Employment and Residential Status of Graduates from a Residential School

Abstract

Assessing the status of a school's graduates is one approach to program evaluation. Of specific concern to students, parents, and teachers is employment and housing. This article describes the findings of a study that evaluated the employment and housing status for five years of graduates from a residential school for the blind. The findings suggest that a high rate of placement was achieved, but that many graduates are not receiving competitive wages. Graduates who were not capable of competitive or supported employment also experienced a high rate of placement. Most of the graduates lived with their parents and were not looking to change this arrangement.