What's New Archive

February 2009

US Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy Releases Fact Sheet on Disability History and the Accomplishments of Young Disability Leaders

Disability history is an essential part of America’s heritage and has been largely ignored in school curricula. This is particularly paradoxical since anyone, regardless of age, race, or heritage, may become a part of the population of people with disabilities at any time. But the tide is beginning to turn—due mainly to the grassroots efforts of young disability leaders.

Read Disability History: An Important Part of America’s Heritage

First Official Disability Employment Statistics Released

The U.S. Department of Labor has released the first official data on the employment status of persons with disabilities. In January 2009, the percent of people with disabilities in the labor force was 20.0. The unemployment rate for those with disabilities was 13.2 percent.

Read New monthly data series on the employment status of people with a disability

Read Press Release

Read Commonly Used Terms in BLS Employment Statistics

January 2009

ODEP Gathers Leaders to Discuss Integrated Employment for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
“Employment First” Creating Opportunities to Move to Integrated Employment

In October 2008, ODEP brought together leaders from various employment sectors to discuss integrated employment for people with intellectual disabilities. Participants at the Roundtable spent two days developing a road map that, when implemented, would create opportunity for people with intellectual and other significant disabilities to have the choice to work in integrated community jobs at minimum wage or above. The foundation of the strategies that emerged from the discussion and subsequent conversations is commonly known as “Employment First,” under which employment is considered the first service provided to individuals with intellectual disabilities and the goal for all.

Read Executive Summary of the Roundtable.

National Disability Rights Network Releases Shocking Report on Seclusion & Restraint in U.S. Schools
School is Not Supposed to Hurt: Investigative Report on Abusive Restraint and Seclusion in Schools

The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) has unveiled a disturbing national report on seclusion and restraint in U.S. schools. The report shows an unsettling use of seclusion and restraint tactics, which resulted in physical and emotional injuries as well as deaths, in schools affecting students from grades K-12.The report documents cases that range from students being locked in rooms or even boxes for hours to students who were encouraged to release their aggression by wrestling in “WWF Rooms.”

Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) Releases Updated Business Case and Employer Survey

ODEP’s revised Business Case for Hiring People with Disabilities, including returning disabled veterans, features video clips, research and anecdotal information from businesses and industry leaders on how hiring people with disabilities improves an organizations bottom line across six themes: Return on Investment, Human Capital, Innovation, Marketing, Diversity, and Social Responsibility.  The objective of the nationally representative survey is to inform the development and promotion of policy and practice by comparing employer perspectives across various industries and within companies of varying sizes. ODEP will use the data from this survey to formulate targeted strategies and policies for increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. This survey emphasizes current attitudes and practices of employers in 12 industry sectors, including some high growth industries as projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Survey Report - January 2009

Additionally, at the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth you can find the Guideposts for Employer Success which is organized with the explicit purpose of helping workforce development policy makers meet the needs of employers. There are two categories within the framework. The first focuses on what system designers (state and local) need to do. The second looks at what individual programs which include a wide array of education and training institutions such as community rehabilitation centers, secondary and post secondary institutions, apprenticeship programs, and One-Stop Centers need to do. 

December 2008

NCWD/Youth Releases Guide on the Needs of Youth involved, or at risk of being involved in the Juvenile Corrections System
Making the Right Turn: A Guide About Improving Transition Outcomes for Youth Involved in the Juvenile Corrections System
Youth with emotional disturbances comprise over 47.4 percent of students with disabilities in secure care, while within public schools they account for only about eight percent of students with disabilities. Students with Learning Disabilities are also overrepresented in the juvenile justice system and account for 38.6 percent of students with disabilities in these settings. This Guide provides professionals with well-researched and documented facts, offers evidence-based research, highlights promising practices, and provides the Guideposts for Success for Youth Involved in the Juvenile Corrections System, in addition to pointing out areas requiring further attention by policymakers and identifying promising practices.

This Guide adds to the overall work that can be found on NCWD/Youth’s website which includes the National Association of State Directors of Special Education’s publication Tools for Promoting Educational Success and Reducing Delinquency and the National Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk toolkit Meeting the Educational Needs of Youth Exposed to the Juvenile Justice System.

National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) releases toolkit on meeting the needs of students with disabilities in juvenile justice settings
Tools for Promoting Educational Success and Reducing Delinquency
Following the NASDSE’s 67th annual conference and a National Disability Rights Network conference a Juvenile Justice Shared Initiative grew and developed this toolkit. The toolkit focuses on the needs of students with disabilities in JJ settings with topics including: pre-school, universal interventions, transition from school to post-school activities, promoting educational success of foster children, and much more.

