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…

This fact sheet provides a national picture of the secondary school experiences of students with autism who received special education services under the auspices of school districts, by addressing the following questions: What is the pattern of course taking of secondary-school-age students with autism and in what settings are courses taken? What…

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…

The National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is conducting a 5-year evaluation of states' monitoring and improvement practices under the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" ("IDEA"). The ultimate goal of this evaluation is to provide information to the…

This report was released by the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) on January 23, 2008. Orientation refers to one's ability to determine his/her location and relationship with other objects in the environment. Mobility refers to one's ability to move about in the environment. Orientation and mobility training may be provided to…

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…

The Pre-Elementary Education Longitudinal Study, commonly referred to as the PEELS study, is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER). It will follow a nationally representative sample of children with disabilities ages 3-5 for a period of six years. This study is designed to describe the…

This is the second in a series of NLTS2 fact sheets focusing on the experiences and outcomes of youth in a specific disability category. Students with learning disabilities comprise almost two-thirds of those receiving special education services in secondary schools. The majority of these students spend at least part of their day in a general…

In December 2004, Congress reauthorized the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and in doing so, established the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) in the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). On July 1, 2005, NCSER began its operation and held its first set of research grant competitions, which included the…

Data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) are designed to provide a national picture of the rate at which secondary school students with disabilities complete high school and how they fare in their early postschool years. Further, comparisons of findings from NLTS2 and the original NLTS enables an investigation of changes in…

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) of the U.S. Department of Education is working to provide the information needed to improve the transition and postschool outcomes of secondary school students with disabilities, in part through the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2). The findings of this 10-year study generalize to…