- Agriculture, food, and natural resources
- Arts, A/V technology, and communications
- Health sciences
- Information Technology
- Human services

Most Commonly Examined Career and Technical Education Course Areas of Study

- Students with learning disabilities and without disabilities had similar rates of enrollment in community colleges, but students with learning disabilities enrolled in four year colleges at a much lower rate than students without disabilities

Findings Regarding Students With Learning Disabilities and Post Secondary Education 

- Students with learning disabilities are enrolled in career and technical education courses at a higher rate than students with other disabilities and students without disabilities
- On average spend more time in general education settings as compared to students without learning disabilities
- Had more unexcused absences than students with no learning disabilities or students without disabilities
- Had a higher rate of graduating on time than students with non learning disabilities, but a lower rate than students without disabilities
- Enrollment in CTEs did not show a significant effect on post secondary outcome for 10th and 11th graders, but showed a positive effect on graduation rates for 12th graders. Enrollment in mainly general education courses slightly boosted graduation rates for students with learning disabilities

Findings Regarding Students With Learning Disabilities in Secondary Education

- Students with learning disabilities were employed at a lower rate than students without disabilities within six months of graduating

Findings Regarding Students With Learning Disabilities and Post Graduation Employment

96% of students included in the study with a LD took at least one CTE course, 94% of which was in a general education setting. 92% took an occupationally specific course. 36% took an occupationally specific concentration of CTE courses (>=4 credits).

Study Results Regarding Proportion of Students With Learning Disability in Career and Technical Education Courses

Enrollment in career and technical education courses in this study is defined by at least four credits in coursework that provides skills for future careers and independent living.

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Students with learning disabilities have been shown to lag behind other students with different disabilities in college attendance, employment success, and grade point average, alongside a higher dropout rate.

Learning Disabilities and Educational and Employment Outcomes

Theobald, R., Goldhaber, D., Gratz, T., & Holden, K. (2018). Career and Technical Education, Inclusion, and Postsecondary Outcomes for Students With Learning Disabilities. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0022219418775121?casa_token=QiB3To8weTUAAAAA%3AO6bWl5uPRIZKZjCHILDNq9CdgNuZQo6iDtl3znn6WOIc1RU4t-GhikiEQG7DugPtto1QWR2Ykz2B


Career and Technical Education, Inclusion, and Postsecondary Outcomes for Students With Learning Disabilities

- Are less likely to be female than students without disabilities
- Are more likely to be an underrepresented minority
- Are more likely to have limited English proficiency
- Are more likely to receive free or reduced price lunches
- Are shown to shown to have a lower baseline of achievement 


Demographic of Students with Learning Disabilities 

As of 2015, 62% of high school students receiving special education services had a learning disability. 57% of students with a learning disability reported the goal of obtaining competitive employment, which is a greater percentage than any other disability group.

Subpopulation of High School Students With Learning Disabilities

The US Department of Education sponsored this study to examines students of diverse backgrounds and experiences, and how they transitioned to life after high school. It consisted of students who used special education services, students who qualified for disability accommodation,, and those with no disability. Information was reported from survey results of the parents and the students. Findings included the fact that students with disabilities were more socioeconomically disadvantaged, and were more likely to struggle to adapt to post graduation life, especially for students with intellectual disabilities and multiple disabilities.

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