INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPECIAL EDUCATION Vol 25 No 2 2010

IMPACT OF THE SPECIAL EDUCATION VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM (VEP)

ON STUDENT CAREER SUCCESS
Nelly E. Ofoegbu
Long Beach Unified School District
Reza Azarmsa
Argosy University

The Vocational Education Program (VEP) was established by the special

education department in the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) in an
effort to assist students with disabilities to graduate from high school and be
gainfully employed. This study investigated the impact of VEP on students’ careers
success after graduation. The participants included eighty-one graduates between
2004-2007 schools years. Manual computation and descriptive analysis using the
SPSS® Software was used to determine the job acquisition and job retention rate
of participants. Results indicated that 67% of participants in the 2004-2006 school
years were able to acquire and retain employment, while 57% of graduates in
2006-2007 school year acquired a job and 53% retained their employment. The
study implications indicate that there is a significant relationship between
students’ career success and participation in the VEP. The VEP design and
method of service delivery supports the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act of 2004, focusing on meeting the Individualized Transition needs
of students. The data collected in this research will provide meaningful
information that educators can use during transition planning and Individualized
Education Plan (IEP) meetings. Educators can also use the information to make
relational predictions about student career outcome and participation in a
transition program, thereby ensuring that students are engaged in programs and
activities that will best serve their needs, while recognizing and considering their
individual preferences and abilities.

Students classified as Seriously Emotionally Disturbed (SED) and those who are Learning Disabled
(LD) experience a high rate of academic failure, social adaptation challenges, as well as high drop out
rates, and a disposition toward high incarceration rates either before or after high school graduation
(Al-Yagon & Michal, 2007, Boreson, 2006). These students won’t likely engage in any career activities
and as a consequence, they have low employment opportunity, poor employment histories, and a high
rate of involvement with the judicial system (US Department of Education, 2006; Wagner, 2006.) After
high school, these students are also less likely than their peers to participate in any form of adult
learning or continuing education (Levine & Edger, 1995; Zigmond & Miller, 1992 as cited in Zigmond,
2006). Both school districts and health care providers are mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Improvement Act of 2004 to provide assistance with transitions and other necessary
interventions to help these students. In an effort to fulfill the legal mandates of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD)
established the Vocational Education Program (VEP). The primary objective of this program was to
assist students with disabilities to perform on an equal basis with their non-disabled peers in an
integrated setting. Students with Emotional Disabilities (ED) and Learning Disabilities (LD) are one of
the target populations for the Transition and Intervention Program. The program’s implementation is
also a collaborative effort with Long Beach City College, the Department of Rehabilitation Center, and
the Harbor Regional Center in the transitional process of Seriously Emotionally Disturbed and
Learning Disabled students who had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in the K-12 school setting.

This study was conducted in order to determine the effectiveness of VEP program in assisting students
with acquiring and retaining a job after high school graduation. The investigation addressed two
research questions. The research questions are:

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1. What is the job acquisition rate of students who received Vocational Education Program
intervention after high school graduation?
2. What is the job retention rate of students who received Vocational Education Program
intervention after high school graduation?

Researchers (Armstrong, Dedrick, & Greenbaum, 2003; Boreson, 2003; Cameto, Levine, & Wagner,
2004; Wagner, 2006) have conducted studies on academic and behavior intervention in the K-12
setting. Most of the research on interventions and transitions such as the ones conducted by Paul,
Michael and Reid (2003); Quinn and McDougal, (1998); Reddy and Richardson, (2006); Reschly and
Christenson, (2006); and Wagner, (2006) focused on elementary, middle, and high school curricular
and behavior interventions. Review of the current literature also reveals that limited research has been
conducted in determining generalizations of the learned intervention strategies by the students in
relation to post high school career outcome.

