Dataset Directory: Dataset Profile

Dataset: National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS-2)

Basic Information
Dataset Full Name National Longitudinal Transition Study 2
Dataset Acronym NLTS-2
Summary

The National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS-2) was an annual longitudinal study funded by the U.S. Department of Education and documents the experiences of a national sample of students receiving special education who were 13 to 16 years of age in 2000 as they moved from secondary school into adult roles. The study collected information regarding a wide range of topics, including high school coursework, extracurricular activities, academic performance, post-secondary education and training, employment, independent living, and community participation. It also detailed a list of medications taken by the students.  Note:  a related new study, the NLTS 2012, is in progress: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/nlts/

NLTS2012 data request page: https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=NCEE20174020 
Key Terms NA
Study Design Longitudinal
Data Type(s) Survey
Sponsoring Agency/Entity Department of Education (DOE)
Health Conditions/Disability Measures
Health Condition(s) ADD/ADHD, Autism spectrum disorders, Cerebral palsy, Congenital conditions, Down syndrome, Epilepsy or seizure disorder, Orthopedic conditions, Pulmonary disorders, Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Disability Measures Ambulatory disability, Cognitive disability, Communication impairment, Developmental disabilities, Functional limitations (ADLs & IADLs), Hearing disability, Intellectual disability, Mental health disability, Physical disability, Special equipment use/assistive technology, Visual disability
Measures/Outcomes of Interest
Topics Coursework, Extracurricular activities, Academic performance, Post-secondary education and training, Employment, Independent living, Community participation
Sample
Sample Population Special education students: 13-16 years of age in 2000
Sample Size/Notes 11,270 special education students
Unit of Observation Individual
Continent(s) North America
Countries

United States
Geographic Coverage United States
Geographic Specificity National
Special Population(s)

Children/Youth
Data Collection
Data Collection Mode Survey, Interview, Assessments and administrative records
Years Collected 2000-2010
Data Collection Frequency Every two years during a 10-year period (5 waves of data collection). For details see: http://www.nlts2.org/faq.html#timeline
Strengths and Limitations
Strengths Longitudinal data follows students for 10 years, using a wide array of data sources (parents, teachers students, school records) and data collection strategies. Large, nationally representative sample. Minimal bias found in comparison with other data sources. Data collection instruments designed to allow comparisons to general population of youth based on other national databases.
Limitations Potential bias due to attrition over waves. Sample limited to youth who received special education; not representative of all youth with disabilities.
Data Details
Primary Website https://nlts2.sri.com/
Data Access

https://nlts2.sri.com/data_tables/datatable_training.html
Data Access Requirements Data Use agreement, No Cost
Summary Tables/Reports

Data tables:

    https://nlts2.sri.com/data_tables/
Data Components
  • Parent Survey
  • Teacher Survey
  • School Characteristics Survey
  • Cross-Instrument Data
  • Parent/Youth Survey
  • Direct Assessment
  • Alternate Assessment
  • Teacher Questionnaire
  • Student's School Program Questionnaire
  • Transcript Data

For complete list and wave identification see:

    https://nlts2.sri.com/data_dictionary/data_documentation_dictionary.html#wave1_data_files_content
Selected Papers
Other Papers

NLTS2 Reports:

     http://nlts2.sri.com/reports/index.html

Technical

Data documentation and dictionaries:

    http://nlts2.sri.com/data_dictionary/data_documentation_dictionary.html

Related Repositories
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