The Skills Imperative: How Career and Technical Education Can Solve the U.S. Talent Shortage
Because of the growing need of increased skill levels requiring more math, science, communications, and problem-solving skills, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for a Competitive Workforce has published a white paper on career and technical education (CTE). This report outlines the economic context of CTE, the opportunities for the business community to get engaged, case studies and examples where CTE is part of a skill-attainment solution, next steps and recommendations, and further resources for CTE information. A new education and training system with more integration of CTE and core academic courses will be necessary to adequately prepare students for the challenges of their postsecondary training programs.

November 2008

National Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk (NDTAC) Releases Second Edition Transition Toolkit for Service Providers on Youth in the Juvenile Justice System
Meeting the Educational Needs of Youth Exposed to the Juvenile Justice System
This second edition of NDTAC’s Transition Toolkit brings together strategies, existing practices, and updated resources and documents on transition to enable administrators and service providers to deliver high-quality transition services for children and youth moving into, through, and out of education programs within the juvenile justice system. 

IEL Launches Longitudinal Study of Individualized Learning Plans as a Bridge to Graduation & Career Development
The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) announces the launch of a longitudinal research and demonstration project to understand the effectiveness of individualized learning plans as a high school reform strategy. Read the announcement as a PDF or Word document.

NGA: Tracking Progress of Common Formula for Calculating High School Graduation Rates
A recent report from the National Governor’s Association tracks the progress states are making toward adopting the common formula for calculating the high school graduation rate that they all committed to in 2005. The report finds that sixteen states currently use the common formula and 38 states will be using it by 2010.

Implementing Graduation Counts: State Progress to Date, 2008

Social Security Announces 2009 Cost of Living Adjustment
The Social Security Administration has announced a 5.8% Cost of Living Adjustment increase for 2009 for Social Security and Supplemental Security (SSI) beneficiaries. This adjustment is based off of the Consumer Price Index from the third quarter of 2007 through the third quarter of 2008.

• The average SSDI payment will increase from $1,006 to $1,064 a month;
• The SSI Federal Benefit Rate will increase from $637 to $674 a month;
• The Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) threshold will increase from $940 to $980 a month for individuals who are not blind, and from $1,570 to $1,640 a month for individuals who are blind; and
• The Trial Work Period threshold will increase from $670 to $700 a month.

For more information, and other important 2009 Social Security information, visit the Social Security Administration website.

September 2008

NCWD/Youth is pleased to announce the release of a report from a national Youth Development and Leadership Summit:
Blazing the Trail: A New Direction for Youth Development and Youth Leadership.

The summit provided a unique experience for a national dialogue on actions that need to be taken to improve policy and practice in the youth development and leadership field, and to ensure that youth with disabilities (including those with mental health needs), are included in opportunities available to all youth. The report details the dialogue that took place among youth with and without disabilities, state and federal policy makers, and community, state, and federal organization leaders including the important priority action steps identified by the participants.

These five steps are:

1. Helping youth achieve youth development and leadership outcomes
2. Promoting youth guided/youth directed policy
3. Inclusion of youth with disabilities
4. Partnership development
5. Professional development. 

The report also identifies the challenges that surfaced during discussion and the next steps to be taken by all stakeholders in the field of youth development and youth leadership.

GAO released a report titled:
Young Adults with Serious Mental Illness
The transition to adulthood can be difficult for young adults who live with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. When these individuals are unsuccessful, the result can be economic hardship, social isolation, and in some cases suicide, all of which can pose substantial costs to society. Due to concerns about young adults with serious mental illness transitioning into adulthood, GAO was asked to provide information on (1) the number of these young adults and their demographic characteristics, (2) the challenges they face, (3) how selected states assist them, and (4) how the federal government supports states in serving these young adults and coordinates programs that can assist them. GAO reviewed published research; interviewed federal, state, and local officials, as well as mental health providers, experts, and advocacy groups; and conducted site visits in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Mississippi --four states that focus on this population.

This report adds to the overall work that NCWD/Youth has completed around youth with mental health needs which are available on our website: Tunnels and Cliffs: A Guide for Workforce Development Practitioners and Policymakers Serving Youth with Mental Health Needs; Guideposts for Success for Youth with Mental Health Needs; and Transitioning Youth with Mental Health Needs to Meaningful Employment and Independent Living; as well as Pioneering Transition Programs: The Establishment of Programs that Span the Ages Served by Child and Adult Mental Health which was produced by the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Universal Design for Learning
Within the past month, two important resources on Universal Design for Learning have been released.  The Tool Kit on Universal Design for Learning is derived from a U.S. Department of Education initiative to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.  The ToolKitrings together current information on UDL, including the UDL framework, principles of UDL, and UDL teaching and assessment methods.  UDL Guidelines 1.0 is provided by CAST and assists curriculum developers in designing curriculum that meets the needs of all learners.  UDL doesn’t have to stop at the classroom door though.  These publications can also be utilized by workforce development professionals and community groups as tools for education and training programs.