This research is important and unique when compared to other research such as An analysis by gender
of long-term post school outcomes for youths with disabilities a study conducted by Levin and Edger in
1995. In this study the authors focused on analyzing the post high school outcome of students with
disabilities by gender, without relating the outcome to any transition program. Another study Effective
programs for students with emotional behavioral disabilities conducted by Boreson in 2006, discussed
transition strategies and the importance of developing an effective intervention programs for students
with emotional disabilities, but the current study concentrated on establishing a direct relationship
between students post high school outcome and participation in a transition or intervention program.
The data collected in this study helped establish a relationship or a direct correlation between students
post high school outcome and participation in (The Vocational Education Program) a transition
program for students with disabilities. The data will also provide meaningful information pertaining to
possible relational predictions about student success in post high school career achievement; the
acquired information will then be used during Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings to develop
an appropriate Individualized Transition Plan (ITP) and procedures for students with disabilities (see
appendix A)

Review of Literature
Approximately 470,000 American youths are receiving special education and related services under the
eligibility or category of emotional disturbance and that number is growing (US Department of
Education, 2006). Statistical figures indicate two percent increase from 2000 the previous year and a
20% increase from ten years ago (US Department of Education, 2002). Since the passage of public law
94 – 142 known as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), millions of school age children
and adolescents with SED and LD have been served.

Over the years, studies by Armstrong et al. (2003); Boreson, (2003); Cameto et al., (2004); Wagner,
(2006) have shown that children and adolescents under the category of SED function a year or more
below their grade level across all subject areas and risk failing to master basic academic skills
(Kauffman, 2005). These students often encounter academic and social difficulties. Academic
difficulties include lower grades, failing grades, greater retention rates, and a greater likelihood of
dropping out of school (Sinclair, Christenson & Thurlow, 2005; Wagner, 1995). About 73% or more of
students with SED drop out of school and do not attend or aspire to attend college or vocational
training institutions. This leads to high levels of unemployment, poor employment histories, and
involvement with the judicial system (US Department of Education, 2002). Bender and Wall (1994),
states that students with LD also display more behavioral problems, somatic problems, and solitary
behaviors than their peers who don’t suffer these impairments. These authors also indicates that LD
may cause students with average or above average intelligence to experience difficulty in listening,
thinking, speaking, reading, writing, spelling, and or math.

Learning disability has been defined by the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities
(NJCLD, 2006) as a varied group of disorders of presumed neurological origin manifested differently
and to varying degrees during the life span of an individual. The NJCLD indicated that these disorders
are developmental, are exhibited prior to kindergarten, and continue into adulthood. Delays in speech
and language development are early indicators, as are motor skills coordination, perception reasoning,
and social interactions that are prerequisites to academic achievement and other areas relevant to
meeting educational goals (NJCLD, 2006). According to Al-Yagon(2007), internal neurological factors
such as information-processing disorders, impulsivity, performance, and production deficits, all of

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which affect the academic skills of these children, may also affect their social and emotional
understanding and interpretations. And these impaired interpretations may affect their social,
emotional, and behavioral skills (Bender & Wall 1994). Researchers (Polloway, Smith, & Patton, 1984;
White, 1992) revealed that students with LD who are preparing for post secondary education are more
likely than their non-disabled peers to exhibit: (a) lack of study skills such as note-taking,
comprehension, and test preparation (b) lack of organizational skills (c) below grade level performance
in academic areas such as reading and writing (d) low self-esteem (e) a high dropout rate. In an effort to
protect the educational rights of these students, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act were
enacted.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997; a law protecting the rights of students with
disabilities was re-authorized in 2004 and is currently known as the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Improvement Act of 2004 (Grigorenko, 2008). School districts and mental health care
providers are mandated by this law to have a transition plan included in an IEP for students classified
SED, LD, as well as other categories of disabilities starting from age fourteen to sixteen and continuing
annually thereafter (Grigorenko, 2008). The objective of the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act of 2004 is to reduce the number of students with disabilities who drop out of school.
Another objective is to work with students and their families to plan for a post secondary education,
career and life afterwards by engaging the students in transition programs that will help them to acquire
and utilize pre-requisite skills needed for a successful transition to life after high school. The law
requires that the student be invited to IEP meetings that include transition planning. If for any reason
the student does not attend, provisions must be made to ensure their interests and preferences are
considered.

