Shepard, John

Research with middle school students has indicated that they are ready to talk about college and careers. However, these students need and desire direct instruction to understand how to prepare for these goals. Future Quest Island (FQI), an online accessible tool and curriculum, was designed to jump-start middle school students’ thinking about college and careers and facilitate teacher engagement in college and career conversations for students in grades 6–8.

This Fast Fact #18 describes the employment outcomes, including rehabilitation rate and wages, of youth with intellectual disability served by VR who participated in postsecondary education as part of their Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE), compared to youth with intellectual disability who did not participate in postsecondary education.

The National Coordinating Center (NCC) provides support, coordination, training, and evaluation for Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) model demonstration project grantees. These TPSID grantees were tasked with creating, expanding, or enhancing high-quality, inclusive postsecondary education programs to support positive outcomes for individuals with intellectual disabilities (e.g., educational attainment, employment, and community inclusion).