Limited Employment Outcome Data

We talked to 53 respondents and reviewed 1998 program performance reports from the nine State Councils. We found data is limited and inconsistent from State to State. We could not find where outcome data is generally available for use in determining success, effectiveness, and performance aspects of employment programs. Respondents indicated in many cases that such data is not available or is questionable in terms of its usefulness and reliability. They believe that greater detail and more extensive data would be beneficial in their evaluation of employment programs and their effectiveness.

We found that very little management information exists on performance and outcomes of monitoring employed individuals with developmental disabilities. While State Councils obtain some data on a grant-by-grant basis, few State entities perform extended follow-up. Therefore, information on the length or range of time persons with developmental disabilities and employers participate in employment programs is generally not available. Also, in 34 CFR §361.56(d), Vocational Rehabilitation is permitted to "close out" successful job placements after 90 days. This makes it difficult to perform extended evaluations or comprehensive, longitudinal studies of the successes of employment for persons with developmental disabilities.

While State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies keep demographic information by certain disability categories, their data does not specifically discern which individuals served have developmental disabilities. Also, State Mental Health and State Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities agencies may follow different definitions for developmental disabilities.

The Nebraska and Oregon State Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities agencies advise us that two promising performance management initiatives are being conducted which assess the need for baseline performance information. A partnership between the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services and the Human Services Research Institute was formed in January 1997 to conduct the "Core Indicators Project." The purpose of this project is to develop nationally-recognized performance and outcome indicators that will enable individual State Developmental Disabilities Services agencies to benchmark performance in comparison with other agencies, as well as to provide longitudinal data to determine performance level from one period to the next. Employment data such as average hourly wages, number of hours worked, and length of time on the job is being considered for the indicator set.

The Oregon Office of Developmental Disabilities Services has a contract with the University of Oregon to collect employment data from local job agencies on a semi-annual basis. Information is monitored for all employment consumers. Performance measures include type of work, duration of employment, hours worked, and hourly earnings for each recipient.

In response to employment performance measures established by ACF in 1997, seven of the nine State Councils have established one or more numerical employment goals. Because employment performance measures are included in the current State Council Three-Year Plans (1998-2000), we asked each of the nine State Councils whether numerical employment goals influence the implementation and success of employment programs. Four of seven States with numerical employment goals respond affirmatively, noting the need to be outcome oriented for success. State Council directors' perspectives are shown in Table 3.