Outcomes of Approved Special Education Programs in the Private Sector: Results of a Statewide Survey. Plans for Exiting Students:

Transcription

1 Outcomes of Approved Special Education Programs in the Private Sector: Results of a Statewide Survey Plans for Exiting Students: Report Number 14 of the ASAH Outcomes Project May, 2014 ASAH Lexington Square, 2125 Route 33 Hamilton Square, NJ Phone: 9609) Fax: (609) info@asah.org Web Site:

2 Page 2 ASAH Officers Dr. Dorothy K. Van Horn President Brookfield Schools Dr. Steven Morse First Vice President Garfield Park Academy Dr. William Weiss Secretary Passaic County Elks Cerebral Palsy Vincent A. Renda Second Vice President Hawkswood School Thomas Celli Treasurer Chapel Hill Academy Outcomes Committee Susan Hackett Chair Willowglen Academy Sparta, NJ Michael Carpino SEARCH Day Program Ocean, NJ Diane S. Somers Chapel Hill Academy Lincoln Park, NJ Lindi Sarason SEARCH Day Program Ocean, NJ Barbara Strickarz Lord Stirling School Basking Ridge, NJ Gerard Thiers Executive Director ASAH Hamilton Square, NJ

3 Page 3 Executive Summary ASAH-member programs provide intensive special education and therapeutic services to students with the most severe disabilities and complex learning needs who, due to their highly specialized needs, cannot access appropriate programs within their local public school districts. For almost 15 years, ASAH, an association of approved private special education centers in New Jersey, has taken steps to examine the outcomes for the students with disabilities who attend programs offered by its members in order to address a gap in the knowledge base of special education. Students with severe disabilities have often been excluded from national studies about special education outcomes. The exit studies that ASAH has sponsored have consistently focused on the plans made by students when they were discharged from a member s facility due to transfer or graduation. Below are the highlights of the findings for students who exited an ASAHaffiliated program during the academic year. Transfer Students The highly intensive special education and therapeutic programs offered by ASAHmember schools were found to provide sufficient instruction, support, and guidance to enable students with severe disabilities to strengthen and/or remediate skills. Many were able were able to enter or re-enter educational programs within their local public school districts: 91% of the students who transferred out of an ASAH-member program to another education program were enrolled in the ASAH-member program for 5 years or less. 35% of students who transferred from an ASAH-member program made plans to enroll in an educational program within their local public school district. 12% of the transfer students had plans to enter general education settings, including inclusive classrooms. 23% of the transfer students planned to enter other settings within the local district, including self-contained classrooms and alternate school programs. Graduates The highly intensive special education and therapeutic programs offered by ASAHmember schools were found to provide sufficient instruction, support, and guidance in the transition from school to adulthood to enable the graduating students with serious

4 Page 4 disabilities to make plans to participate, in accordance with their individual capabilities and capacities, as active adults in their communities: 94% of the graduates left an ASAH-member program with plans to enter productive and engaged adult roles. 55% of the graduates planned to enter a mainstream activity. Plans included 30% of these students enrolling in 4-year college or 2-year college; 6% entering trade or technical training; and 19% becoming part of the competitive employment workforce, including serving in the military. 19% had plans to enter vocational rehabilitation, including vocational rehabilitation training, supported employment or sheltered employment. 20% made plans to enter an appropriate adult program in the community, including adult partial care or nonvocational day programs. Graduates from Emotional/ Behavioral Disorders programs (77%), Learning Disorders programs (74%), and Medical Disorders programs (49%) were the most likely to make plans to enroll in postsecondary education, obtain a competitive job, or enlist in the military. Graduates from Developmental Disorders programs (31%) were the most likely to plan to participate in vocational rehabilitation (37%) as well as community-based programs (45%). 77% of graduates from Emotional/Behavioral Disorders programs, a student population associated with poor outcomes, had plans to enroll in a 4-year college/2-year college (41%), trade/technical school (14%), or to enter the job market or the military (22%).