• Read the Tool Kit on Universal Design for Learning.
• Read the UDL Guidelines 1.0.

August 2008

The Institute for Educational Leadership has released an evaluation on foster youth in transition in collaboration with Casey Family Programs.
Foster Youth Demonstration Project: Final Evaluation Report
According to a 2008 Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, over 26,000 youth age out of the foster care system each year. Research shows that youth who leave foster care are more likely to drop out of high school, to be unemployed, and to be dependent on public assistance when compared to other youth.. The Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor funded a five-state demonstration project in the states with the highest concentration of youth in foster care (California, Illinois Michigan, New York, and Texas). Casey Family Programs funded the Institute for Educational Leadership, and a series of experts in the field to evaluate a series of demonstration projects around foster care transition. One of the most significant findings to emerge from the data is that youth who receive services for more quarters are much more likely to attain a positive outcome than youth who receive the same service for fewer quarters. Additionally, as the number of quarters participants received college preparation services increased, so did the number achieving a postsecondary outcome.

This evaluation adds to the overall work that NCWD/Youth has completed around youth in foster care which includes Negotiating the Curves Toward Employment: A Guide About Youth Involved in the Foster Care System.

America's Heroes at Work
America's Heroes at Work is a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) project that focuses on the employment challenges of returning service members living with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).Designed for employers and the workforce development system, this Web site is your link to information and tools to help returning service members affected by TBI and/or PTSD succeed in the workplace - particularly service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Learn more about America's Hereos at Work.

June 2008

Preparing All Youth for Academic and Career Readiness: Implications for High School Policy and Practice
This paper identifies the challenges in practice and policy for successful post-school outcomes and it offers recommendations on how states, local school districts and individual high schools can prepare all youth, including youth with disabilities, with the academic and career readiness skills. Based on two symposia and a year-long research effort, this paper identifies five broad policy and practice areas: (1) Instruction, Curriculum and Structure; (2) Assessment Practices; (3) Graduation Requirements; (4) Community and Family Connections; and (5) Data Quality Challenges. The paper suggests that by addressing these areas, a range of high school policy makers at the national, state, and local levels can improve their approaches for meeting the multiple and complex challenges of all their students.

May 2008

Pioneering Transition Programs; The Establishment of Programs that Span the Ages Served by Child and Adult Mental Health
The University of Massachusetts Medical School produced this report for the American Institutes for Research with the purpose of identifying and describing the establishment of pioneering transition programs for individuals with serious mental health conditions.  This report refers to programs that serve youth continuously across the transition age, without disruption due to age changes, and offers general guidelines suggested that other programs can learn from.  Also read NCWD/Youth’s Mental Health Case Study Report, Transitioning Youth with Mental Health Needs to Meaningful Employment and Independent Living.

Mental Health Case Study Report: Transitioning Youth with Mental Health Needs to Meaningful Employment and Independent Living
NCWD/Youth, with funding from the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) of the U.S. Department of Labor, carried out a study on successful strategies to help youth with mental health needs transition to postsecondary education, employment, and independent lives. With a focus primarily on the role of skills development, work, and career exploration, case studies were conducted of five promising program sites, and program design features and system-level policies that appear to help youth and young adults with mental health conditions better transition into adulthood and life-long success were identified.

Youth And Disability Disclosure: The Role Of Families And Advocates
InfoBrief Issue 21 highlights NCWD/Youth’s The 411 on Disability Disclosure and explores the role families and advocates play in helping youth understand the importance of appropriate disability disclosure.

Vocational Assessment And Its Role In Career Planning
InfoBrief Issue 20 discusses career planning and vocational assessment for transition-age youth.  It focuses on the vocational domain and how assessment activities support career related activities.

Tunnels And Cliffs: A Guide For Workforce Development Practitioners And Policymakers Serving Youth With Mental Health Needs
This brief document summarizes the challenges faced by youth with mental health needs when they enter inappropriate service tunnels dictated by their point of entry and when they encounter transition cliffs as they age out of youth systems and attempt to access adult services. It offers examples of emerging promising practices related to career preparation and employment for youth and offers an action plan to make the coordination of services a cross-systems priority.

Navigating Tunnels And Cliffs: Empowering Families And Caregivers To Assist Youth With Mental Health Needs In Preparing For Work
Another brief document that summarizes the challenges facing families and caregivers of youth with mental health needs and the resources available to them in helping a young person prepare for a career and community life. It offers and action plan for parents and caretakers on how to make coordination and collaboration of mental health services and career preparation a priority.

