South Dakota Post High School Outcome Survey

Survey Purpose & Uses

Purpose

The final regulations for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) were intended to improve the post high school outcomes of youth with disabilities by requiring state and local education agencies to develop and implement formal procedures and strategies to address this critical period of transition.

The South Dakota Post High School Outcomes Survey (SDPHSOS) provides a framework that both the State Educational Agency (SEA) and Local Education Agencies (LEA) can utilize to conduct outcomes studies, identify critical outcomes and needs, and improve the post high school outcomes of future students. Data collection on outcomes of school exiters with disabilities is required under State Performance Plan Indicator 14. The SDPHSOS website (www.sdposthighsurvey.org) provides a method to collect and report this data in a cost effective, time efficient manner.

Required Use and Elective Use

This outcomes website was designed to assist both those South Dakota districts required to collect outcomes data, and those districts who want to collect outcomes data. Outcomes data can be used to view how district exiters are doing towards their post high school goals, determine weaknesses in program planning, track implementation of outcomes goals, and provide other valuable information to staff, administrators, parents and other interested parties.

Districts are required to collect student contact information and mail their former district students a letter introducing the survey. For those districts involved in LEA Compliance Monitoring, we will contact your former district students for a telephone interview approximately one year after the student has exited their secondary educational placement thorough graduation, certificate of attendance (including HSED), reaching maximum age of eligibility (age 21 years), or by dropping-out (including GED). Districts choosing to use the website may call their own former students, or they may contract with a third party to call on their behalf.

Your district's required Indicator 14 data will be available directly from the outcomes website. Three data points are collected and reported to the public:

% of former district students who are or have attended or completed any type of postsecondary education
% of former district students who are currently employed
% of former district students who are both attending postsecondary education and are employed.

If your district elects to use the outcomes website in a non-compliance monitoring year, no data is made public.