2. NLTS2 Study Overview

1 Prerequisites Recommended module to complete before viewing this module  1. Introduction to the NLTS2 Training Modules

2. NLTS2 Study Overview 2 Overview  Congressionally mandated national studies  Background of NLTS2  Purpose of NLTS2  NLTS2 sampling  NLTS2 study design  Data collection components  NLTS2 data collection timeline  Closing  Important information

2. NLTS2 Study Overview 3 Personnel issues regarding special educators and related service providers  SPeNSE–Westat Implementation at the state, district, and local levels related to key issues (e.g., parent involvement, discipline policy)  SLIIDEA–Abt Associates Costs of special education  SEEP–American Institutes for Research Congressionally mandated national studies

2. NLTS2 Study Overview 4 Congressionally mandated national studies Youth and family experiences and outcomes of those served in special education, across the age range  National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study (NEILS)–SRI  Pre-Elementary Education Longitudinal Study (PEELS)– Westat  Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS)–SRI  National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2)–SRI

2. NLTS2 Study Overview 5 Background of NLTS2 The National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2)  One of a suite of congressionally mandated studies.  A study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in 2000, conducted by OSEP 2001 to 2005, and by Institute of Education Sciences (IES) 2005 to  A nationwide study of more than 11,270 youth who were between the ages of 13 and 16 as of December 2000 and were followed over 9 years.  A longitudinal study with multiple data sources.  A follow-up of the original National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS).

2. NLTS2 Study Overview 6 Background of NLTS2 The National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS)  NLTS was a congressionally mandated study designed and conducted for the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs from 1984 to  As with NLTS2, it was a nationwide longitudinal study following youth from secondary school into adult life.  Many items in NLTS2 data collection instruments were designed to be comparable to items in NLTS.  SRI has published several comparison reports that compare NLTS and NLTS2 outcomes.  Comparison reports can be located on the NLTS2 website

2. NLTS2 Study Overview 7 Purpose of NLTS2 NLTS2 is a large-scale national policy study—not an intervention study. NLTS2 is “youth focused”—i.e., it informs special education policy from “the bottom up” by documenting  Who is served by special education—the characteristics of youth and families.  How they are served—the characteristics of the educational programs and services students receive.  Students’ outcomes in multiple domains.

2. NLTS2 Study Overview 8 NLTS2 sampling Generalizes to the full population of students receiving special education services in the designated age range. Sampling was done in two stages.  Local education agencies (LEAs)  Students

2. NLTS2 Study Overview 9 NLTS2 sampling Stage 1  Local Education Agencies (LEAs) is stratified by Geographic region Enrollment size Student wealth All state-operated special schools for students with visual and hearing impairments

2. NLTS2 Study Overview 10 NLTS2 sampling Stage 2  LEAs and state-supported special schools provided rosters of students Students attending regular schools Students listed on rosters who were attending special schools or programs  Student sampling From 12 federally recognized disability categories Who were age 13 to 16 at the time of sampling In at least 7th grade in middle and secondary schools in the sampled LEA rosters

2. NLTS2 Study Overview 11 NLTS2 study design NLTS2 was designed to address  Breadth of topics (e.g., youth characteristics, instructional settings, parent involvement, services)  Breadth of youth outcomes (e.g., academic performance, social adjustment, employment)  Multiple data points for same youth over time. (e.g., school enrollment, employment, residential status)  Data that can be manipulated to identify factors that are associated with outcomes

2. NLTS2 Study Overview 12 NLTS2 study design NLTS2 has a comprehensive conceptual framework to address myriad questions. Data are generated by using  Multiple data sources Parents, youth, teachers, school administrators  Multiple data collection methods Phone interviews, mail surveys, direct assessments, transcripts  Variations within instruments to accommodate individual needs (e.g., alternate assessments)  Multiple waves of data for most instruments

2. NLTS2 Study Overview 13 Data collection components Parents  Telephone interviews (CATI) or mail surveys to assess family background, student’s history, receipt of services, etc. Every 2 years in Waves 1 to 5

2. NLTS2 Study Overview 14 Data collection components Youth  Telephone interviews (CATI) or mail surveys to assess student services, experiences, etc. Every 2 years in Waves 2 to 5  A direct assessment of reading and math skills and an in-person interview regarding self-concept Once in either Wave 1 or Wave 2

2. NLTS2 Study Overview 15 Data collection components Teacher mail surveys  One teacher per student about curriculum and student performance in the general classroom if the student had a general education course  School staff best able to describe each student’s overall school program (special educator) to describe program (e.g., placements) and performance (e.g., days absent) School mail surveys  School representative regarding school characteristics and policies and aggregate measures of school performance Secondary school transcripts  Secondary school course taking

2. NLTS2 Study Overview 16 NLTS2 data collection timeline Wave 1Wave 2Wave 3Wave 4Wave 5 Year Year Year Year Year Year Year Year Year Year Parent telephone interviews or surveys Youth telephone interviews or surveys Direct assessment and in-person interviews Teacher Survey Student’s School Program Survey School Characteristics Survey Transcripts

2. NLTS2 Study Overview 17 Closing Topics discussed in this module  Congressionally mandated national studies  Background of NLTS2  Purpose of NLTS2  NLTS2 sampling  NLTS2 study design  Data collection components  NLTS2 data collection timeline Next module:  3. NLTS2 Study Design and Sampling

2. NLTS2 Study Overview 18 Important information  NLTS2 website contains reports, data tables, and other project-related information  Information about obtaining the NLTS2 database and documentation can be found on the NCES website  General information about restricted data licenses can be found on the NCES website  address: