Reentry Programs for Out of School Youth with Disabilities
Re-engaging Out of School Youth with Disabilities
Overview:
In September 2011, the Nebraska Department of Education, Office of Special Education participated in a Continuous Improvement Visit with the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The Visit incorporated a “Results” discussion which provided NDE the opportunity to meet with stakeholders to study beyond the issue of compliance and focus on improved results for students with disabilities. NDE selected the topic of re-entry.
With the support of the National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD), Nebraska is conducting research and dedicating resources to promote re-entry programs or efforts to re-engage out of school youth with disabilities. Guidance from the NDPC-SD provides that high school students with disabilities who drop out of school are costly to society. Compared to those who graduate, they are more likely to be unemployed, dependent on public services, and involved in the criminal justice system. Therefore, the work to support youth with disabilities who have dropped out of school to re-engage and finish a high school credential is critical for the student, school and community.
Please find below resources and updates on Nebraska’s efforts to improve outcomes by re-engaging out of school youth disabilities. Check back often for more information!
Dropout Recovery:
Dropout recovery is a strategy to pursue the best possible outcome for students who have already dropped out of school. This might include re-enrolling a student to earn a diploma, completion of the GED, or other methods of delivering instruction on employment and life skills for someone who has dropped out of school. This brief provides information and examples related to these recovery strategies.
Dropout Recovery Brief
Resources from the National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities
Reentry Programs for Out of School Youth with Disabilities
High school students with disabilities who drop out are costly to society. Consequently, helping students with disabilities graduate has become a prominent national concern. Students with disabilities drop out at higher rates than their nondisabled peers and experience more obstacles to reentry. Education providers throughout the country have responded to this situation by offering reentry programs to which students with disabilities can return to complete their high school education. These programs are specifically designed to address students’ barriers to school completion and prepare them for college and career readiness. Hence, the NDPC-SD has created the following three reports to help you better understand the issue and to assist you in planning new reentry programs or redesigning existing programs.
Nebraska’s Results Stakeholder Committee and Meeting Agendas (September 2011)
The links below provide a listing of the stakeholder committee members and the agendas for the Results meeting.
Stakeholder Committee Membership
Stakeholder Meeting Agendas