Transition
In 1990, United States Congress emphasized the promotion and enhanced transition from school to
adult life for students with disabilities. This emphasis brought about the enactment of the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA) (P.L 105-17) and the Act of 2004, which stipulates that
a transition plan should not only provide academic knowledge, but also teach skills that prepares
students with disabilities for transition from school to adult life or post secondary education. Research
suggested that the degree of success in adult life for these students is determined by the quality of
education and training received during elementary, middle and high school years (Dowdy & Evers,
1996).

Halpern (1994) defines transition as a change in one’s status, from being and behaving like a student to
assuming the roles of an adult in the society. These roles include employment, postsecondary education
participation, maintaining a living accommodation, being positively involved in the community and
experiencing satisfactory interpersonal relationships. Over the past couple of years researchers have
established that young adults with disabilities have experienced school failure which translates into
unemployment, underemployment, isolation, and often trouble with the criminal justice system
occurring during or after high school (Armstrong et al., 2003; Boreson, 2003; Cameto et al., 2004;
Wagner, 2006; Wagner, Blackorby, Cameto, Hebbler & Newman, 1993).

Barclay and Cobbs (2001), also state that adult life starts right after the completion of high school. This
is the time where free and appropriate entitlement to public education ends and disabled youths and
their families have difficult decisions to make about the future. Assistance through intervention
programs are offered by schools and other governmental agencies. The assistance is comprised of
modules and strategies that may include all or a combination of the following (a) pursuit of
postsecondary education, (b) vocational training, (c) employment, and (d) independent living.

Levine and Edgar (1995) collected interview data from youths with SED/EBD at six-month intervals
following high school for two years. The first interview showed more than half of the youths with
SED/EBD were employed with one fifth of them earning the minimum wage or higher. Eighteen
months after the initial six-month interviews, none of the youth who were employed reported earnings
at that same level. As well, the number of those not involved in any formal school or work related
activities increased from 10% at six months to 30% at two years. Neel, Meadow, Levine and Edgar
(1988), as cited in Zigmond (2006), reported those in a comparison group without disabilities were
significantly more likely to be enrolled in post secondary training and to be employed than their
SED/EBD counterparts. Studies also reveal that 33% of the youths with SED/EBD were neither in

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school or employed compared with a lower 10% that described their non-disabled peers (NLTS-1). The
same study also indicated that within three years of leaving high school, only half of the youths with
SED/EBD were employed while nearly two thirds of youth with learning disabilities were employed.
Only 29% of youth with SED/EBD compared to 37% of youths with LD had a post secondary
education. Youths with SED/EBD were also found less likely to complete their chosen course of study
(Wagner et al., 1993). The post school outcome of these students has been discouraging and to ensure a
more positive outcome for the students a transition intervention program should be initiated and
properly implemented.

Transition intervention implementation is comprised of the following components: vocational

education, career development, postsecondary education, work adjustment and independent living
skills (Bullis & Cheney, 1999; Will, 1984; Zetlin & Turner, 1985). The knowledge that an efficient and
effective transition program and or services could assist students with special needs make a smooth
transition to postsecondary activities resulted in advocacy for amendments and changes in the special
education laws (McAfee & Mann, 1982). Transition planning involves a long term coordinated effort
and process. Transition is accomplished by the participation of school personnel, caregivers, families
and students. The ultimate goal is to make plans and preparations from high school to adult life. The
major components of a transition plan are goals and objectives that are geared towards the areas that
the student is expected to function in after leaving school.

According to Dee, Byers, Hayhoe, and Maudslay (2002), planning for students’ transition from high
school to adult life will enhance the quality of life for these youths. Hagner, Cheney and Mallory
(1999), also emphasized that if transition from high school to adult life is not well planned and well
implemented, many youths and adults with learning disabilities will experience limited or no
opportunities for inclusion in the community. This knowledge led to the implementation of the
Vocational Education Program by the Long Beach Unified School District.

