2010 Report of the AccessSTEM/AccessComputing/DO-IT Longitudinal Transition Study (ALTS)

by S. Burgstahler, E. Moore, and L. Crawford, University of Washington

Reporting data as of April 2010.

This report is based on the AccessSTEM/AccessComputing/DO-IT Longitudinal Transition Study (ALTS). It tracks the college and career pathways of students with disabilities who have participated in activities sponsored by projects of the DO-IT Center at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle. To date, 253 students with a wide range of disabilities have agreed to participate in this ongoing study. More students will be added to the study as they enter DO-IT programs and agree to participate in this research activity. One hundred thirteen of the respondents have participated in only a baseline interview; 107 students have participated in one follow-up interview; and 33 have participated in two follow-up interviews.

In the ALTS study participants are asked about educational and career pathways and outcomes. Additionally, they are asked to identify the DO-IT activities they participated in and rate the value of the activities. As this database grows, both in number of participants and number of interviews per participant, it is expected to reveal the long-term impact of DO-IT's program activities. That is, it will indicated which activities best benefit students and which activities are most important for achieving positive postsecondary outcomes. This report is an update of a preliminary report of S. Burgstahler and C. Chang available at https://www.washington.edu/doit/programs/accessstem/resources/accessstemdo-it-longitudinal-transition-study-alts/preliminary-report.

The AccessSTEM/AccessComputing/DO-IT Longitudinal Transition Study was developed through an award from the Research in Disabilities Education program of the NSF (cooperative agreement # HRD-0227995) for the Alliance for Student with Disabilities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (AccessSTEM) (grant # HRD-0833504). The DO-IT Scholars program, in which many study respondents participated, has been funded by the National Science Foundation, NASA, Microsoft, Boeing Company, the State of Washington, and other sources. The Alliance for Access to Computing Careers (AccessComputing) is funded by NSF’s Directorate for Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering (grant # CNS-0540615 and CNS-0837508). The ALTS continues to be maintained by AccessSTEM, AccessComputing, and other projects for which DO-IT is a sponsor.

Specific research questions of the ALTS are:

1. (a) What are the educational achievements of participants in DO-IT interventions? (b) Do they differ from other youth with disabilities with regard to educational achievements?
2. (a) What are the employment outcomes of participants in DO-IT interventions? (b) Do they differ from other youth with disabilities with regard to employment achievements?
3. (a) Which interventions are regarded as most valuable? (b) Are patterns evident linking student demographics or interests with the intervention(s) used and their perceived value, or with student pathways? (c) Is there evidence of how interventions might be improved or expanded to be more beneficial or more broadly beneficial?

The ALTS tracks the progress toward degrees and careers of students with disabilities who had a goal of postsecondary education while in high school and received DO-IT sponsored interventions (e.g., internships, mentoring, college transition activities) in high school and/or in college. Many DO-IT sponsored interventions were funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The study is designed in such a way that respondent content can be updated and data can be analyzed at any time. Recognizing that at any point some respondents in the study are still enrolled in secondary school or are recent high school graduates, besides graduation and career outcome data, the "on track" status of respondents as they progress through critical junctures that lead to degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is determined.

The progress of ALTS respondents are compared with that of participants in the National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) (SRI International, 1987-1993) for whom postsecondary education was part of their transition plan while they were still in high school. Although ALTS participants were not randomly selected and the two groups are not identical in characteristics, both groups are composed of college-bound youth with a wide range of disabilities and interests. The DO-IT Scholars program, for example, works with students who have many different academic and career interests; AccessSTEM participants are interested in careers in STEM; AccessComputing participants are interested in careers in computing and information technology (IT) fields. The ALTS Logic Model provides a visual representation of activities in which respondents were involved as well as project outputs, goals/outcomes, and long-term impacts.

We intend to expand ALTS with new participants and with longer-term follow up to gather data that will enable us to evaluate both the short-term and the long-term impact of specific projects and activities designed to increase the college and career success of individuals with disabilities, particularly in STEM fields. This study is responsive to the recommendation of the Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (2004) that the NSF make an effort to collect more and higher-quality data about factors that promote the success of individuals with disabilities in STEM fields.