5 Page 5 Introduction For nearly 15 years, ASAH (formerly the Association of Schools and Agencies for the Handicapped), a not-for-profit association of 93 approved special education facilities serving individuals with special needs and their families, has sponsored a study to highlight the discharge plans of the preschool, elementary, middle, and high school students with severe disabilities, including the graduating students, who are enrolled in their members programs. This effort has been undertaken because other studies of students with disabilities, most notably the National Longitudinal Transition Studies (1993, 2004, 2010), have paid little attention to the outcomes for students with the most severe disabilities who often cannot access within their local school districts specialized education programs to meet their complex educational needs. For 5 years, beginning with the academic year and continuing through , ASAH members participated in a series of exit studies to document the discharge plans of transfer and graduating students. The exit studies were then reinitiated in as a 5-year tracking study. Report #12, therefore, in addition to exhibiting the exit findings for the academic year, also examined the outcomes over 5 years from through ASAH-members also took part in a study to track the graduates of the Class of 2000 for 5 years. The alumni from ASAH-member E/BD programs, presumably a group with more severe disabilities, were found to be doing at least as well as the public school special education students when participation inn postsecondary education, competitive employment, and independent living were examined. Finally, ASAH joined with MANSEF, the Maryland Association of Nonpublic Special Education Facilities, to examine the transition experiences of 294 students with severe emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) from the Classes of 2006 and 2007

6 Page 6 two years after they exited from a member program. The students from the approved private special education sector were compared to the EBD youth served in public school who were followed in the National Longitudinal Transitional Study 2 (NLTS2), a national study funded by the U.S. Department of Education. In this joint study sponsored by ASAH and MANSEF and analyzed by researchers from Johns Hopkins University, the students and their parents were contacted annually and interviewed by phone by employees of Potsdam Institute of Applied Research, State University of New York, Potsdam. When compared to NLTS2 youth, the youth who attended private special education facilities had more positive transition experiences, which included greater levels of engagement, employment, enrollment in post-secondary education, and independent living as well as lower rates of involvement with the criminal justice system (Carran et al., 2014). 1 The present study will focus on documenting the educational settings to which transfer students planned to move as well as the plans made by the graduates who left an ASAH-member program in the school year. Method Each ASAH-member school was asked to supply information about every student who exited from a program over the course of the previous academic year. Exiting students were defined as transfer students, students who left the ASAH-member program to move to another education program, and graduates, those who left an ASAHaffiliated school because they received a high school diploma. Demographic and program information were collected on the students who dropped out of school during the course 1 Copies of the Outcomes of Approved Special Education Programs in the Private Sector, Reports 3-13,can obtained from ASAH, 2125 Route 33, Hamilton Square, NJ ( info@asah.org).

7 Page 7 of the study. Dropouts, however, were excluded from the study because their plans were not available. The exiting students were further identified as attending one of five specific special education programs. The participants were given a definition for each program category and were asked to classify the program from which each student exited by using one predominant program category. The programs were defined as follows: 1) Preschool Disorders Programs for students with any disorder identified at the Preschool stage; 2) Developmental Disorders Programs for students with speech/language impairments, intellectual disabilities, autism, and developmental delays; 3) Emotional/Behavioral Disorders Programs for students with emotional and behavioral disturbances; 4) Medical Disorders Programs for students with other health impairments hearing impairments, visual impairments orthopedic impairments, deafblindness, and traumatic brain injury; and 5) Learning Disorders Programs for students with specific learning disabilities. This data was collected from each participating school and entered in a database for analysis. The Participating Programs and Student Demographics Overall, 45 ASAH-member schools (48% of the membership) operating 95 educational programs volunteered to participate in the study. Of the participants, 78 (82%) offered day programs, 6 (6%) residential programs, and 11 (12%) offered both day and residential programs. When the participants were examined in regard to the type of specialized programming offered in their facilities, the following emerged: 25 (26%) served students with Developmental Disorders; 22 (23%) focused on students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders; 16 (17%) were for students with Medical Disorders; 12 (13%) were offered to those with Learning Disorders; and 20 (21%) were for students

