Predictors of Higher Education Participation for Students with a Specific Learning Disability: A Secondary Data Analysis of High School Students in Washington State

Abstract

Three school-level variables, including the proportion of minorities of the school’s student population, the proportion of free and reduced price meal program participation of the school’s student population, and student-teacher ratio, and five student-level variables, including race, gender, primary language, least restrictive environment type or code, and exit status, were modeled to examine their effect on the probability of participating in higher education by students with a specific learning disability (SLD). The results of the HGLM multilevel logistic regression indicate that probabilities of higher education participation significantly increase for those students who attend schools with a smaller student-teacher ratio, and who are non-white, female, identify English as their primary language, spend 40% or more of their time in the regular classroom, and have graduated or attained a GED degree.