Procedures

Recruited through their participation in DO-IT activities, respondents in this study were interviewed in person, by email, by phone, or in a combination of the three. Their records were added to an online database. Content stored in the database includes demographics, assistive technology usage, involvement in program activities, stages of progress through critical junctures leading to STEM careers, participants' reasons for discontinuing progress toward a STEM career, and career outcomes. Participants are periodically interviewed to update database content. ALTS data is analyzed by an external evaluator.

The following paragraphs provide an overview of findings from some of the data collected thus far in the ongoing AccessSTEM/AccessComputing/DO-IT Longitudinal Transition Study.

Demographics

As of April 2010, the study included a total of 253 respondents. Fifty-four percent of the respondents are male; 46% are female. Their mean age was 21.6 years (SD = 5.54) at the time of their first interview; their ages ranged from 15.8 years to 55 years. Respondents self-identified as

• Caucasian/White (75.8%),
• Asian and Pacific Islander (7.9%),
• Hispanic (4.4%),
• African American/Black (3.6%),
• American Indian (1.2%),
• Multi-ethnic (4.8%), and
• Other (2.4%).

Figure 1 illustrates the prevalence of different types of disabilities among ALTS participants. About half of the respondents (47%) reported a mobility disability; nearly one-fourth reported a learning disability (22%). Nearly as many reported psychosocial issues (19%). Fewer reported sensory disabilities, a disability related a chronic or acute health condition, or a communication disorder.

Figure 2 shows the percentage of participating students reporting one (55%), two (33%) or three or more (12%) disabling conditions.

Figure 3 shows the participants’ educational status when they entered DO-IT. Four (2%) began participation in DO-IT activities in middle school, 197 (78%) in high school, 46 (18%) as college undergraduates or in their transition summer between high school and college, 3 (1%) as graduate or law students, and 2 (1%) when seeking employment.

 

Program Participation and Value of Interventions

Respondents participated in the following evidence-based practices.

• Technology access. Ninety-one percent of the respondents had access to a computer and 84% had access to the Internet before they participated in program activities. The percentage with computer and Internet access increased to 100% and 98%, respectively, after program participation. The percentage of the respondents in the current study with access to adaptive software or hardware was quite low before DO-IT participation (27%), but very high after participation in program activities (64%). Thirty-five percent reported that these adaptive technologies were provided at least in part by DO-IT. Adaptive software available to project participants includes scanning/reading, word prediction, mind mapping/outlining, speech recognition, and screen magnification software. Adaptive hardware includes alternative keyboards and mice.
• Internships and Other Work-Based Learning. Sixty-nine percent of respondents completed at least one internship, and 82% of these reported that at least one of their internships was provided by DO-IT. Overall, respondents reported 142 internships provided by DO-IT, with the total number completed by each respondent ranging from one to eight. The total number of internships provided by DO-IT ranged from none to seven. Fifty-five percent of the participants with internships (31% of the participants overall) had paid internships.
• Mentoring. Ninety-six percent of respondents reported having access to mentors during program participation, up from 34% before participation. (The remaining 5% of the participants had not yet been paired with mentors because they had just joined the program.) All 185 DO-IT Scholars indicated that they participated in internetworking and mentoring.
• College and Career Transition Workshops/Camps. Approximately one half (49%) of the respondents reported that they participated in college and career transition workshops or camps.
• Other STEM Activities. In addition to the aforementioned experiences provided through DO-IT, 31% of the respondents reported that they were involved in extracurricular STEM service groups, clubs, or other activities that were not sponsored by AccessSTEM, AccessComputing, DO-IT Scholars, or other DO-IT programs.

Figure 4a summarizes respondent perceptions regarding the value of program activities as they prepared for college and careers, in order from most to least valued as indicated by the percentage of valuable and very valuable ratings. Access to technology was reported to be the most valuable intervention, with 79% of the respondents noting that that intervention was very valuable, followed by internship or other work-based learning, rated as very valuable by 55% of those who participated, and as valuable by another 31%. College transition workshops or camps were rated nearly as high with 42% of the participants rating this activity very valuable, and another 44% rating it as valuable. Mentoring was also seen very positively, with 44% indicating that it was very valuable and another 34% saying it was valuable. However about one-fourth found it somewhat valuable, a diversity of responses that may lead to some insight into the qualities of a valuable mentorship experience in future interviews. Similarly, additional feedback about career transition workshops and camps may yield ideas for improvements that will increase the value of those activities to more participants.