8 Page 8 with Preschool Disorders. Taken together, 4,627 students were enrolled in these programs, 3,152 males (68%) and 1,475 females (32%). Participating schools were located in 15 of New Jersey s 21 counties. Table 1 shows how the schools were distributed among these counties. Table 1. Participating Schools by New Jersey County* N=45 # % Bergen Burlington Camden Essex Gloucester Mercer Middlesex Monmouth Morris Ocean Passaic Somerset Sussex Union Warren Total *Schools are listed by main campus. Several schools have programs in more than one county. The participating schools were most likely to be found in Bergen county (8 facilities; close to 18% of the distribution), followed by Essex, Monmouth, and Somerset counties (6 facilities for each county, 13% of the distribution for each). Morris county had 4 participating facilities (about 9%), while Camden, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, and

9 Page 9 Union counties each had 2 (about 4% for each). Finally, 1 facility (about 2% each) was located in the 5 counties of Burlington, Ocean, Passaic, Sussex, and Warren counties. The Exiting Students During the study period, 1,262 students exited from an ASAH-member approved private school. When examined, the exiters tended to be White (53%), male (70%), High School students (72%), between the ages of 12 and 17 years (55%), who were enrolled in an Emotional/Behavioral Disorders program (53%) from 1 year to 5 years (52%). About 40% of the exiting students received subsidized lunch. Transfer students accounted for 55% (693) of all exiting students; 32% were graduates (403); 3% were dropouts (39), 2 and 10% (127) left without sharing their plans with program staff. When staff assessed the discharges, about 68% were rated planned, an indication that supports were in place to support the transition to another educational program or to a postschool, adult activity. Moreover, 76% of the exits were viewed as positive by staff, indicating that the exiting students were considered ready to move on to the next setting or phase of life. The characteristics of all exiting students and the programs in which they were enrolled before they exited are presented in Table 2.

10 Page 10 Table 2. Characteristics of Exiting Students and Their Programs n=1,262 Characteristics # % Program Classifications Preschool Disorders Learning Disorders Medical Disorders Development Disorders Emotional/Behavioral Disorders Reason for Exit Transfer Student Graduate Dropout Exiting Student with No Planning Information Grade Level Preschool Elementary School Middle School High School Race Ethnicity White Black Hispanic Asian Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 2.2 Gender Male Female Ages at Exit 3-5 years years years years Length of Stay Less than 1 year years years years Not Available Subsidized Lunch Yes No In total, 39 students dropped out (30 males,9 females; 21 White, 10 Black, 7 Hispanic, and 1 Asian).

11 Page 11 Table 2 (continued) Status of Planning Information Available in Records Not Available in Records Table 2 (continued) Staff Assessment of Exit # % Planned Yes No Staff Assessment of Exit (Cont d) Positive Yes No Planning information was available for 1,096 students, 87% of the exiting students, the students whose discharge plans are the focus of this report. Of these, 693 were transfer students, while 403 were graduates. The Transfer Students Demographics The discharge plans for 693 transfer students were available for this study. Of these, 72% (497) were male, while 24% (196) were female. When race/ethnicity was examined, 52% (362) were White, 31% (218) were Black, 13% (93) were Hispanic, 3% (19) were Asian, and less than 1% (1) came from a Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander background. Grade Level Approximately 55% (382) attended High School, about 19% (129) Middle School, over 21% (149) Elementary School, and 5% (33) Preschool before exiting the private approved special education program. See Table 3 below.

12 Page 12 Table 3. Transfer Students by Grade Level n=693 # % Preschool Elementary School Middle School High School Total Length of Stay Table 4 presents the length of stay for the transfer students. Table 4. Length of Stay for Transfer Students n=693 # % < 1 year years years Total About 23% (163) of the transfer students were enrolled in an ASAH-member program for less than a year. Approximately 67% (468) were enrolled from 1 to 5 years, while 9% (62) were enrolled for 6-10 years. Overall, 91% (631) of these exiters attended an ASAH-member school for 5 years or less. Educational Plans By Program When the transfer students were examined according to the programs in which they were enrolled, the following emerges. About 62% (433) attended Emotional/Behavioral Disorders programs, 16% (109) Developmental Disorders programs, 13% (91) Medical Disorders programs, 4% (27) Learning Disorders programs, and 5% (33) were enrolled in Preschool Disorders programs.

13 Page 13 Table 5 shows the distribution of the educational plans of the transfer students as reported at the point of discharge from an ASAH-member school to another facility.

