout rates were high: 30% of students with disabilities dropped out of high school, and another 8% dropped out before entering high school. The average dropout with disabilities was 18 years old at the time of leaving but had earned less than half the credits needed to graduate. Employment successes were strongly related to taking a concentration (four courses) in vocational education. Youths with learning disabilities or speech impairments were most likely to approach the rate of employment found in the general population. Postsecondary education was low: 37% of high school graduates with disabilities had attended a postsecondary school, compared with 78% of high school graduates generally. Students with hearing or visual impairments were most likely to attend college. Students with disabilities were significantly more likely to be poor than were youths in the general population, and poverty tended to exacerbate the impact of having a disability. Impoverished students with disabilities were less likely than wealthier students with disabilities to be enrolled in those postsecondary education and training programs that could enable them to break out of poverty. When employed, the poorer students with disabilities earned significantly less per year than did those from wealthier families. Placement in regular education (rather than special education) was associated both with better and worse postschool outcomes. Students with sensory or motor disabilities appeared to benefit from regular education placement. However, for many students, more time in regular education was associated with a higher likelihood of course failure, which was a strong predictor of dropping out of school.
研究结果来自全国特殊教育学生纵向过渡研究。辍学率很高：30%的残疾学生高中辍学，另有8%在进入高中前辍学。残疾学生的平均辍学年龄为18岁，但所获学分不到毕业所需学分的一半。就业成功与修读职业教育集中课程（四门课程）密切相关。有学习障碍或言语障碍的青少年最有可能接近普通人群的就业比例。高等教育入学率较低：37%的残疾高中毕业生上过高等院校，而普通高中毕业生的这一比例为78%。有听力或视力障碍的学生上大学的可能性最大。残疾学生比普通青少年贫困的可能性显著更高，而且贫困往往会加剧残疾带来的影响。贫困残疾学生比富裕残疾学生更不可能参加那些能使他们摆脱贫困的高等教育和培训项目。就业时，贫困残疾学生每年的收入明显低于富裕家庭的残疾学生。安置在普通教育（而非特殊教育）环境中与毕业后的不同结果相关，既有较好的结果，也有较差的结果。有感官或运动残疾的学生似乎从普通教育安置中受益。然而，对许多学生来说，在普通教育环境中学习时间越长，课程不及格的可能性就越高，而课程不及格是辍学的一个重要预测因素。
