Transitioning to college and employment can be challenging for youth and young adults with disabilities due to low student expectations, limited awareness of options, lack of access, and lackluster opportunities. In 2014, the Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) awarded two five-year cooperative agreements (grants) to Pellissippi State Community College (Universal Pathways to Employment Project (UPEP)) in Knoxville, TN and Onondaga Community College (Onondaga Pathways to Careers (OPC)) in Syracuse, NY, under the Pathways to Careers: Community College Interventions for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities demonstration project (Pathways). The goal was to increase the capacity of community colleges to provide inclusive integrated education and career development and training services to young adults with disabilities. ODEP required grantees to design program models that increase credential and job attainment of students with disabilities, increase their job placement, and decrease the wage-earning differential between students with and without disabilities, and between students with different types of disabilities. The grants provided each college with up to $1,041,650 per year (renewable at the discretion of ODEP).

This report presents interim findings of the Pathways evaluation consisting of an implementation study and a descriptive outcomes study. This interim report documents program components, system-level characteristics and reported challenges to implementation. In addition, it documents preliminary program outputs and participant outcomes, including summaries of participant survey data related to utilization and satisfaction with Pathways services.

The implementation study also provides the context for the outcome findings. The purpose of the outcomes study is to document program outputs and participant outcomes. The evaluation incorporates an overall design using a number of data collection methods and multiple data collection points matched to the requirements of the two interrelated and interwoven studies focused on implementation processes and programmatic outcomes. Primary data collection activities for the implementation study included site visits and/or telephone interviews of a purposive sample of program administrators and staff, instructors, and partner organizations.

The implementation study focuses on three dimensions of implementation: fidelity, incorporation, and operation. The Outputs/Outcomes Study addresses three dimensions: satisfaction, academic, and employment. This interim report provides preliminary results on the first two dimensions. The final report (forthcoming) will provide more details on the outcomes as additional rounds of surveys and interviews are completed and additional semester data files received.

The study showed evidence that participants are satisfied with the programs. Two-thirds of respondents said that instructors and staff often assist students with disabilities to get needed accommodations, provide supports needed for student success, and support their academic needs. A majority of the 65 enrolled respondents (53.8%) provided a rating of excellent for their experience in the Pathways program, and another 40 percent said it was good. Activities with the highest satisfaction included tutoring services (40.0%), followed by computer lab (33.9%), and career exploration (29.2%). Nearly 90 percent of the 65 enrolled respondents participated in a workshop or course specifically designed to teach skills and strategies to help students succeed in college and half of respondents participated in campus clubs and activities. At least half of respondents indicated that they agreed or strongly agreed with four statements measuring self-advocacy, self-determination, and self-disclosure. The fall 2015 to fall 2016 persistence rate (i.e., enrollment) was greater at UPEP (64.2%) than at OPC (32.3%).