The nine DO-IT staff members who work the most on multiple activities with DO-IT participants were also asked to rate the value of these program activities. Table 1 and Figure 4b show the results, with activities listed in the same order as above.

Table 1. Perceived Value of DO-IT Interventions as Rated by DO-IT Staff

Program Activities	Not Valuable	Somewhat Valuable	Valuable	Very Valuable
Note: Participants and staff rated all interventions highly; even the lowest rated item, mentoring, was rated valuable or very valuable by 72.8% and 100% of the participants and staff, respectively. All participants and staff gave access to computer technology valuable or very valuable ratings.
Access to computer technology	0.0% (0)	0.0% (0)	33.3% (3)	66.7% (6)
Internship, other work-based learning	0.0% (0)	0.0% (0)	22.1% (2)	77.8% (7)
Mentoring	0.0% (0)	0.0% (0)	11.1% (1)	88.9% (8)
College transition workshops/camps	0.0% (0)	0.0% (0)	0.0% (0)	100.0% (9)
Career transition workshops/camps	0.0% (0)	11.1% (1)	33.3% (3)	55.6% (5)

High School Completion

Overall, 229 ALTS respondents had graduated from high school at the time of the most recent interview. Most (77%) enrolled in a DO-IT program prior to high school graduation. Of these, 88% have graduated from high school and the remainder are still in high school - an impressive 100% high school completion rate. In comparison, the rate of high school completion for youth with disabilities was 54% for 1987 and 70% for 2003 in the NLTS and the NLTS2, respectively. A nationwide survey of individuals with disabilities (NOD, 2004) reported that students with disabilities drop out of high school at a rate (21%) that is double than that of the general population (10%). The rate of high school completion in the general population fluctuated between 86.4% in 1992 and 87.6% in 2005 (NCES, NCES2). Among the ALTS respondents who completed high school, only one student mentioned completing high school by passing a General Educational Development (GED) exam as compared to the national rate of 5.1% in 2000 and 7.8% in 1998 and 1999 (NCES, 2007a, b). This student entered the DO-IT program as an undergraduate.

Postsecondary Education Participation and Graduation

The following data was reported by the 229 high school graduates interviewed:

• 96% (219) enrolled in college, with slightly more first attending four-year colleges than two-year colleges.
• 36% (90) of ALTS respondents have graduated from 109 postsecondary programs (19 individuals each completed two programs, perhaps a two-year and a four-year program; perhaps a four-year and a graduate program).
• 52% (131) were still enrolled or enrolled in another college or graduate program.
• A total of 29%/54%/48% of ALTS respondents at two-year/four-year/graduate schools majored or minored in STEM.
• 78 have earned 93 postsecondary certificates/degrees; 38 (41%) of these degrees were in STEM fields.

Table 2 provides more detailed information of participant passage through the "critical junctures" in the postsecondary educational process. Figure 5 summarizes this information. High school completers are defined as 18- through 24-year-olds not enrolled in high school that have received a high school diploma or equivalency credential.

Table 2. Moving Through Critical Junctures in Education

Postsecondary education status	Number of participants	Percentage
Transitioned to college	218
Attending/attended 2-year college	123	56% of students who transitioned
Major/majored in STEM at 2-year college	36	29% of students at 2-year colleges
Attending/attended 4-year college	153	70% of students who transitioned
Major/majored in STEM at 4-year college	83	54% of students at 4-year colleges
Attending/attended graduate school	29	13% of students who transitioned
Major/majored in STEM at graduate school	14	48% of graduate students
Graduated or completed	78 (93 graduations - see note)	36% of students who transitioned
Currently enrolled in 2-year college	55	25% of students who transitioned
Currently enrolled in 4-yaer college	74	34% of students who transitioned
Currently enrolled in graduate school	12	6% of students who transitioned

Note: These 78 participants completed 93 programs – 19 individuals each completed two programs.

Comparisons between ALTS respondents and other datasets (NSF and the National Longitudinal Transition Study) (SRI International, 1987-1993) show:

• ALTS participants attend college at a higher rate: 219 (96%) of ALTS' 229 high school graduates attended college; 213 (98%) of these, within two years from high school graduation. By comparison, 77% of the NLTS participants had postsecondary goals in high school, and fewer than one third of these (31%) took a postsecondary course within two years after high school.
• ALTS participants are about as likely to attend a technical/two-year college program: About half of both NLTS and ALTS participants who attended postsecondary school did so at a technical/two-year college.