Vocational Education Program (VEP) Description

In 1985 the Long Beach Unified School District Special Education Department established the VEP in
an effort to ensure a smooth transition to a career and productive life after high school graduation. The
implementation of VEP is also in response to the Individualized Education Act of 2004 requiring
schools to develop and implement a transition plan for students with disabilities starting at age 14. The
Special Education Vocational Education Program provides designated instruction and services (DIS) to
students with disabilities. These services are provided so that students can make progress in their
vocational education program. The Special Day Class (SDC) teacher and or the Resource Specialist
Program (RSP) teacher are the case coordinator for students receiving the services.

Vocational education instruction is usually initiated by parents and or the special educator when they
suspect or establish that a student is not able to benefit from the general education vocational options
even with program modifications and accommodations. The next step to this process is to conduct a
vocational assessment. The individual vocational assessment report is discussed at the student’s
Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The IEP team makes a decision concerning the provision of the
needed services for the student. Currently at the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) there
are seven career transition specialists. One is assigned to each high school, and the seventh one is
assigned to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC).

The Career Transition Specialist’s (CTS) duties include the following: (a) provision of career education
curriculum ideas to special education teachers, (b) assisting Special education, Regional Occupation
Program (ROP) and Vocational Education (Voc Ed) teachers to modify their lessons, (c) provision of
an hour per week of modified related assignments to work experience for SDC students, (d) provision
of vocational skills instructions to students on – campus, (e) training and supervising Para-educators
and college aides who work with Voc Ed students, (f) conducting assessments and monitoring students
who are enrolled in the ROP and Voc Ed classes and writing reports about their progress, (g)
connecting students to outside agencies such as the Department of Rehabilitation, Regional Center,
Social Security Administration, local colleges, and job corp., and (h) referring students to the LBUSD
Adult Community Transition Program Options. This research work concentrated on two options, (1)
Project Workability I and (2)Rehabilitation Transition Partnership Program (TPP).

(1) Project Workability I is a federally funded employment preparation program for students with
disabilities ages 14-21 who require subsidized and/or unsubsidized on-the-job development. The

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program is a coordinated effort between the student, parent, teacher and employer. Once a student
begins working, the coordinating classroom teacher may also enroll the student in the General Work
Experience-SDC class. The CTS provides one hour of related assignments weekly, and college student
aides serve as job coaches who assist students with job and mobility training.

(2) Department of Rehabilitation Transition Partnership Program (TPP) serves 30 seniors or Adult
Community Transition students in their final year who desire to enter the competitive workforce after
exiting LBUSD. The focus of this program is to train the student for competitive employment and
orchestrate a smooth transition from school to the world of work by the time the student exist high
school. The student is mandated to meet specific Department of Rehabilitation criteria to be accepted
into this program. The CTS and Job Developer will assist each applicant with the formal intake
procedure. Regional Center Clients are not allowed to enroll in the program. The student may
participate in on-the-job training at the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center. The student is assigned to a
job developer who helps them find a job matching their skill level and area of interest. The student may
access follow-up services for two years. Parental participation is a needed criterion for success.

Previous research such as: (a) status of the trend in academic intervention research for students with
emotional disabilities conducted by Paul, Michael and Reid (2003); (b) a mile wide and a mile deep:
comprehensive intervention research for students with emotional disturbance by Quinn and McDougal
(1998); and (c) school-based prevention and intervention programs for children with emotional
disturbances by Reddy and Richardson, (2006), all focused on elementary, middle, and high school
curricular interventions, behavior intervention, and effective teaching modalities that will help students
to succeed in school, graduate and not drop out from school. While research such as: (a) prediction of
dropout rate among students with mild disabilities, conducted by Reschly and Christenson, (2006); (b)
predictors of post-high school employment for youths identified as severely emotionally disturbed by
Rylance, (1998); (c) the mismatch between the transition goals and school programs of youth with
emotional disturbances by Wagner, (2006); and (d) an analysis by gender of long term post school
outcomes for youths with disabilities conducted by Levine Edgar (1995), based their studies on
collecting data about students’ post high school outcome and the importance of creating a reasonable
and useful match between school program and transition goals for students, without specifically
connecting students outcome to any intervention program.

