Vocational Education Course Taking and Post–High School Employment of Youth With Emotional Disturbances - Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals - 2017 Vol. 40(3)

Oct 15, 2026

NLTS2 data are analyzed to determine how high school students receiving special education services for emotional disturbances (ED) take career and technical education (CTE) courses. Descriptive results show ED students’ participation in occupationally specific general education CTE and its association with stronger early post–high school employment prospects. Propensity scoring tests links to full-time employment and varying effects by time since leaving school. Benefits appear in the first two post–high school years for occupationally specific concentration, while later-year effects and overall CTE benefits are not significant.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

CTE’s role in post–high school employment outcomes for youth with emotional disturbances (ED)

Prior findings on competitive employment gaps

Employment stability and employability skills

Vocational Education Course Taking and Post–High School Employment of Youth With Emotional Disturbances Mary M. Wagner, PhD 1, Lynn A. Newman, EdD 1, and Harold S. Javitz, PhD 1 Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals 2017, Vol. 40(3) 132–143 © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2016 Reprints and permissions: [sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav](sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav)[ ](sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav)[DOI: 10.1177/2165143415626399](DOI: 10.1177/2165143415626399)[ ](DOI: 10.1177/2165143415626399)[cdtei.sagepub.com](cdtei.sagepub.com) Abstract Data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 (NLTS2) were used to examine the patterns of career and technical education (CTE) course taking in high school by students receiving special education services for emotional disturbances (ED). Descriptive analyses indicate the extent of such course taking by students with ED and their engagement in a concentrated program of occupationally specific general education CTE, a level of CTE course taking that early research has linked to improved post–high school employment outcomes. Propensity scoring methods were used to determine the extent to which either type of CTE course taking was related to higher odds of full-time employment after high school and whether results differed with the length of time post high school. There was a significant positive effect for participating in a concentration of occupationally specific CTE in the first 2 post–high school years, but effects were non-significant for later years. Results showed no benefits of CTE course taking overall. The implications for high school programming and transition planning are discussed. Keywords career and technical education, behavioral/emotional disabilities, employment The Role of Career and Technical Education (CTE) in Improving the Odds of Post–High School Employment for Youth With Emotional Disturbances (ED) The post–high school outcomes of youth with ED have been described as “bleak”(Woolsey & Katz-Leavy, 2008, p. 1),“appalling”(Davis, 2003, p. 495), and “particularly troubling”(Wagner, 1995, p. 92) . Given the critical role of employment in setting youth with and without disabilities on a trajectory toward economic and social self-sufficiency and becoming productive members of society, the generally poor employment record of youth with ED is a particular cause for alarm. For example, in 1992, the first national data on employment experiences of youth with disabilities showed that the rate of competitive employment among youth with ED who had been out of high school 3 to 5 years was significantly lower than that of youth in the general population (47.4% vs. 69.4%; D’Amico & Blackorby, 1992) . Moreover, the significant increase in employment over time that had occurred for youth in the general population and youth with disabilities as a whole did not accrue to youth with ED (D’Amico & Blackorby, 1992) . Fast forward almost two decades, and the picture had not changed greatly. Nationally, the competitive employment rate of youth with ED who had been out of high school up to 4 years still lagged significantly behind that of youth in the general population (42.3% vs. 66.4%; Newman, Wagner, Cameto, & Knokey, 2009) . Furthermore, the sizable gap between the percentage of youth with ED who were employed at the time they were interviewed and the percentage who had been employed at some time since leaving high school points to a challenge experienced more by youth with ED than youth in other disability categories—the difficulty of keeping a job once one is found. The average duration of the jobs held since highschool by youth with ED was 7.6 months, significantly shorter than the average for youth in the general population and youth with disabilities as a whole (14.7 and 10.01 months, respectively; Newman et al., 2009) . Some of the relatively higher job turnover of youth with ED may relate to the importance e

FAQs

What data source is used to study CTE course taking for students with emotional disturbances?

The analysis uses data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 (NLTS2) to examine CTE course taking in high school for students receiving special education services for emotional disturbances.

How do the study results link CTE participation to full-time employment after high school?

Propensity scoring indicates a significant positive effect for participating in an occupationally specific CTE concentration in the first two post–high school years, while effects are non-significant in later years and overall CTE course taking shows no benefits.

Why is employment highlighted as important for youth with emotional disturbances?

Employment is framed as critical for economic and social self-sufficiency, productivity, and meaningful personal purpose. The text also notes that difficulties can include challenges keeping jobs once found, leading to poorer employment outcomes and lost benefits.

Oct 15, 2026

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