Post-School Employment

Sixty-three ALTS respondents reported employment in 89 post-school positions. This category was defined using stringent criteria (e.g., jobs participants held on campus, previous but not current jobs were not counted). Forty-five percent of these positions were STEM-oriented or in fields with significant technology demands. Below are findings about employed participants in the ALTS study.

• Excluding participants who had not yet graduated from high school, the 63 employed participants participated in about as many internships as the 37 who were not employed and not in school (1.78 vs. 1.62) and slightly but not significantly more than the 87 who are not employed and still in school (average=1.22).
• Those employed were slightly but not significantly more likely to have been involved in extracurricular STEM organizations and activities (41%) than those still in school and not employed (26%) or those not in school and not employed (32%).
• Employed participants were as likely as those still enrolled in school to have been enrolled in postsecondary STEM studies (56% vs. 55%), but more likely than those not enrolled in school (32%). χ2 (2, 187) = 6.2, p <.05.
• Employed respondents are older (F(1,197)=14.5; p<.001, had completed significantly more years of college, F (1,165)=13.9, p < .001.

Summary and Discussion of ALTS Results To Date

Participation

Analysis of data collected in the AccessSTEM/AccessComputing/DO-IT Longitudinal Transition Study reveals that a large majority of respondents had access to computers and the Internet before participation in program activities. However, few had access to adaptive software or hardware before participation (27%), but most did after participation in program activities (58%).

Respondents made significant gains regarding access to mentors as a result of program participation (from 34% to 96%).

Respondents rated the evidence-based practices employed by DO-IT between valuable and very valuable to them in their pursuit of postsecondary studies and careers. Using a scale from 1 (not valuable) to 4 (very valuable), participants gave the following average ratings:

• access to computer technology (3.8),
• work-based learning (3.4),
• college transition workshops/camps (3.3),
• mentoring (3.2), and
• career transition workshops/camps (3.0).

Staff rated all of these activities valuable or very valuable.

Achievements

While 24 ALTS respondents are still enrolled in middle school or high school, the other 229 have already graduated so that all ALTS participants have either graduated from high school or are still attending. All but one graduate received a high school diploma, and the other earned a GED. This represents a much higher graduation rate than other students with and without disabilities nationwide. The high rate of high school diploma recipients for ALTS respondents suggests promising interventions for students with disabilities, as well as a promising future for these individuals, as research indicates that students who earn high school diplomas are more than twice as likely as GED recipients to enroll in college; they also earn higher incomes as adults (Grubb, 1999).

As far as the type of postsecondary institution attended, ALTS and NLTS participants who attended college were similar. About half of each group began their studies at a technical/two-year college.

A large majority (96%) of ALTS high school graduates attended a two- or four-year college, 98% within two years from high school graduation. This is a substantially higher rate of postsecondary participation compared to the transition rate of NLTS participants from high school into college. Although 77% of NLTS participants had postsecondary education as a goal in high school; only 31% actually took a postsecondary course within two years after high school. This finding is consistent with previous research that formed the basis of DO-IT’s various interventions. This study provides supporting evidence that the ongoing program supports developed from previous research made a difference in the ability of students with disabilities to successfully transition to and succeed in college and careers.

At the time when the current data was collected, 29%, 54%, and 48% of ALTS respondents at two-year, four-year, and graduate schools, respectively, majored or minored in STEM. Seventy-eight students have completed 93 postsecondary programs. Of those degrees/certificates reported by ALTS participants, 38 (41%) were earned in a STEM field.

