This article discusses the apparent link between secondary special education programs for mildly handicapped students and the eventual post-high-school adjustment of these students. The current national emphasis on transition to the community, and especially to work, has resulted in the close scrutiny of the outcomes of special education. Large numbers of mildly handicapped students are dropping out of school programs and both graduates and dropouts earn very low salaries. The author suggests a radical change in secondary programs for mildly handicapped students, away from academics and toward functional, vocational programs.

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Recently there have been several follow-up studies of students who have exited special education programs (Hasazi, Gordon, & Roe, 1985; Mithaug, Horiuchi, & Fanning, 1985). These studies raise an interesting question: How well have special education programs prepared the youth they were designed to serve? This study reviews findings concerning the postschool adjustment of 160 students who were labeled behaviorally disordered at graduation from public school in the state of Washington between 1978 and 1986.

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