Effects of a Paid Internship Model on Postschool Outcomes of At-risk Youth with Disabilities

Abstract

Background: Employment rates of individuals with disabilities are consistently below those without. Keeping students with disabilities on track to earn a regular diploma, and gain career preparation and paid work experiences can improve their outcomes. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), awarded a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), established a Rehabilitation and Research Training Center (RRTC) focused on employment for transition-age youth with disabilities. One study examined the benefits of the Start on Success paid internship model for at-risk students with disabilities. Objective: To investigate whether the SOS internship model, comprising a career and technical education course followed by a paid internship, improves postschool outcomes for students with disabilities who earned a regular diploma. Methods: This quantitative, quasi-experimental design study compared the postschool outcomes of students with disabilities who participated in the SOS program with those who received standard transition services. Seniors took a CTE course in the fall and a paid internship in the spring. Both groups took the Transition Assessment Goal Generator (TAGG) at the start and end of their senior year, and Indicator #14 data were analyzed for both groups. Results: The results revealed that students in the SOS model showed significant improvements in self-determination and were more likely to pursue postsecondary education, training, or employment compared to their peers who did not participate. Conclusion: The study underscores the benefits of combining structured career and technical education with real-world experience to enhance postschool outcomes for students with disabilities. The authors recommend further research involving families and community partners in transition planning to prepare these students for their future goals better. © The Author(s) 2025

Keywords

Author Keywords

Students with disabilities paid internships postschool outcomes transition planning

Index Keywords

Employment human Article juvenile disabled student disability study quantitative study quasi experimental study tertiary education

Author Affiliations

Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States

Funding & Acknowledgements

National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, NIDILRR

Funding text 1: The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article This article was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities (HHS-2019ACL-NIDILRR-RTEM-0339). The authors of this article would like to acknowledge and thank the study participants and project staff of Effects of Paid Internships on Competitive Integrated Employment or Postsecondary Education Outcomes for At-Risk Youth with Disabilities Earning a Regular Diploma. Their dedication and persistence during challenging times allowed the researchers to complete the requirements of the study.; Funding text 2: The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article This article was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities (HHS-2019ACL-NIDILRR-RTEM-0339).

Grant: HHS-2019ACL-NIDILRR-RTEM-0339

Funding text 1: The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article This article was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities (HHS-2019ACL-NIDILRR-RTEM-0339). The authors of this article would like to acknowledge and thank the study participants and project staff of Effects of Paid Internships on Competitive Integrated Employment or Postsecondary Education Outcomes for At-Risk Youth with Disabilities Earning a Regular Diploma. Their dedication and persistence during challenging times allowed the researchers to complete the requirements of the study.; Funding text 2: The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article This article was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities (HHS-2019ACL-NIDILRR-RTEM-0339).

References 10 References

1 Bear, George G., School completers and noncompleters with learning disabilities: Similarities in academic achievement and perceptions of self and teachers, Remedial and Special Education, 27, 5, pp. 293-300, (2006)

2 High School Journal, (2013)

3 Persons with A Disability Labor Force Characteristics Summary, (2024)

4 Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences, (1988)

5 Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, (2016)

6 Karpinski, M. J., A follow-along study of postsecondary outcomes for graduates and dropouts with mild disabilities in a rural setting., Journal of learning disabilities, 25, 6, pp. 376-385, (1992)

7 Exceptionality, (2009)

8 Krane, Vibeke, There are three of us: parents’ experiences of the importance of teacher-student relationships and parental involvement in upper secondary school, International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 24, 1, pp. 74-84, (2019)

9 Lindsay, Sally, A systematic review of mentorship programs to facilitate transition to post-secondary education and employment for youth and young adults with disabilities, Disability and Rehabilitation, 38, 14, pp. 1329-1349, (2016)

10 Tagg Technical Manual, (2015)

Effects of a Paid Internship Model on Postschool Outcomes of At-risk Youth with Disabilities

How to Cite