62 | Improving the College and Career Readiness of High School Students with Disabilities

On this episode of On the Evidence, we focus on a demonstration in Vermont evaluated by Mathematica intended to help high school students with disabilities transition to college and the workforce. In 2016, the Rehabilitation Services Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Education, awarded grants to state vocational rehabilitation agencies to build on the body of knowledge about what works to help young people transition from high school to adulthood. States had to identify and demonstrate evidence-based practices for providing work-based learning experiences in integrated settings. Mathematica evaluated the resulting demonstration in Vermont called Linking Learning to Careers. On this episode, guests from Mathematica and Vermont's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation reflect on successes and challenges in implementing the demonstration as well as lessons for other states interested in trying a similar program for transition-age youth with disabilities. Our guests for this episode are Rich Tulikangas, Emma Page, Diane Torres, and Purvi Sevak. • Tulikangas is the director of Linking Learning to Careers for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. • Page is a youth employment specialist in Addison County, Vermont. She works with high school students and young adults, helping them progress along their career paths. • Torres is a senior transition counselor for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the career consultant for Linking Learning to Careers in Bennington, Vermont. • Sevak is a principal researcher at Mathematica who studies disability, health, and employment policy. She led the impact evaluation of the Linking Learning to Careers demonstration. This episode was made possible through funding from the Vermont Division of Vocational Rehabilitation under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. A full transcript of the episode, as well as a video recording of the episode with closed captioning, are available here: mathematica.org/blogs/improving-college-and-career-readiness-of-high-school-students-with-disabilities Read Mathematica’s reports on the implementation and impacts of Vermont’s Linking Learning to Careers demonstration: http://mathematica.org/projects/evaluation-of-the-vermont-linking-learning-to-careers-model