A national postsecondary student aid study by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, Berkner et al., 2005) found that undergraduate students with disabilities choose natural sciences and engineering at the same rate as students without disabilities (18%), and that graduate students with disabilities are less likely than those without disabilities to major in natural sciences and engineering (9% vs. 13%). In contrast, about one third of transitioning ALTS participants, all students with disabilities, are choosing natural sciences and engineering. (Unlike the STEM figures reported above, this classification excludes math, social science, and health science majors.) At the level of four-year colleges and universities, 35% of the students reported a major or minor in natural sciences or engineering, compared to the 18% reported in the NCES study above. At the graduate level, about one quarter (24%) of the ALTS students reported a natural science or engineering major, compared with 9% of the students with disabilities overall and even compared with 13% of students without disabilities. Students enrolling in two-year or technical programs, however, reported natural science and engineering majors or minors at about the national rate (18%). These results suggest that the DO-IT program is effective in promoting interest in natural science and engineering for students with disabilities, and as a result, is helping to fill the gap in natural science and engineering studies between youth with and without disabilities. Another DO-IT study suggests that DO-IT Mentors may be the single most effective intervention for stimulating an interest in STEM (Burgstahler & Cronheim, 2001; Burgstahler & Doyle, 2005).

Another important impact of DO-IT programs is the increase in the sheer number of college graduates with disabilities as a result of program support, in STEM as well as in other fields of study. The total number of STEM degrees is likely larger than what it would be otherwise both because of the ability of DO-IT interventions to successfully encourage the exploration of STEM fields, but also because of the overall increase in the success of students with disabilities who participate in DO-IT programs, and the resultant increased size of the pool of college graduates with disabilities. Findings should be interpreted in light of the fact that DO-IT recruits students with disabilities into its activities who are NOT necessarily initially interested in STEM. As noted in results of other studies reviewed in the "Summary of Earlier Research Results Regarding DO-IT Interventions" section of this report, research suggests that DO-IT interventions increase participants' overall perception of career options, particularly for girls, and the interest in STEM of those not initially interested in STEM.

Employed participants were older and had more years of education than non-employed participants, 70% of whom were still in school. About four in ten (40%) of the employed students were working in STEM fields. Overall, compared with respondents who are not currently employed, those who are employed may have entered DO-IT with fewer resources and accommodations (F(1,199)=9.2; p<.01), including less access to the Internet, use of an interpreter, or a mentor. Employed respondents reported more involvement in DO-IT activities, such as involvement in extracurricular STEM activities, assisting with conferences or serving as a DO-IT panelist or presenter.

Many participants who pursued careers that are technically non-STEM (e.g., accounting, law, education, journalism) benefited from the STEM interventions and encouragement they gained through DO-IT activities and continue to support NSF goals. For example, participants encouraged to take mathematics courses through DO-IT activities became prepared to pursue math-intensive careers such as accounting. Participants who became teachers are now in positions to encourage other young people with disabilities to consider STEM careers. And, those who have become attorneys and other professionals serve as role models to young people with disabilities, helping them see career options that they thought were unavailable to them. Based on their positive responses to ALTS questions about the value of DO-IT interventions, it is likely that AccessSTEM activities supported NSF's goal to expand the STEM literacy of all citizens.

Critical Junctures Analysis

Recognizing that at any point in time some respondents in the ALTS' will be still enrolled in secondary or postsecondary studies, the researchers are developing measures and analysis for respondents considered "on track" with respect to their progress through critical junctures that lead to degrees and careers.

Two-year college: ALTS participants who attended a two-year college and provided years of attendance data have attended classes over an average period of 3.9 years (ranging from finishing the same year as enrolling to still enrolled or re-enrolled more than 20 years after initially enrolling). Participants who graduated from a two-year college attended college for about as long as those who have not yet graduated from a two-year college (4.64 years vs.3.95). ALTS respondents who are two-year college graduates took between two and 15 years to complete their college education (at the two-year school or in another program), while those who are still enrolled in their two-year college programs have been enrolled in college from less than one year to more than 20 years. Among those who graduate from high school after enrolling in DO-IT programs, graduates of two year institutions attended for longer than those who had not yet graduated (4.5 years vs. 3.0 F(1,91)=5.0; p<.05). Those in this subset who have completed their postsecondary education attended between less than one year to 15 and those who have not yet graduated have attended from less than one year to 11.

Four-year college: ALTS participants who attended a four-year college and provided years of attendance data have attended college over an average period of 5.6 years, with graduates having attended for significantly longer (7.4 years vs. 4.2 years F(1,136)=10.8; p<.01). The range of years between enrollment and graduation (or year of survey if not yet graduated) ranges widely, from less than one year to more than 30. Restricting analysis to individuals who entered the DO-IT program prior to enrolling in college reveals that those who have graduated from a four-year institution have been enrolled for significantly longer than those who have not yet graduated (5.8 years vs. 3.3 years; F(1,94)=23.6; p<.001). This subset of graduates of four-year institutions attended from less than one years to 11 years, while those who are still attending have been enrolled from less than one year to 15 years.

