The Postsecondary Educational Plans of Rural Youth With Disabilities and Their Nondisabled Peers

Oct 15, 2026

A national sample of rural high school students with disabilities and their nondisabled peers responded to a survey on postsecondary plans and preparation. The study involved 3,318 students in grades 11–12 from 73 randomly selected schools. Results show 78.5% of students with disabilities and 90.7% of nondisabled peers plan to continue education after high school, while only 4.5% of students with disabilities are enrolled in college preparatory programs. Students with disabilities more often participate in career exploration such as job mentoring, internships, and cooperative education, relying on teachers and school staff as key information sources.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Postsecondary planning and preparation

Study design and sample

Key findings and implications

The Postsecondary Educational Plans of RuralYouth With Disabilities and Their Nondisabled Peers Margaret P.Weiss, PhD 1, Bryan C. Hutchins, MA 1, and Judith L. Meece, PhD 1 Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals 35(3) 180–189 © 2012 Hammill Institute on Disabilities Reprints and permission: [sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav](sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav) [DOI: 10.1177/2165143412450313](DOI: 10.1177/2165143412450313) [http://cdtei@sagepub.com](http://cdtei@sagepub.com) Abstract A national sample of students with disabilities and their nondisabled peers in rural high schools responded to a survey about their postsecondary plans and how they were preparing for them. The study included 3,318 11th-and 12th-grade students from 73 randomly selected schools. Findings indicate that 78.5% of students with disabilities and 90.7% of their nondisabled peers plan to continue their education after high school. Only 4.5% of students with disabilities were enrolled in a college preparatory program. A greater percentage of students with disabilities participated in career exploration activities such as job mentoring, internships, and cooperative education programs than expected, and they found teachers and school staff important sources of information. Implications of these findings are discussed. Keywords transition, rural schools, postsecondary, disabilities Moving from high school to adulthood is a major transition for adolescents, particularly those with disabilities. As Test, Fowler, White, Richter, and Walker (2009) state, it “traditionally signifies a time of many challenges and changes, filled with hopes and dreams of successfully leaving highschool and moving into employment and/or postsecondary education”(p. 160) . Preparing for this transition requires goal setting, planning, and taking action because, increasingly, jobs that provide greater advancement opportunities, higher potential earnings, and a broader range of benefits require some form of postsecondary education (Mellard, 2005; Rusch, Hughes, Agran, Martin, & Johnson, 2009; Zhang & Benz, 2006) . The most recent Condition of Education (Planty et al., 2009) states, In 2007, young adults ages 25–34 with a bachelor’s degree earned 29 percent more than young adults whose highest educational attainment was an associate’s degree and 55 percent more than young adults whose highest educational attainment was a highschool diploma or its equivalent. (p. 40) Those who obtained a bachelor’s degree also earned 96% more than those who did not earn a high school diploma or its equivalent. Adults without a high school diploma earned, on average, US$23,000 per year. Though progress has been made, students with disabilities continue to have less positive postsecondary outcomes than their nondisabled peers, including lower rates of postsecondary education enrollment and higher rates of unemployment (e.g., Newman, Wagner, Cameto, & Knokey, 2009; Rojewski, 1999; Wagner, Newman, Cameto, & Levine, 2006) . However, several recent reviews have identified predictors and practices that, if provided for in highschool, may lead to more successful outcomes. According to Benz, Lindstrom, and Yovanoff (2000), participation in vocational education classes and paid work experiences during junior and senior years; competence in functional academic, community living, personal/social, vocational, and self-determination skills; participation in transition planning; and graduation from high school were all predictors of better postsecondary employment and education outcomes. In a more recent review, Test et al. (2009) found that inclusion in general education, paid employment/ work experience, participation in vocational education 1 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA Corresponding Author: Margaret P. Weiss, George Mason University, 4400 University Dr., MS1F2 Fairfax,VA, USA 22030 [Email: mweiss9@gmu.edu](Email: mweiss9@gmu.edu) c

FAQs

What does the study examine about rural students with disabilities?

The study investigates students’ postsecondary educational plans and how they prepare for those plans, comparing students with disabilities and their nondisabled peers in rural high schools.

How many students were included, and how was the sample selected?

The survey included 3,318 students in grades 11 and 12 from 73 randomly selected rural schools.

What are the main differences in postsecondary education intentions and program enrollment?

A larger share of nondisabled peers (90.7%) than students with disabilities (78.5%) plan to continue education after high school, and only 4.5% of students with disabilities were enrolled in a college preparatory program.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Indoniesian Boy