The present study was designed to investigate the impact of the transition program on students’ career
outcome. This research tried to make a clear connection between the students’ career outcome and
participation in the transition program. The study helped determine if students were able to generalize
the learned intervention strategies, this was measured by the students’ ability to gain and retain
employment two to three years after high school graduation. The data collected in this research will
provide meaningful information pertaining to possible relational predictions about student success in
post high school career achievement and how that relates to the intervention received by these students
from the Vocational Education Program (VEP). The study will also provide pertinent information and
knowledge about improving the career outcome of students with disabilities.

Significance of the Study

Selingo (2006), states that education provides avenues for personal growth and promotes individual
self-worth. There are many benefits of education to society as a whole. This is especially true of higher
education. Selingo continues to emphasize how it has become an important prerequisite for most
professional and skilled occupations. However, students with special needs have been unable to gain
access to higher education or a career without support. Various interventions and transitional processes
provide these supports. If this is so, the emphasis must be placed on the effectiveness of these
interventions and therefore the best practices need to be determined.

This study is significant because educational institutions, families, and youths with special needs will
find the determination of effective transitional and intervention procedures helpful. The results from the
research will assist them in making choices of interventions that best suit them or work best for their
educational or career goals. The data collected here will be used to design comprehensive educational
and vocational services programs for students with disabilities. The data will also be used to establish a
predictor and criteria variable between the students and available services. Therefore, more appropriate
or better matched services will be provided to the students.

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Method
Participants
The target population for the study consisted of students who received special education services under
the eligibility categories of Serious Emotional Disability (SED) and Learning Disability (LD). These
target population also graduated from the Long Beach Unified School District in Long Beach
California within the 2004-2005, 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school years. The participants had an
Individualized Transition Plan (ITP), an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and received transition

Sample
The sample population included the contact and graduation information of students who participated in
the transition intervention program at LBUSD. The sample was limited to students who graduated
between the 2004-2005, 2005-2006, and 2006-2007 school years.

Data Collection Instrument

Data was collected through oral interview, questionnaire and students’ job acquisition records. The
researcher made contacts with participants through the Long Beach Unified School district’s Career
Transition Specialist (CTS), conducted oral interviews via the telephone and distributed questionnaire
through the United Postal services. The questionnaire and interview addressed questions relating to
students’ job acquisition, job retention. The names and information of participants were kept
confidential.

Manual computation of data was used to determine the job acquisition and job retention rate of
participants. A descriptive statistical calculation using SPSS® Version 15.0.1 Software was used to
conduct a secondary analysis of both research questions (SPSS Inc., 2006). The data from students’ job
acquisition, job retention, job advancement records, and survey instruments were also analyzed to
determine the effectiveness of VEP in assisting students with special needs in their transitions into
independent working adults.

Procedure
General Procedures
Six procedures were utilized in the evaluation of the effectiveness of VEP and its impact on students’
post high school career success. First, there was a review of relevant and current literatures on
programs that included published peer-reviewed journals, ERIC documents, electronic articles, survey
instruments, questionnaire instruments, and periodicals. A review of the standard or operating
procedures of the transition assistance and intervention procedures was also conducted.

Second, the researcher scheduled a meeting with the Assistant Superintendent of Research, Planning
and Evaluation, Assistant Superintendent of School Support Services: office of Special Education,
Administrative Coordinator: Vocational Education Program, Career Transition Coordinators (CTS) at
the Long Beach Unified School District. At the meeting, the researcher requested for information
pertaining to student’s graduation and contact information.

Third, the researcher used the acquired information to develop follow-up plans. The researcher
implemented the plans to make contacts with participants, conduct oral interviews via the telephone
and distribute the questionnaire. The questionnaire and interview addressed questions relating to
students’ job acquisition, and job retention rate. The names and information of participants were kept
confidential, locked in the researcher’s personal cabinet and were returned to the district and school
personnel six months after the completion of this study.

Fourth, information was gathered using interviews, surveys, and a review of the documents. An
analysis of the collected data was used to determine whether students’ participation in the VEP alone
had any impact in their graduation, job acquisition and job retention outcome. Response to interviews
and the questionnaire was used to determine the rate of employment acquisition and retention that is
attributed to the skills acquired through the program.