14 Page 14 Table 5. Educational Plans for Transfer Students n =693 Education Setting Preschool n = 33 Learning n = 27 Medical =91 DD n = 109 E/BD n = 433 Total n =693 In-District Education # % # % # % # % # % # % General Education, Not Special Education General Education, Supported Inclusion Subtotal: Returns to In-district General Education Alternate School Special Education, Self-Contained LEA Subtotal: Returns to Other In-district Programs Subtotal: All Returns to In-district Programs Out of District Special Education Day Program Residential Home Instruction Other Total Results for Transfer Student Educational Plans As Table 5 indicates, 35% of the transfer students (240) exited with plans to return to an educational program within their local public school district. While about 12% (84) had plans to return to general education, including inclusion classrooms, an additional 23% (156) planned to return to other in-district programs that offered a range of support to accommodate their special needs (alternate school, 7%; self-contained

15 Page 15 classroom, 16%). About 55% (18) of the students who transferred from Preschool Disorders programs, 70% (19) from Learning Disorders programs, 39% (43) from Developmental Disorders programs, 34% (31) from Medical Disorders programs, and 30% (129) from Emotional/Behavioral Disorders programs planned to enter educational programs within their local districts. When in-district returns to general education programs alone are examined the following emerges: 36% (12) of the students from Preschool Disorders programs, 44% (12) of the students from Learning Disorder programs, 12% (11) of the students from Medical Disorders programs, 11% (12) of the students from Developmental Disorders programs, and 8% (37) of the students from Emotional/Behavioral Disorders programs planned, upon discharge from a private approved special education school, to enroll in general education classrooms within their local school district. Return to In-District Education Table 6 summarizes the degree to which the plans of the transfer students reflect a return to in-district programs, including returns to a general education setting, for the and school years. Table 6 Transfer Student Return to In-District Education: In-District General Education a Other In-District Education b Total In-District Education Outside District Education c # % # % # % # % (45% participation) n= (48% participation) n=693 a Regular education, including supported inclusion b Resource room, alternate school, self-contained LEA c Out-of-district special education day program, residential program, home instruction, other placement (e.g., correctional, psychiatric, medical, or developmental facility)

16 Page 16 For the school year, 240 students (35%) planned to return to in-district programs. Of these, 84 (12%) planned to return to general education classrooms, while 156 (23%) planned to enter other in-district programming, such as, alternate school or self-contained LEA. Finally, 453 students (65%) left with plans to enter other education programs outside of their local district, such as, another private approved special education day program, a residential program, home instruction, or another setting (e.g., correctional, psychiatric, medical, or developmental facility). When the planning results for the transfer students for the school year are compared to those for , it is noted that the number of exiting students in is similar to the cohort (2 more in ), while the rate of participating ASAH members increased by 3%. In , fewer transfer students made plans to return to in-district educational programs in each category than in , while more students planned to enter out-of-district programs. Living Arrangements At discharge, 76% of the transfer students (525) planned to live with a parent, other relative, or guardian, while 4% (28) planned to live independently or semi-independently. About 5% (35 students) had plans to live in a skill development home, foster home, or group home. Another 10% (67) planned to enter a residential treatment facility and the plans of about 1% (10) indicated entry into a psychiatric or medical facility. Finally, about 4% (28) had plans to enter a correctional facility or other treatment programs, such as those offered for drug and alcohol problems.

17 Page 17 The Graduates There were 403 graduates with known plans. Of these, 65% (263) were male, while 35% (140) were female. Close to 58% (233) were White, 24% (97) were Black, 13% (53) were Hispanic, 4.7% (19) were Asian, and.3% (1) was Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander. The graduates came from the following types of disability programs: 126 graduates (31%) from Emotional Behavioral Disorders programs, 29% (115) from Developmental Disorders programs, 23% (93) from Learning Disorders programs, and about 17% (69) from Medical Disorders programs. Length of Stay Table 7 shows the length of stay in an ASAH-member program for the graduates. Table 7. Length of Stay for Graduates n= 403 Graduates Length of Stay # % < 1 year years years years Total As Table 7 demonstrates, more than 3% of the graduates were in a their ASAHmember program for less than 1 year; nearly 47% for 1-5 years; about 33% for 6-10 years; and close to 17% for 11 years or more. Taken together, 50% (202) were enrolled in an approved nonpublic special education program for 5 years or less. The Postschool Plans of the Graduates by Specialized Program Table 8 presents an analysis of the graduates postschool plans by the education program in which they were enrolled to meet their special needs.