April 2008

Road To Self-Sufficiency: A Guide To Entrepreneurship For Youth With Disabilities
This Guide promotes the benefits of entrepreneurship education and self-employment for all youth, including youth with disabilities. It provides tools for those providing services to youth with disabilities to use entrepreneurship as a means to attaining independence and self-sufficiency. It also provides guidance to those who have been providing entrepreneurship programming on how to effectively include youth with disabilities in their programs. A must read for organizations and practitioners working with all youth, policy-makers, and parents.

March 2008

Youth with Disabilities in the Foster Care System: Barriers to Success and Proposed Policy Solutions
Youth with disabilities who also are in the foster care system are one of the most vulnerable populations in the nation; yet, little attention is focused on the unique challenges they face as they negotiate the curves through multiple systems into adulthood. Last year, NCWD/Youth published a guide, Negotiating the Curves Toward Employment, addressing these issues. Now, the National Council on Disability, with assistance from the American Youth Policy Forum, has issues a companion publication, Youth with Disabilities in the Foster Care System: Barriers to Success and Proposed Policy Solutions.

Universal Design for the Workforce Development System
As public and private workforce development systems strive to meet the diverse needs of their business and career seeking customers, including individuals experiencing barriers to employment, personnel working within these systems need a clear understanding of how to design programs, services, and activities that provide genuine, effective, and meaningful opportunities for all. Universal design for the workforce development system is the design of environments, products, and communication practices as well as the delivery of programs, services, and activities to meet the needs of all customers of the workforce development system. This resource has been developed to assist workforce development policymakers and program operators in assessing their ability to meet the needs of their customers.

President Establishes Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs
On February 7, President Bush signed an Executive Order establishing the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs, a coalition of Federal agencies that will help support communities and organizations working on behalf of our nation's youth.  The order builds on the success of Helping America's Youth, a three-year interagency initiative.  Access the Executive Order.  For additional information about the Helping America's Youth Initiative, visit its website.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Publishes Chafee National Youth in Transition Database: Final Rule
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within HHS has published a final rule (PDF) which adds new regulation to require States to collect and report data to ACF on youth who are receiving independent living services and on the outcomes of certain youth who are in foster care or who age out of foster care.  The final rule implements the data collection requirements of the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-169) as incorporated into the Social Security Act.  The effective Date is April 28, 2008.  A State must implement and comply with this rule no later than October 1, 2010.

February 2008

The No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: A Progress Report
The National Council on Disability (NCD) recently released a report analyzing the progress of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that says students with disabilities are no longer ignored. To that end, NCLB and IDEA have had a significant, positive impact. (Published on January 28, 2008.)

New High School/High Tech Program Guide
The HS/HT Program Guide is an updated and much expanded version of the HS/HT Program Manual that was produced in 2003.  As HS/HT has spread to numerous states, the experiences of these programs and the resultant evolution of the HS/HT program from a locally-administered and implemented program to a state-administered and locally-implemented program have produced a wealth of additional information about the HS/HT program model.  As a result, the newly released HS/HT Program Guide is full of information and materials used by the HS/HT programs throughout the country.

January 2008

College Navigator named by Money Magazine one of "The 28 Best Money Websites"
College Navigator, the U.S. Department of Education's web site for information about colleges and universities, has been named by Money magazine as "the best first screen" for researching higher education institutions.  Navigator was cited in the publication's December 4, 2007, issue, which rated the Top 28 web sites in seven categories -- one of which was college search tools.  Money notes that the web site, unlike many other college search tools, is not tied to any marketing department seeking students' personal information.  It also credits the web site for being "one of the simplest" to use, for having "a good comparison tool," and for providing "a full set of the latest data on expenses, aid, enrollment, admission and graduation rates, majors, and more, along with a Google map pinpointing location."  Launched in September, Navigator is one of several agency resources developed to supply the public with clear and reliable information on the college selection process and federal financial aid.  They are part of Secretary Spellings' plan to make the American higher education system more accessible, affordable, and accountable.

Access by Students with Disabilities to Accelerated Programs
The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights recently issued a policy letter addressing students with disabilities’ access to Accelerated Programs. Due to reports of schools and districts where qualified students with disabilities have been prevented from participating in these programs, or in some cases were required to give up services and accommodations in order to participate, the Office for Civil Rights reaffirmed their responsibility and commitment to uphold Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance)  and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act  of 1990 (which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by entities of State and local government.) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Section 504 and Title II require that qualified students with disabilities be given the same opportunities to compete for and benefit from accelerated programs and classes as are given to students without disabilities.