Fifth, following the Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals (Long Beach Unified School District
and the Argosy University), graduation and participants contact information from 2004/2005,
2005/2006, 2006/2007 school years was used to distribute the survey and conduct phone interviews.
All information collected remained confidential and was only reported as group data with no
identifying information. The researcher rented a post office private mailbox for a period of one year.

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All correspondences with participants were directed to the private mailbox. All the information
gathered from the study was kept in a secure location and only those directly involved with the research
had access to them. Lastly, data from the surveys and interviews was accumulated, analyzed and
conclusions were made. Results from the study were also used to make recommendations for possible
further studies.

Results
Findings and Interpretation
Results from the First Research Question
The results from the first research question, What is the job acquisition rate of students who received
Vocational Education Program intervention after high school graduation? was manually counted,
computed and analyzed. The researcher was able to make contact, conduct interviews and distribute
questionnaires to eighty-one of the students who participated in the VEP during the 2004-2005, 2005-
2006 and 2006-2007 school years. Nine participants from the 2004/2005 school year were contacted;
twenty-one participants from the 2005-2006 school year were contacted; fifty-one participants from the
2006/2007 school years were contacted. Out of the participants from the 2004-2005 school years, six
participants (67%) acquired employment after high school graduation, while three participants (33%)
did not acquire employment. From the 2005-2006 school years, fourteen participants (67%) were able
to get a job after high school graduation; seven participants (33%) did not get a job. Twenty-nine
participants (57%) from the 2006/2007 were able to gain employment after high school graduation,
while twenty-two (43%) reported not being employed. During the investigation enrollment records
revealed that some of the participants that were enrolled in the 2006-2007 school year were still
enrolled in school. The current school enrollment status of the students resulted to a low level in the job
acquisition rate of that group. Data also showed that some of the participants in the study, who
indicated that they are not currently working, were enrolled at Long Beach City College.

The manual computational results are presented in Table B1. The table gives the results from the
survey about the number of students that were able to acquire a job after high school graduation. A pie
chart representation of the results is presented in Appendix D.
Table B1
What is the job acquisition rate of students who received Vocational Education Program
intervention after high school?
Year of Total Number of contacts Job acquisition in Job acquisition in percent
Participation made numbers (%)

2004/2005 9 6 67 %

2005/2006 21 14 67 %

2006/2007 51 29 57%

Results from the Second Research Question

For the second research question, What is the job retention rate of students who received Vocational
Education Program intervention after high school graduation? the researcher conducted a manual
count of the number of students who were able to retain employment one year after graduation, two
years after graduation, and three years after high school graduation.

Eighty-one students who participated in the VEP during the 2004-2005, 2005-2006 and 2006-2007
school year were contacted. The researcher conducted phone interviews with some participants and
distributed questionnaires through the CTS to some participants who were still currently enrolled in
school. Nine participants from the 2004-2005 school years were contacted, twenty-one participants
from the 2005-2006 school year were contacted, and fifty-one participants from the 2006-2007 school
year were also contacted. Of participants from the 2004-2005 school year, six participants (67%)
retained employment three years after high school graduation, while three participants (33%) were not
able to retain employment after high school graduation. The participants from the 2005/2006 school
year, which is two years after high school graduation, thirteen participants (67%), were able to retain
employment, while eight participants (33%) were not able to retain employment. Twenty-seven
participants (53%) from the 2006-2007 school year were able to retain employment one year after high
school graduation, while twenty-four participants (47%) were not able to retain employment.

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During the investigation, some of the participants that were enrolled in the 2006-2007 school year were
still currently enrolled in school, thereby resulting in a low level in the job retention rate in that group.
Some of the participants who indicated that they did not retain their original employment were
currently enrolled at Long Beach City College.
The manual computation results are presented in Table B2. The table gives the results from the survey
about the number of students that were able to retain their job after high school graduation. A pie chart
of these results is also presented in Appendix D.
Table B2
What is the job retention rate of students who received Vocational Education Program intervention
after high school?
Year of Total Number of contacts Job retention in Job retention in percent
Participation. made. numbers. (%).

