To assess the educational experiences of students with learning disabilities, this
research utilizes the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS-2), a nationally
representative survey of students with disabilities which also includes surveys of their
parents and teachers. The sample of students in the NLTS-2 with learning disabilities
(including speech impairments and ADD/ADHD) is 2,054. The students range in age
from 13-16 during the first wave of the study, 2001, and 20-23 in the most recent wave,
2007. There are more male than female students in the sample, but this mirrors the fact
that boys are more likely to be diagnosed with a learning disability and is thus reflective
of this population (Coutinho, Oswald & Best, 2002). The sample is racially diverse with