18 Page 18 Table. 8 Postschool Plans of Graduates by Education Program n = 403 Postschool Plans E/BD n = 126 DD n =115 Learning n = 93 Medical n = 69 Total n =403 Engagement # % # % # % # % # % Four Year College Two Year College Trade/Technical School Competitive Employment Military Mainstream Activity a Voc Rehab Training Program Supported Employment Sheltered Employment Vocational Rehabilitation Activity b Adult Partial Care Nonvocational Day Program Community-Based Program Activity c Other Engagement No Engagement: No Education/Training, Job or Program Total a Mainstream Activity 4-Yr./2-Yr. College, Trade/Technical School, Competitive Employment or Military b Vocational Rehabilitation Activity Vocational Rehabilitation Training Programs, Supported or Sheltered Employment c Community-Based Program Activity Partial Care and Nonvocational Day Programs d Engaged in other activities involving, for example, correctional, psychiatric, or medical intervention or not engaged in any productive activity

19 Page 19 Results for the Postschool Plans of the Graduates The graduates tended to be White (58%), male (65%), who were enrolled in programs serving students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders (31%) or Developmental Disorders (29%) for 1-5 years (47%). As Table 8 shows, more than 55% of the graduates (223) planned to enter the mainstream. Taken together, 145 graduates (36%) had plans to enroll in 4-year college (45), 2-year college (74) or trade/technical school (26), while another 78 graduates (19%) planned to enter the competitive workforce (73) or the military (5). Moreover, about 19% (77) planned to enter vocational rehabilitation to prepare for entry into the workforce through involvement in a vocational rehabilitation training program (35), supported employment (18) or sheltered employment (24). Nearly 20% planned to enter adult programs in their communities where they could receive partial care (9) or daily nonvocational supports (71). Over 1% (5) made other plans, such as, entering a treatment facility for psychiatric, medical care or a correctional facility. More than 4% reportedly left without plans to enter postsecondary educational, vocational, rehabilitative, or supportive programs or to seek entry into the workforce when they exited their ASAH-affiliated secondary program. Graduates from Emotional/Behavioral Disorders programs (77%) and Learning Disorders programs (74%) were the most likely to make plans to engage in mainstream domains. Graduates from Developmental programs (31%) were the most likely to plan to receive vocational rehabilitation. Finally, graduates from Developmental programs (45%) and Medical Disorders programs (32%) were most likely to plan to enter adult programs in their communities, especially programs that provided nonvocational supports.

20 Page 20 Plans of the Graduates Table 9 summarizes the postschool plans for the graduates for the and school years. Table 9. Postschool Plans of Graduates by Activity: and Mainstream Activity a Vocational Rehabilitation Activity b Community- Based Program Activity c Total Engagement Other Engagement/ Not Engaged d # % # % # % # % # % (45% participation) n= (48% participation) n= a Mainstream Activity 4-Yr./2-Yr. College, Trade/Technical School, Competitive Employment or Military b Vocational Rehabilitation Activity Vocational Rehabilitation Training Programs, Supported or Sheltered Employment c Community-Based Programs Activity Partial Care and Nonvocational Day Programs d Engaged in other activities involving, for example, correctional, psychiatric, or medical intervention or not engaged in any productive activity For the school year, 55% of the graduates planned to enter the mainstream; about 19% to engage in vocational rehabilitation; and 20% to enter supportive community-based programs for adults with disabilities. In total, 94% of the graduates (380) left ASAH-member programs with plans to enter an engaging adult role, according to each individual s abilities and capacities, in their communities. Of the remaining 5% (23), the plans of 4 graduates (1%) indicated the need for further therapeutic or correctional intervention, while 18 graduates (over 4%) left the ASAH-affiliated program without plans to engage as adults in education, training, employment, or an appropriate supportive program.