ALTS participants who entered the DO-IT program after having enrolled in college were enrolled in two-year and four-year programs for significantly longer than participants who entered DO-IT before enrolling in college (7.6 years vs. 3.5 years; F(2,204)=14.3; p<.001).

Summary of Earlier Research Results Regarding DO-IT Interventions

The DO-IT Scholars program, originally funded in 1992 by the National Science Foundation and now funded by the State of Washington, supports transitions from high school to college to careers for students with disabilities. DO-IT Scholars are college-bound high school students who face significant challenges in pursuing postsecondary studies and careers as a result of their disabilities. They are not necessarily initially interested in STEM fields, but program activities include those designed to increase interest in and knowledge about STEM. By providing on-campus summer study, year-round peer and mentor support, and work-based learning experiences, DO-IT helps these students develop self-determination, social, academic, technology, and career/employment skills to successfully transition to adult lives. A rich body of evaluation and research data has been collected on this program. It includes reports from Scholars, parents, and Mentors and analyzes the value of program interventions, perceived outcomes, and participant differences with respect to gender, disability, and STEM interest. Some of the results are summarized in the following paragraphs.

Parents of DO-IT Scholars reported that DO-IT increased their children's interest in college; awareness of career options; self-esteem; and self-advocacy, social, academic, and career/employment skills (Burgstahler, 2002).

DO-IT Scholars reported that DO-IT participation helped them prepare for college and employment; develop Internet, self-advocacy, computer, social, and independent living skills; increase awareness of career options; and increase self-esteem and perseverance (Burgstahler, 2003; Kim-Rupnow & Burgstahler, 2004).

• DO-IT Scholars reported the greatest effects of the Summer Study to be the development of social skills, followed by academic and career skills; and the greatest effects of the year-round computer and Internet activities to be the development of career skills, followed by academic and social skills (Burgstahler, 2003; Kim-Rupnow & Burgstahler, 2004).
• DO-IT Scholars considered themselves significantly improved in academic skills, social skills, levels of preparation for college and employment, levels of awareness of career options, and personal characteristics such as perseverance and self-esteem during the course of their participation in the DO-IT Scholars program, as demonstrated by their ratings at the following three time points—before their involvement in DO-IT, immediately following their first DO-IT Summer Study, and at the time they were surveyed (Kim-Rupnow & Burgstahler, 2004).
• DO-IT Scholars reported positive characteristics of email communication for peer and mentor support. Positive aspects of email included being able to stay close to friends and family; to get answers to specific questions; to meet people from around the world; to communicate quickly, easily, and inexpensively with many people at one time; and to communicate independently without disclosing their disabilities (Burgstahler & Cronheim, 2001; Burgstahler & Doyle, 2005). They predicted that access to the Internet would contribute to their success in college and careers, and reported that peer and mentor relationships provided psychosocial, academic, and career support, and furthered their academic and career interests (Burgstahler, 2003; Burgstahler & Cronheim, 2001; Burgstahler & Doyle, 2005; Kim-Rupnow & Burgstahler, 2005). In particular, most reported that DO-IT Mentors stimulated interests in STEM (Burgstahler & Cronheim, 2001; Burgstahler & Doyle, 2005).
• Those who participated in work-based learning opportunities reported increased motivation to work toward a career; knowledge about careers and the workplace; job-related skills; ability to work with supervisors and coworkers; and skills in self-advocating for accommodations (Burgstahler, 2001; Burgstahler, Bellman, & Lopez, 2004).

DO-IT Mentors reported topics discussed with Scholars include STEM, college issues, disability-related issues, careers, computers, assistive technology, and the Internet (Burgstahler & Cronheim, 2001).

Comparison of STEM and non-STEM-Oriented Participants

A recent study (Burgstahler & Chang, in press) compared the perceived benefits of program participation of participants with interests/strengths and/or career goals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM group) and those without (non-STEM group) Highlights of the results are summarized below, organized by research question.

How does the STEM group compare with non-STEM group with respect to gender, disability type, major areas of postsecondary study, and primary motivations for going to college and gaining employment?