2004/2005 9 6 67 %

2005/2006 21 13 67 %

2006/2007 51 27 53%

Secondary Analysis for Research Questions One and Two.

A secondary analysis of individual responses relating to students’ job acquisition, job retention and not
applicable was also conducted using the SPSS® Software. This analysis tried to make a clear
distinction between the yes, no and not applicable (N/A) responses. The non-applicable candidates are
mostly participant who are currently enrolled in school or attends college and therefore either
responded as N/A or do not currently have a job.

For survey question: Do you currently have a job, five participants (6%) responded as N/A, 48
participants (60%) responded as a YES, while 27 participants (33%) responded as a NO. For the
question: I have kept a job since after high school, 19 participants (24%) responded as N/A, 40
participants (50%) responded as a YES, while 21 participants (26%) responded as a NO. Result data to
the question: I lost my first job, and do not currently have a job, showed that 28 participants (35%)
responded as N/A, 11 participants (13%) responded as a YES, while 41 participants (51%) responded
as a NO. Finally the response for the survey question: Vocational Education Program helped me get a
job, indicated that12 participants (15%) responded as N/A, 62 participants (78%) responded as a YES,
while 6 participants (8%) responded as a NO.

Discussion
The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of VEP on students’ career success after high school
graduation. The Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act of 2004 requires that schools and public
agencies provide an Individualized Transition Plan for every student that has an Individualized
Education Plan. The program effectiveness and impact on students’ career success relied on the
following two variables (a) rate of job acquisition, and (b) rate of job retention.
The results from the first research question What is the job acquisition rate of students who received
Vocational Education Program intervention after high school graduation? showed that forty-nine out
of the eighty-one participants who were contacted were able to acquire a job after high school
graduation. Thirty-two of the participants that were contacted were not able to gain employment after
high school graduation.
The results from the second research question What is the job retention rate of students who received
Vocational Education Program intervention after high school graduation? indicated that forty-six out
of the eighty-one participants who were contacted were able to retain employment two to three years
after high school graduation. Thirty-five of those participants were not able to retain employment after
high school graduation. The research did not address the reasons for these participants responding as
not retaining a job or responding with a not-applicable response. However during the course of
interview the researcher discovered that some of the participants who responded to question two as not
retaining a job or not-applicable were either currently enrolled in LBUSD or were enrolled in the Long
Beach City College.

Conclusions
The results for research question one, showed that 67% of the participants from the 2004-2005 school
year acquired employment after high school graduation, while 67% of the participants from the 2005-

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2006 school year were able to get a job after high school graduation. Research results further indicated
that 57% of the participants from the 2006-2007 school year were able to acquire employment after
high school graduation. The second research question referring to students who retained
employment for a specified period of time after high school graduation indicated that 67% of the
participants from the 2004-2005 school year retained employment three years after high school
graduation. Response to the same research question also showed that 67% of the participants from the
2005-2006 school year were able to retain employment two years after high school graduation. Results
also revealed that 53% of the participants from the 2006-2007 school year retained employment one
year after high school graduation.
The Vocational Education Program is a transition intervention program that was offered to students
with disabilities who graduated from Long Beach Unified School District. The objective of the
program is to ensure that students with disabilities are able compete favorably at the job market with
their non-disabled peers.

Recommendations for Further Research

The Vocational Education Program is a transition intervention program that was offered to students
with disabilities who graduated from Long Beach Unified School District. The objective of the
program is to ensure that students with disabilities are able to compete favorably at the job market with
their non-disabled peers. Based on the findings from this study, two recommendations are proposed to
the school district.

The first recommendation is to provide support for further studies and investigations that relate to
improving the Vocational Education Program’s impact on students post high school career, education
and independent living outcome. The study should also include the implementation of a 3-5 years
longitudinal study related to transition and post high school outcome of students with disabilities who
participated in the VEP and other transition programs at the district. Results from the gathered
information should be utilized to further address the transition needs of students during IEP and ITP
meetings and hopefully increase students’ job acquisition, job retention, college enrollment rates and
positive independent living outcomes.