21 Page 21 When the discharge plans for are compared to those for , it is noted that the number of exiting students is similar (1 less in ), while the rate of participating ASAH members increased by 3%. Though the vocational rehabilitation area remained relatively stable, fewer graduates made plans to enter the mainstream, while more planned to enter adult community-based programs. Plans for Living Arrangements of the Graduates About 78% of the graduates (316) had plans to live with a parent, other relative, or guardian, while about 19% (76) planned to live independently (47) or semiindependently (29 students). About 3% (11) had plans to live in other settings, such as skill development homes, foster homes, group homes, residential treatment centers, or medical, correctional, or drug treatment facilities. Discussion Although several national studies of the postschool outcomes of special education students from public schools have been conducted, these studies have not focused on the outcomes for students with severe disabilities who attend schools such as those affiliated with ASAH (SRI International, 1993; Blackorby & Wagner, 1996; Wagner & Blackorby, 1996; U.S. Department of Education, 1999; U.S. Department of Education, 2000; U.S. Department of Education, 2001; Wagner & Cameto, 2004; Newman, Wagner, Cameto and Knokey, 2009; Newman, Wagner, Cameto, Knokey, and Shaver, 2010). These national studies have, therefore, not examined the benefits students with severe disabilities might receive from attending the highly individualized and intensive programs offered by the private approved special education sector (Lange & Sletten, 2002).

22 Page 22 As this study has shown, on average, 81% of the transfer students attended a program in an ASAH-member school for 5 years or less during the Nearly 35% of the transfer students made plans to enroll in a program within the local public school district upon discharge from the ASAH-affiliated facility. Of these, 12% had plans to enter general education programs. Other special education researchers have also noted, in studying children receiving educational and therapeutic services in programs outside of the local public school, that such out-of-district placements are not permanent placements (Gagnon & McLaughlin, 2004). Rather, it would appear that many of the students enrolled in ASAH-member special education settings attend these highly specialized programs until they have acquired or strengthened the skills needed to succeed in programs offered by the local public school district. This also makes clear that ASAH-member schools continue to function as partners with public schools in assuring that the continuum of special education envisioned by IDEA, in which children with disabilities receive appropriate services in settings that can adequately support their individual educational needs, is honored and implemented. Presently, little is known about what happens to these students with severe disabilities when they do return to general and special educational programs in the local public school. Future studies are needed to track the careers of students with serious disabilities. Much needs to be learned about the patterns of student placement in special education for all grade levels and which factors ensure success as students move along the continuum of special education. Such information could help better inform special education program and policy development. When the results for the graduates are examines, it emerges that 94% made plans, according to their individual capacities and needs, to be appropriately engaged in productive adult roles in their communities after leaving high school. About 55% planned

23 Page 23 to be involved in mainstream activities (pursuing post-secondary education, a competitive job, or enlisting in the military), 19% in vocational rehabilitation, and 20% in adult programs in the community in which their individual vocational/nonvocational, social, medical, and/or psychiatric needs could be addressed. These results reflect the wide range of disabilities of the students who are served by ASAH-member programs and indicate that these programs appear to assist each graduate to develop an appropriate transitional plan according to his/her capacities and capabilities. Moreover, it is encouraging that 55% of the students with disabilities made plans to enter the mainstream. This seems to indicate that ASAH-member programs offer appropriate supports to help the graduates acquire the attributes and skills needed by individuals with disabilities to develop appropriate career trajectories as adults (Burchart, 2004; Lindstrom et al., 2013). Since the future employment of students with disabilities is often related to previous employment experiences (Shandra and Hogan, 2008), future studies should investigate the degree to which ASAH-member programs expose students with disabilities to prevocational and vocational training as well as work experiences. As has been pointed out for the 14 years or so that ASAH has been furnishing this report, more than any other group of students, the academic success of students with emotional and behavioral disabilities remains a challenge all educators (Kaufman et al., 2007; Wagner et al. 2006). The studies that have focused on the outcomes for this specific population have examined the less disabled students with emotional and behavioral disabilities who attend programs in the public schools (SRI International, 1993; Blackorby & Wagner, 1996; Wagner & Blackorby, 1996; U.S. Department of Education, 1999; U.S. Department of Education, 2000; U.S. Department of Education, 2001; Wagner & Cameto, 2004; Newman, Wagner, Cameto and Knokey, 2009; Newman,

