In most developed countries, research studies that investigate the effects of special
education on student outcomes have become conventional practice. However, in
developing countries such as the twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, there
are no studies about the progress and outcomes of students and youths with
disabilities. This correlational study is the first attempt to use direct assessments of
English language arts and mathematics, as well as independent functioning skills
assessments, aimed at exploring the academic achievement and employment outcomes
of 124 participants with and without disabilities in Tobago. The study also compared
the performance outcomes of Tobago participants with disabilities with US datasets to
see how they measure up in terms of academic achievement and employment.
Quantitative analyses of direct assessments and multiple survey responses highlight the
factors that predict outcomes in academic achievement and employment among
Tobago participants. Findings indicate that parental involvement and support,
instruction, student engagement, and support for and difficulty with school work were
significant academic achievement predictors for students with disabilities, whereas
there were no significant predictors of academic achievement for students without
disabilities. The significant predictors of employment for youths with disabilities were
parent expectations, teachers’ levels of education, youths’ school experiences and
school program, whereas levels of social interactions with friends, insurance benefits,
money skills, types of instruction and types of pre-employment preparation were
significant predictors of employment for youths without disabilities. Finally,
comparisons with US datasets indicate that Tobago students with disabilities were
performing at lower grade levels in academic areas than their US counterparts.
Results also found that while Tobago youths with disabilities had fewer employment
opportunities than US youths with disabilities, Tobago working youths with disabilities
earned higher wages than those youths in the US. These findings highlight the
differences between countries in special education practices that present implications
for future research on the impact of country policies and programs on outcomes.