A Follow-Up of Former Special Education Students: A Model for Program Evaluation

Abstract

The present study is a follow-up program evaluation of a school district's special education program. Telephone interviews were conducted to gather data on 215 young adults with handicaps in the state of Texas. Opinions and concerns of parents and former students were examined in terms of high school experiences and the transition to adult life. The respondents' comments were analyzed using a domain analysis (Spradley, 1980). Analyses of responses to focused and open-ended questions suggested that the areas of most concern to these young adults and their parents were (a) affective issues such as poor self-esteem and a lack of self acceptance and (b) issues of vocational success and personal independence. This study examines the social validity of the educational product, or the extent to which important persons in the students' lives both perceive and value the changes that occurred as a result of educational intervention. The effects of the study's findings on the school district are discussed.