• Gender: Significantly more male respondents identified themselves as having STEM interests, strengths, and/or career goals than did female respondents.
• Disability type: Although respondents with mobility impairments were as likely as respondents with other types of disabilities to report interests/strengths in STEM fields, fewer reported a career goal in STEM fields.
• Postsecondary studies: Participants in the STEM group were more likely to study in STEM-related areas than those in the non-STEM group. Interestingly, there was a higher percentage (although not statistically significant) of students in the non-STEM group who majored in STEM fields (26%) as compared to the percentage of those in the STEM group who majored in non-STEM fields (13%).
• Primary motivation to attend college: Academic interest and love of learning/challenges was cited by more members of the STEM group, while job/career preparation was identified as a primary motivator for more of those in the non-STEM group.
• Primary motivation to seek employment: Financial security was selected by significantly more of the STEM group and pursuit of independent living was selected by significantly more of the non-STEM group. Potential mediators may be gender and disability type.

How does the STEM group compare with the non-STEM group in perceived growth in skills over the course of DO-IT participation?

• Social skills: More non-STEM group participants reported improvement in social skills than did STEM group members. Although no significant group difference was detected in the early phases of DO-IT participation, by Phase III, the non-STEM group reported higher level of social skills than the STEM group.
• Self-advocacy skills: Non-STEM group participants consistently reported higher levels of self-advocacy skills than did STEM group members over the three phases, but both groups experienced significant improvements at a similar rate between phases.

How does the STEM group compare with the non-STEM group in perceived value and impact of DO-IT activities and participation?

• Summer Study: Both groups placed the same high value on DO-IT Summer Study activities.
• Year-round computer and Internet activities: Access to adaptive technology and to information and resources on the Internet received significantly higher ratings from the STEM group.
• Greatest overall impact: The groups valued DO-IT in individual psychosocial development and readiness for college and career pursuits at the same high levels.

Comparisons by Gender

A recent study (Burgstahler & Chang, 2007) compared the perceived benefits of program participation by gender of participants. Highlights of the results are summarized below, organized by research question.

How do the male and female participants compare on STEM strength/career goals, disability type, major areas of postsecondary study, and primary motivations for going to college and gaining employment?

• STEM strength and future career goals: Significantly more males than females identified themselves as having STEM interests, strengths, and/or career goals.
• Disability type: No gender difference in disability type was found despite a slightly higher percentage of mobility impairments among the female participants.
• Primary motivations to attend college: Male and female participants did not differ in their reported motivations for going to college. The most common reason was career preparation, followed by academic interest/love of learning and commitment to family and friends.
• Primary motivations to seek employment: The most common reasons were independent living and financial security including incentive plans employment would offer, however, having financial security was significantly more important to male participants (60%) and achieving independent living was significantly more important to female participants (57%).

How do the male and female participants compare on perceived changes in themselves during the course of DO-IT participation?

• Perceived career options: Career options perceived by both genders increased significantly between phases, however female participant perceptions of career options changed more, indicating greater changes in female participants during DO-IT participation.

How do the male and female participants compare on perceived value and impact of DO-IT activities and participation?

• Summer Study: Both male and female participants highly valued DO-IT activities offered at Summer Study and no gender differences were detected.
• Year-round computer and Internet activities: Both groups highly valued computer and Internet activities, but no gender differences were detected.
• Greatest overall impact: Approximately similar, high percentages of male and female participants agreed that the greatest influence of DO-IT was in either individual psychosocial development or readiness for college and career pursuits.

In a follow-up (Burgstahler & Doyle, 2005) to the e-mentoring study (Burgstahler & Cronheim, 2001), researchers explored communication differences between males and females. True to gender stereotypes, males were more preoccupied with the Internet and other technology and females with personal issues. This result suggests that technology is still a male bastion and that finding ways to encourage females to develop skills and positive self-concepts in the area of IT is of critical importance if we are to increase their participation in IT fields.

