Important information for educators involved in the annual Youth One Year Out (YOYO) former student interview.
Latest News & Updates
YOYO Interviewers – thank you for all your hard work this YOYO season! We are analyzing the data, and we will let you know our findings as soon as we can. Stay tuned!
The YOYO is a voluntary phone interview that students participate in one year after exiting high school. The YOYO is conducted with all students in Kentucky who exited high school in the previous school year, had an Individualized Education Program (IEP) in place at the time of exit, and exited by graduation with a regular diploma, alternative diploma, reached maximum age, or dropped out. During the interview, former students can describe their experiences since leaving high school and learn about available resources. When necessary, information may be gathered from a parent, guardian, or caregiver on behalf of the student. Former students’ participation in the YOYO is voluntary and confidential.
YOYO Flyer for Educators (PDF)
The U.S. Department of Education mandates post-school outcome data collection for Indicator 14 under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which Kentucky’s Department of Education (KDE) then supports through its contractor, the Kentucky Post School Outcome Center (KYPSO). The KYPSO oversees data collection through the Youth One Year Out (YOYO) interview process and analyzes the data, ensuring compliance with the federal mandate to improve transition services for students with disabilities in Kentucky.
February – Former Student Lists are Available for Review
March – Live Zoom YOYO Interviewer Trainings Begin
April 1 – YOYO Former Student Interview Opens
August 31 – YOYO Closes at 11:59 pm ET
All new YOYO interviewers are required to attend a YOYO interviewer training. We also offer a refresher training for returning interviewers.
Previously recorded and captioned trainings:
2025 New YOYO Interviewer Training – (PowerPoint) (Vimeo)
2025 Returning YOYO Interviewer Training – (PowerPoint) (Vimeo)
Supplemental YOYO Resource Manual (PDF) – a list of available resources in Kentucky for people with disabilities (employment, medical, housing, etc.)
Print Version of 2025 YOYO (PDF) – printable version of the YOYO interview (not for data input). Previous years.
Kentucky Disability Resource Guide – a handbook of program descriptions, eligibility criteria, and contact information
YOYO Best Practices (YouTube) – Dr. LoBianco interviews Fayette County to discuss their 98% response rate for the 2021 YOYO
Contacting Hard to Find Youth (PDF) – strategies from the National Post-School Outcomes Center
Special Education Regional Technical Assistance Centers (SERTACs) – a network of nine regional centers that provide specialized support to school districts across the state.
KYPSO’s online data collection and reporting platform. This is where YOYO interviews are conducted and where district reports are stored. Registration is required to conduct interviews as well as to view reports. DoSE can email KYPSO at information@kypso.org.
How to Register for a KYPSO Account (YouTube) – A 50-second video that explains how to register for a KYPSO account.
How to Navigate the Dashboard (YouTube) – A 4-minute video that explains how to utilize your dashboard, including previous years’ indicator 14 data and current state/district interview completion rates.
How to View YOYO Interview Status (YouTube) – This 2-minute video explains how to view the status of your individual YOYO interviews that are currently being conducted.
How to Manage Your List of Students (YouTube) – This 4-minute video explains how to view a list of your former students to be interviewed.
For DoSE’s Only:
How to Manage Users (YouTube) – This 4-minute video explains how to manage your YOYO interviewers (view their role, if they’ve taken the interviewer quiz, and when they were last active in the system).
Each year, when former student lists are populated in the Data Collection & Reporting site (and before the YOYO begins), please review to ensure the information is correct. Did the former student have an IEP in place at the time of exit? Did they exit during the previous school year?
If you need to remove a former student from your district, submit a request through our Secure Student Information Portal.
If you need to add a former student, please complete and upload the Add Students Spreadsheet to our Secure Student Information Portal.
Please always convey personally identifiable information through our Secure Student Information Portal and never by email.
The Student Information Portal can also be accessed within your Data Collection & Reporting account.
Collect Student Contact Information
Before students exit high school, ensure you have contact information on file with multiple ways to reach them. Districts that consistently have high contact rates make a strong effort to collect up-to-date contact information on students before they exit school. It’s recommended that a student’s Case Manager or ARC Chairperson collect student contact information during the year-end, summary of performance conference, or the last IEP meeting. Many districts have had success implementing a Google Form to collect information before the YOYO, allowing students or parents to provide up-to-date contact information and indicate the best time to call. Please feel free to use this sample contact form we’ve created. This form is ideal for printing and storing in a secure location. Student Contact Information Form for the YOYO
Let Students Know You’ll be Calling
At least two to four weeks before conducting your YOYO interviews, send a reminder to former students. You could also use that as an opportunity to ensure you have the correct phone number and schedule a time to reach them. We’ve created some resources for you below. Please feel free to make them your own!
Former student letter – a letter to mail or email former students in preparation for the YOYO.
Former student YOYO postcard (PNG) or former student YOYO postcard (PPTX) – this digital postcard can be customized, saved as a picture, and attached to an email.
Share Informational Materials
Our Guidance for Students and Families page includes information about the YOYO interview, what to expect from the interview questions, how the data is shared, and multiple resources.
We have also provided a YOYO flyer for students and families. This flyer can be printed as-is or downloaded and emailed.
YOYO Flyer for Students and Families – (PDF)