24 Page 24 Wagner, Cameto, Knokey, and Shaver, 2010). Overall, findings for these students have included low graduation rates, poor work histories, involvement in excessive antisocial behavior and the criminal justice system, and difficulty establishing stable adult roles (Chen, Symons, & Reynolds, 2011; Gagnon & McLaughlin; 2004; Malmgren, Edgar, & Neel, 1998; Mattison & Spitznagel, 1998; Reddy, 2001; Sample, 1998; SRI International, 1993; Tobin & Sugai, 1999; U.S. Department of Education, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2001; Wagner, 1995; Wagner & Cameto, During the school year, 77% of the graduates from Emotional/Behavioral Disorders programs left an ASAH-member program with plans to pursue adult roles in the mainstream (close to 55% with plans for attending college or trade/technical school and 22% with plans to enter a competitive job or the military). Perhaps these students will be able to maintain stability as adults because of the highly specialized and supportive services they received while enrolled in an ASAH-member program, services that were specifically tailored to their unique educational needs (Lange & Sletten, 2002). The small classroom size and individualized programs available in the ASAH-member programs fosters a positive school climate and positive student-staff relationships to support these challenging students and their learning needs. These students often struggle in large public schools where they are likely to have teachers who feel unprepared to work with them to give them the academic and other supports they need to succeed (Wagner, 2006). Emerging evidence also suggests that helping students with emotional and behavioral difficulties make a positive adjustment to the classroom helps to curtail antisocial behavior (Chen, Symons, & Reynolds, 2011). A recent study by Carran et al. (2014) that included students who had graduated from ASAH-member programs found that 2 years after leaving the private approved school, these students were less likely to be

25 Page 25 involved in the justice system than the students with E/BD who were part of NLTS2. Future studies should track the graduates with serious emotional and behavioral difficulties as they enter the world of adults to determine whether they are able to maintain adult roles that are stable and prosocial. Conclusion The special education programs with membership in ASAH continue to play a critical role along the continuum of special education in providing students with the most severe disabilities in New Jersey intensive, highly specialized, and highly individualized special education and therapeutic services. These schools have an important role to play as partners with the sponsoring local school districts in assuring that the services mandated by each student s IEP are implemented.

26 Page 26 Given the severity of the disabilities of the graduates in this study, it is promising that, taken together, 92% of them made plans to enter productive adult roles reflective of their respective optimal capacities to function. Thus, 58% planned to enroll in postsecondary education, competitive employment, or the military; 21% planned to enter a vocational rehabilitation training program, supported employment, or a sheltered workshop; and 14% had plans to participate in an adult partial care or nonvocational day program in their community. Much attention has been placed on the outcomes of special education students in public schools with emotional and behavioral difficulties because of their low graduation rates, poor work histories, involvement in the criminal justice system, and difficulty establishing stable adult roles (Reddy, 2001; Malmgren, Edgar, & Neel, 1998; Mattison & Spitznagel, 1998; Sample, 1998; SRI International, 1993; Tobin & Sugai, 1999; U.S. Department of Education, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2001; Wagner, 1995; Wagner & Cameto, 2004; Gagnon & McLaughlin, 2004). As Wagner et al. (2006) report, these students flounder in large public schools where they are likely to have teachers who feel unprepared to work with them and are unlikely to receive academic or other support services to help them succeed. It is encouraging, therefore, that during the school year, 84% of the graduates from Emotional/Behavioral Disorders programs left an ASAH-member program with transitional plans that call for the pursuit of adult roles in the mainstream (59% with plans for 4 year/2 year college or trade or technical school and 25% with plans for competitive employment or military service).

27 Page 27 Approved nonpublic special education schools, such as those which constitute ASAH, appear to help graduates make transition plans that lead to their entering the adult roles that are the most appropriate and productive, given the range of disabilities they face. The approved nonpublic special education facilities that are members of ASAH remain focused on assuring success along the continuum of special education for students with the most severe disabilities and complex special needs. The majority of the exiting transfer students were able to subsequently plan to enter educational programs within their local public school districts. The majority of the exiting graduates were able to plan to enter appropriate, relatively speaking, adult roles. The approved nonpublic special education sector continues to play a vital role in assisting public school districts to educate students with a wide range of severe disabilities.

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