STEM Majors and Degrees at UW

It is not possible to draw definitive and generalizable conclusions about the effect of DO-IT activities on the number of students with disabilities majoring in and graduating in STEM fields at the University of Washington (UW) and other institutions. Research challenges include the following:

• the lack of a control group;
• UW records do not identify all students with disabilities. Only those students who request accommodations through Disability Resources for Students (DRS) are flagged in UW records as having a disability. These are estimated to be no more than one-third of the total number of students with disabilities at the UW. Thus two-thirds of the UW’s students with disabilities will appear in the "without disabilities" group. From the perspective of a between groups analysis, the effect is to blur the differences between groups such that approximately two-thirds of any differential impact on students with disabilities will appear in the group of students without disabilities;
• Comparisons of percent changes can be misleading and must be made cautiously when comparing groups of dramatically different sizes. Small groups can show dramatic percentage changes more easily than large groups;
• Finally, correlations between program participation and outcomes do not necessarily imply causation.

Despite these limitations, it is still of some interest to compare available data about STEM degrees and majors of UW students with documented disabilities and students who have not disclosed disabilities. However, findings must be interpreted cautiously.

It is important to keep in mind that most interventions undertaken by DO-IT since 1992 do not focus on the UW; instead, they reach out to students and institutions state-wide, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Some interventions encourage the participation of students with disabilities in STEM degrees (e.g., those funded by the National Science Foundation such as AccessSTEM,) but others are more generally focused on increasing the success of students with disabilities in college and careers; further, some STEM-related interventions reach out to students already interested in STEM fields, but most do not. It should also be noted that DO-IT interventions promote self-determination skills for students with disabilities and the application of universal design for instruction and student services. Together, these efforts can lead to fewer students reporting disabilities to DRS, as students make use of technology (e.g., Braille translation and speech output systems for students who are blind) and other interventions to gain access to curriculum and as faculty and staff make their resources (e.g., websites) more accessible to students who have disabilities. Table 3 below should be interpreted with these limitations in mind. It reports STEM degree and major information for UW students who disclose and for students who do not disclose disabilities.

Year	With Disclosed Disabilities				Without Disclosed Disabilities
	STEM Degrees		STEM Majors		STEM Degrees		STEM Majors
	Bachelors	Graduate	Bachelors	Graduate	Bachelors	Graduate	Bachelors	Graduate
1991	22	2	105	14	2,736	916	9,129	3,774
2002	52	5	129	26	3,648	1,190	11,320	4,361
2007	59	11	245	49	3,908	1,258	13,13	4,667

1991 (Pre-DO-IT) to 2007

• Degrees: There was a 168% increase in undergraduate and a 450% increase in graduate degrees in STEM earned by students who reported disabilities; there was only a 43% increase in undergraduate and 37% increase in graduate degrees in STEM for others.
• Majors: STEM majors increased 133% for undergraduate and 250% for graduate students with disabilities, but only 44% and 24%, respectively, for others.

2002 (Pre-AccessSTEM) to 2007

• Degrees: There was a 14% increase in undergraduate and 120% increase in graduate degrees in STEM for students with disabilities; there was only a 7% increase in undergraduate and 6% increase in graduate degrees in STEM for others.
• Majors: STEM majors increased 89% for undergraduate and 82% for graduate students with disabilities, but only 16% and 7%, respectively, for others.

Figure 18 shows that the number of graduate and undergraduate students majoring in STEM fields, at the UW, has increased between 1991 and 2007, regardless of disability status. However, the increase for students with disabilities is much steeper than for students without disabilities.

Although the general pattern of change when tracking graduate and undergraduate degrees in STEM fields is similar to the pattern of change in STEM majors (an increase can be seen in all groups however, the increase in number of degrees awarded to students with disabilities is much steeper than in the other group), a difference in the pattern can be seen for the two outcomes. Figure 19 shows that the number of undergraduate STEM degrees awarded to students with disabilities at the UW increased most steeply during the 1990s (perhaps as a result of ADA legislation) and then leveled off, while the number of undergraduate STEM majors with disabilities increased modestly during the 1990s, and then nearly doubled between 2002 and 2007.

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Acknowledgments

The first ALTS summary was prepared by S. Burgstahler and C. Chang for the 2007 PacRim Conference on Disabilities, with some content taken directly from referenced articles. The DO-IT Scholars program has been funded by the National Science Foundation (grant #9255803, #9550003, and #9800324) and the State of Washington. This material and ongoing maintenance of ALTS is supported by the National Science Foundation (award #HRD-0227995 and HRD-0833504 in RDE and #CNS-0540615 and CNS-0837508 in CISE). Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.