The Kentucky Post School Outcome Study (KyPSO) is funded through the Kentucky Department of Education/Division of Exceptional Children Services (KDE/DECS) and is carried out, via a Memorandum of Agreement, by the Human Development Institute at the University of Kentucky (HDI/UK).
The KyPSO is designed to fulfill the Federal Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) requirement that all States follow up with former students who had Individual Education Programs (IEPS) to determine:
“the percent of youth who had IEPs, are no longer in secondary school and who have been competitively employed, enrolled in some type of postsecondary school, or both, within one year of leaving high school (U.S. Department of Education, 2006a).”
The KyPSO receives technical assistance and guidance from the National Post School Outcome Center (NPSOC) and the KyPSO Advisory Group.
Kentucky Local Education Agencies (LEA), or school districts, collect data at two different points in time:
- Every LEA, every year, collects information from every exiting student with and IEP information about their school experience and post school plans
- Beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, every LEA collects information regarding the post school outcomes of former students who had IEPs one year after their school exit.
After the data are collected, the Human Development Institute/University of Kentucky (HDI/UK) conducts a secondary data analysis, develops reports based upon the analyses, and shares results with all stakeholders.
The KyPSO works closely with the KDE/DECS to assure that information gleaned from this study will translate into meaningful information for school districts, and others, regarding transition practices they may predict more successful student post school outcomes.