Practice

The transition from youth to adulthood is challenging for almost every young person. This is particularly true for young people with disabilities. Yet, it is in those critical transition-age years that a young person’s future can be determined. Part of a successful future includes finding and keeping work. The total employment rate is projected to increase by 15% in the first decade of the twenty-first century. Employment in occupations that generally require a college degree or other postsecondary credential is projected to grow much faster than other jobs across all occupations. Jobs requiring work-related training will still account for the majority of the new positions.

This Guide has been prepared under the aegis of a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) housed at the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL). Three authors have contributed to the development of this Guide. Ms. Joan Wills, a Senior Fellow at IEL has oversight responsibilities for the work, Dr. V. Scott Solberg from Boston University’s School of Education has the lead responsibility for conducting a series of research studies centered on the effects of schools instituting individualized learning plans (ILPs), and Mr. David Osman is a consultant with deep experience in preparing career development materials for the federal government.

This report summarizes the findings and recommendations of ILP research and technical assistance activities that were completed between 2007 and 2013. The purpose of these activities was to investigate whether ILPs should be considered a promising practice for youth with and without disabilities and to identify promising state, district, and school ILP implementation strategies.