The second is to locate and utilize other supplemental curriculum that focuses more on real life skill
acquisition. Students should be able to generalize and apply the acquired skills in the real world, such
as in the work place, educational pursuits and independent living endeavors. Similar analyses, with
questions that focus on explaining why some participants indicated that the question of acquiring or
retaining a job does not apply to them should be conducted. These explanations will help make an
accurate distinction between students who are actively engaged in a job or post-secondary education
and those that are idle or non-productive.

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APPENDIXES

APPENDIX A
Definition of Terms
Emotional Disturbance (ED). Emotional disturbances under Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) is defined as a condition that exhibits one or more of the following characteristics over a
period of time, and to a marked degree adversely affecting a child’s educational performance, (a) an
inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors, (b) an inability to
build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers, (c) inappropriate
types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances, (d) a general pervasive mood of unhappiness
or depression, (e) tendency to develop physical symptoms of fears associated with personal or school
problems.
Individualized Education Plan (IEP). An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is mandated by the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Public schools in the United States are mandated
to develop an IEP for all students with disabilities who are eligible for special education. This
document must be designed to provide the student with a free and appropriate public education. The
IEP covers both the educational program and interventions that will be provided for the disabled
student and their family. The IDEA, 2004, requires that an IEP must be individualized and written to
meet the unique needs of each student.
Individualized Transition Plan. Individualized Transition Plan (ITP) includes a set of coordinated
activities assisting students with disabilities in moving from school into self-determined post
graduation activities. The IDEA requires that schools provide transition services to students with
disabilities beginning at age fourteen.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) is a
federal law governing the rights of children or students with disabilities to receive a free and
appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment possible.
Intervention. Intervention is an orchestrated attempt by one or more people to offer assistance to
students with disabilities.
Learning Disabilities (LD). Learning disabilities affect the brain’s ability to receive process, analyze, or
store information.
Participants. Participants are defined as the living individuals about whom an investigator conducting
research obtains data through interactions and with identifiable private information.
Transition. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA, 2004) defines
transition services as: a coordinated set of activities for a student with a disability.

APPENDIX B
Interview/Survey Questions

Please mark Yes Or NO to the Following Questions.

1. Do you have a job now …..………………………….YES……NO …….N/A

2. I have kept a job since after high school graduation.…YES……NO….....N/A

3. I lost my first job, and do not have a job now.....…… YES……NO ……N/A

4. Vocational Education Program helped me get a job….YES……NO ....…N/A

5. If you would like to change something in the program, what will that be?
......................................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................

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APPENDIX C
Computer Printout
Secondary Analysis for Research Questions One and Two.
Frequencies
Computer Printout for table 2

Statistics

Vocational
I lost my first Education
I have kept a job, and do Program
Do you have job since after not have a helped me
a job now? high school job now get a job
N Valid 80 80 80 80
Missing 0 0 0 0

Frequency tables

Do you have a job now?

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid Not applicable 5 6.3 6.3 6.3
Yes 48 60.0 60.0 66.3
No 27 33.8 33.8 100.0
Total 80 100.0 100.0

I have kept a job since after high school

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid Not applicable 19 23.8 23.8 23.8
Yes 40 50.0 50.0 73.8
No 21 26.3 26.3 100.0
Total 80 100.0 100.0

I lost my first job, and do not have a job now

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid Not applicable 28 35.0 35.0 35.0
Yes 11 13.8 13.8 48.8
No 41 51.3 51.3 100.0
APPENDIX C (continued)
Total 80 100.0 100.0

Vocational Education Program helped me get a job

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid Not applicable 12 15.0 15.0 15.0
Yes 62 77.5 77.5 92.5
No 6 7.5 7.5 100.0
Total 80 100.0 100.0

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APPENDIX D
Pie Chart demonstration for Secondary Analysis for Research Questions One and Two
Do you have a job now?

No Not applicable

Yes

I lost my first job, and do not have a job now

Not applicable

No

Yes

I have kept a job since after high school

No

Not applicable

Yes

Vocational Education Program helped me get a job

No
Not applicable

Yes

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