Reading difficulties and disabilities present serious and potentially lifelong challenges. Children who do not read well are more likely to be retained a grade in school, drop out of high school, become a teen parent, or enter the juvenile justice system. Building on the extant research and seminal studies, including the National Reading Panel and…

Since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has periodically surveyed the status of curricula being implemented in America's high schools and the course-taking patterns of high school students, as identified from their transcripts. Data from the High School Transcript Study (HSTS), conducted in…

The Pre-Elementary Education Longitudinal Study (PEELS), which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, is examining the characteristics of children receiving preschool special education, the services they receive, their transitions across educational levels, and their performance over time on assessments of academic and adaptive skills.…

The National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) provides a unique source of information to help in developing an understanding of the experiences of secondary school students with disabilities nationally as they go through their early adult years. NLTS2 addresses questions about youth with disabilities in transition by providing information…

The National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) funded by the National Center for Special Education Research at the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, provides a unique source of information to help in developing an understanding of the experiences of secondary school students with disabilities nationally as they…

This study is examining student eligibility for and participation in alternate assessments, the technical quality of the alternate assessment instruments and implementation procedures, the alignment of assessments with content and achievement standards, and the use and effectiveness of alternate assessments in measuring student outcomes. The…

The National Study on Alternate Assessments (NSAA) was mandated by the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA). Specifically, the law called for a "Study on Ensuring Accountability for Students Who Are Held to Alternative Achievement Standards" to examine: (1) the criteria that states use to determine eligibility for…

The report uses data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) to answer questions about the use of alcohol, cigarettes and illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and LSD among young adults with disabilities. The report compares substance use among this population with substance use in the general population, and compares…

PEELS involves a nationally representative sample of children, 3 to 5 years of age when they entered the study, with diverse disabilities who are receiving preschool special education services in a variety of settings. Topics covered in the report include declassification (children leaving special education), reclassification (movement from one…

The National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) was initiated to provide a national picture of the characteristics and experiences of youth with disabilities, including their self-representations, their schooling, their personal relationships, and their hopes for the future. This report presents findings drawn from the first time (2003) data…

The success that youth with disabilities achieve in school can be influenced by access to a range of services that support their education goals. As part of its mandate, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA '97) requires the provision of related services and supports to students with disabilities who are deemed…

This report is an executive summary of two previously-released reports presenting findings from Wave 2: The Academic Achievement and Functional Performance of Youth with Disabilities and After High School: A First Look at the Postschool Experiences of Youth with Disabilities. Some key findings presented in the Overview include the following: (1) A…