Lynn Newman, Ed.D., has more than 30 years of research experience in the disability policy field. She is expert in both quantitative and qualitative methodologies and large-scale, multifaceted longitudinal studies. Newman’s work focuses on the secondary school, transition, and postsecondary school experiences and outcomes of youth with disabilities.

As principal investigator of the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 (NLTS 2012), Phase II, Newman provides intellectual direction to this large-scale study of the secondary school, transition, and post-school experiences and outcomes of a nationally representative sample of youth with disabilities. The NLTS 2012 Phase II project team uses high school and post-high school administrative records to collect information important to understanding outcomes for youth with disabilities. Multiple reports will be generated on important policy-relevant issues youth and young adults with disabilities face relative to high school progression and completion, as well as key post-high school employment and postsecondary education experiences and outcomes.

Newman also is co-principal investigator of an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) exploratory grant, designed to address a gap in the knowledge base about English learners with disabilities (ELSWD) so that both secondary and postsecondary schools can develop effective programs of supports that meet the needs and build on the strengths of this dually-identified population. This mixed-methods study examines the in-school and postschool experiences of a nationally representative population of ELSWD and the perspectives of a local, subset of ELSWDs to create a detailed picture of the transition from high school to postsecondary school, including the factors that moderate and mediate ELSWD success.

Newman has been principal investigator on a portfolio of Institute of Education Sciences grants applying propensity methods to data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2). These grants focused on identifying supports postsecondary students with disabilities were provided with that are associated with increased postsecondary school persistence and completion, and on identifying factors associated with positive outcomes of youth with disabilities.

As project director of NLTS2, a 10-year study assessing the secondary school programs, experiences, and achievements of a nationally representative sample of more than 11,000 students with disabilities, Newman was centrally involved in all aspects of the study, including development of the overall design, data collection systems and procedures, and all instrumentation. She was lead author of multiple NLTS2 publications.

Newman has served as a principal analyst on several other large-scale studies, including the original NLTS and the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS), a six-year study of almost 12,000 students with disabilities .She also was co-director of a multimethod study of the system, services, and outcomes of school-linked services for children with disabilities and their families.

Newman has made significant contributions to important policy issues in special education, having written numerous reports and papers on the experiences and outcomes of students and youth with disabilities. She also is a frequent presenter at national professional conferences and is on the board of national organizations focused on the transition of students with disabilities.

Newman was SRI’s Mimi Award recipient in 2015, the highest recognition for staff members who have fostered the personal and professional growth of their coworkers.

Key projects

1. National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012
2. National Longitudinal Transition Study-2
3. Mixed-Methods Exploration of Factors Associated with Postsecondary Success of English Language Learners with Disabilities
4. Factors Associated with Postsecondary Success for Students with Disabilities: Secondary Analysis of Data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2
5. Factors Associated with the High School and Post-High School Outcomes of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students