Indicator 14 Postsecondary Outcomes
In compliance with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) performance goals and indicators, the ND Department of Public Instruction, Office of Special Education conducts annual follow up interviews of former students who had an IEP in effect at the time they left school. These telephone interviews occur one year after they have exited from the school system. Annually, in the Annual Performance Report to OSEP the state must report the percentage of all students who are no longer in secondary school, had IEPs in effect at the time they left school, and were:
- Enrolled in higher education within one year of leaving school.
- Enrolled in higher education or competitively employed within one year of leaving high school.
- Enrolled in higher education or in some other postsecondary education or training program; or competitively employed or in some other employment within one year of leaving high school.
NDDPI currently contracts with a data collection agency to collect the required data. Former students or parents of former students who had been on an IEP at the time they left school are interviewed between April and September. The data from the annual reports is used for federal reporting, public reporting, district improvement, and program planning for successful transition for all ND's children with disabilities to adulthood.
Reports of statewide results as well as local unit data continues to be made available to transition stakeholders across the state, the IDEA Advisory Committee, the Secondary Transition Community of Practice Advisory Council, local special education units, and local school districts.
Postsecondary outcome data has been collected by the ND Department of Public Instruction since 1999. Measurement data required by the OSEP has changed over the years.