A Longitudinal Follow-Up of Graduates from a Rural Special Education Program

This article summarizes the post-graduation outcomes of 298 students verified as either specific learning disabled or mentally handicapped who graduated from a rural special education program between 1979 and 1988. The following outcome measures were analyzed: current (1989) employment environment, employment outcomes, work-related benefits, primary reported source of income, and living arrangement. Results are discussed relative to comparable published studies, implications for staff training, and the continued need for program analysis and evaluation.