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Summary of a GAO Conference: Helping California Youths with Disabilities Transition to Work or Postsecondary Education

GAO-06-759SP Published: Jun 20, 2006. Publicly Released: Jun 20, 2006.
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Highlights

The federal government plays a significant role in supporting youths with disabilities, many of whom research has shown are less likely than other students to successfully transition from high school to postsecondary education or employment. Federal programs make considerable investments in providing transition services for youths with disabilities, often through state and local agencies. GAO has previously reported problems in how these programs support transition, such as difficulties youths with disabilities may experience in accessing services. To better understand how federal programs interact at the state and local levels to support transitioning youths with disabilities, on November 15, 2005, GAO convened a conference of professionals and state and local program experts who are directly involved with transitioning youths with disabilities in California. While the perspectives offered were limited to one state's experience, California has wide variation in population, industry, disability rates, and employment rates among its counties, and thus may offer lessons to other states about the challenges and successes in serving transitioning youths. This report summarizes the views of panelists on challenges they experienced serving this population during critical transition years, and identifies several practices that they believe are helping to address those challenges in California.

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Topics

Aid for the disabledEmployment assistance programsEmployment of the disabledHigher educationIntergovernmental relationsLife skills trainingLocally administered programsPeople with disabilitiesSchool-to-work transition programsState-administered programsVocational educationYouthYouth employment programsConferences