SRI has been active in special education and disability work since the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was passed in 1975. SRI designed and implemented the pioneering National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) that began in 1985. NLTS documented the characteristics and outcomes of, and services for, high school students with disabilities as they transitioned to early adulthood. Policy makers and educators have used the information to improve the U.S. education system.
Following the success of NLTS, SRI developed a portfolio of longitudinal studies to provide national information about the full range of students receiving services under IDEA. Over time, the portfolio included SRI’s design and implementation of the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study (NEILS), the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS), and the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS2). Learn more