The Interaction of Disability Status and Family Income Level as a Predictor of STEM Achievement for Youth in U.S. High Schools

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates that U.S. public schools shall provide special education services to youth with disabilities, and each student’s Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) outlines how the school will provide these accommodations. Employment outcomes for youth with disabilities remain far lower than for youth who do not have disabilities. Completion of Science/Technology/Engineering/Math (STEM) courses in high school may increase access to employment. Data from the United States National Center for Education Statistics High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), n=23,415 were analyzed using an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) linear regression model to determine the number of STEM classes completed in high school for students who received accommodations under an lEP. The results indicate that there was a significant reduction in STEM classes completed by the end of high school for the students who both received accommodations under an IEP and were from low-income families, while controlling for sex, race, previous GPA, and significant cognitive disabilities. Given the increasing numbers of STEM occupations, incentives that specifically target youth with disabilities from low-income families to pursue education in high school STEM coursework are needed.