Through secondary analyses of quantitative data obtained from the Think College National Coordinating Center database from the first cohort (2010-2015) of model demonstration sites in Florida, this study examined components of the postsecondary education programs for students with intellectual disabilities that are correlated with employment upon program exit.
Students with intellectual disability (ID) now have opportunities to attend college. In 2014, students with ID accessed college through 221 Postsecondary education (PSE) programs in the United States (Think College, 2014). Students join PSE programs to acquire personal,social, and vocational skills to increase the likelihood of an independent and employed future. This study gave six students with ID, who were accessing college through a PSE program in the 2012-2013 academic year, the opportunity to assess their social experiences in the college community.
Observations, individual interviews, focus groups, and document reviews were used to address the following: (a) What criteria (i.e., rationale for development, allocation of resources, staffing decisions, admission into program, factors that facilitate or act as barriers to program development and sustainability) are employed in the development and implementation of a public school-sponsored program for students ages 18 to 21 with SD within a community college campus?; (b) What program components described in the literature as best practices for secondary students with significant disabilit
