**[Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program]{.smallcaps}**

**[Draft Strategic Performance Plan Goals, Objectives and
Measures]{.smallcaps}**

[U.S. Department of Education]{.smallcaps}

[Office of Special Education and\
Rehabilitative Services]{.smallcaps}

[Rehabilitation Services Administration]{.smallcaps}

[2008]{.smallcaps}

# Contents

**[[Page]{.underline}]{.smallcaps}**

[Contents ii](#contents)

[Introduction 1](#introduction)

[Goals, Objectives and Measures 3](#goals-objectives-and-measures)

[Goal 1: Assist Individuals With Significant Disabilities to Achieve or
Maintain Economic Self-Sufficiency.
3](#goal-1-assist-individuals-with-significant-disabilities-to-achieve-or-maintain-economic-selfsufficiency.)

[GOAL 2: Assist individuals with significant disabilities who receive
public support at application to increase earnings through employment.
8](#goal-2-assist-individuals-with-significant-disabilities-who-receive-public-support-at-application-to-increase-earnings-through-employment.)

[Goal 3: Provide transition-age youths with services to prepare for and
obtain employment.
12](#goal-3-provide-transition-age-youths-with-services-to-prepare-for-and-obtain-employment.)

[Next Steps 16](#next-steps)

# Introduction

The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), a component of the
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) in the
U.S. Department of Education, administers the Vocational Rehabilitation
Services Program (VR Program) under a mandate established by the
*Rehabilitation Act of 1973*. The purpose of the VR Program is, in part,
"to empower individuals with disabilities to maximize employment,
economic self‑sufficiency, independence, and inclusion and integration
into society" (*Rehabilitation Act of 1973*, Sec. 2(b)). The VR Program
is funded by federal and state governments and assists states in
operating comprehensive statewide programs to assess, plan, develop, and
provide vocational rehabilitation services for individuals with
disabilities, "consistent with their strengths, resources, priorities,
concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice, so
that such individuals may prepare for and engage in gainful employment"
(Section 100(a)(2)).

RSA is developing a vocational rehabilitation strategic performance plan
for the VR Program in order to ensure a long-term strategic focus on
program performance, performance improvement and outcomes for
individuals with significant disabilities. RSA will use this plan to
guide its administration of the VR program and address its basic
challenges. By identifying goals and objectives linked to specific
populations and high- priority outcomes, the plan will assist RSA in
monitoring the progress of the VR program and provide appropriate,
targeted support to state agencies toward the achievement of desired
outcomes.

The plan identifies long-term performance goals, objectives and measures
that RSA will monitor in cooperation with the VR agencies. These goals,
objectives and related performance measures will provide RSA with the
foundation to begin documenting practices that lead to successful
outcomes for individuals with significant disabilities and transitioning
youths and identifying factors that may inhibit success, RSA will use
the plan to help state VR agencies focus their mandated planning
activities on practices that will assure progress in providing
high-quality services for individuals with significant disabilities.
Overall, the plan will promote results shaped by careful planning and
monitoring, and implementation of strategies designed to improve
performance.

The next section of this document describes the focus of the plan and
what RSA hopes to achieve with its development. The subsequent section
discusses the plan's performance goals, objectives and draft performance
measures. The final section identifies the next steps in the long-term
strategic performance planning process for RSA's VR Program.

### Focus of the Strategic Performance Plan

The focus of RSA's Strategic Performance Plan for the VR Program is to
establish long-term performance goals, objectives and measures related
to employment and earnings for individuals with significant disabilities
and to receipt of VR services by transition-aged youths. The plan
targets and highlights goals and objectives that encourage achievement
or maintenance of economic self-sufficiency and that increase or
maintain earnings through employment. By identifying goals and
objectives linked to specific populations and a limited number of
high-priority outcomes, RSA will be better equipped to monitor progress
on related performance measures and provide appropriate, targeted
support to state VR agencies in the achievement of desired outcomes.

The goals, objectives and measures are designed to work together to
provide a complete picture of the VR Services Program's performance. The
objectives and performance measures provide a benchmark of performance.
However, they will be considered collectively in assessing states'
progress in achieving the goals. In addition, the unit of analysis of
the plan is a state's VR services program and its application at the VR
program participant level is inappropriate.

The plan addresses long-term goal achievement and performance monitoring
and supplements existing short-term performance measures used by RSA,
including standards and indicators. RSA will monitor achievement of the
plan's goals and objectives and provide technical assistance to state VR
agencies to improve performance. Standards and indicators will continue
to be monitored as an accountability mechanism, as required by the
*Rehabilitation Act*, while RSA implements this long-term focus on
strategic performance. RSA will continue to work with the states to
monitor performance on standards and indicators, place a greater
emphasis on longer-term strategic planning toward achievement of annual
goals included in state VR state plans, and phase in collection of
performance information to monitor achievement of the goals and
objectives identified in the plan.

# Goals, Objectives and Measures

## Goal 1: Assist Individuals With Significant Disabilities to Achieve or Maintain Economic Self‑Sufficiency.

RSA believes that a major focus of the VR program is to assist
individuals with significant disabilities in achieving economic
self-sufficiency. The vast majority of VR participants (as reflected in
the RSA 911 database) have one or more significant disabilities. The
plan recognizes and focuses on the unique needs of this population. RSA
believes that the dignity and independence of individuals with a
significant disability are best achieved and maintained if they can
achieve a level of economic self-sufficiency. While there are many
potential definitions of this term, it ultimately means that such
individuals would not be dependent solely on public programs and
benefits for income support.

To monitor the extent to which individuals are achieving or maintaining
levels of income that could allow former VR participants to be
self-sufficient, RSA will work with VR agencies to examine a variety of
factors related to the income being achieved by VR participants who are
employed with earnings at closure. By using a variety of measures, RSA
believes that a more robust measurement system is possible, for example,
through inconsistencies between measures which will provide
opportunities to further examine factors that could be affecting
results. Multiple measures focused on each of the objectives may also
lead to identification of issues related to specific subpopulations of
former VR participants that would merit further analysis by state
agencies and RSA as part of the monitoring process. To the extent
possible, RSA will also identify ways to support state agencies in
analyzing performance by occupational class and other demographic
characteristics. This will help take into account circumstances where
large numbers of individuals working in relatively lower- paying
categories of occupations may skew results and prevent large numbers of
individuals from achieving earning levels equal to either the state
average weekly wage or SGA levels. In addition, monitoring demographic
characteristics of consumers will help ensure that all eligible VR
participants are being provided opportunities to receive VR services and
that comparisons to benchmarks, such as state average weekly wage, are
valid.

RSA will establish baseline measures to monitor the percentage of
individuals who are employed at closure with earnings in order to
monitor the degree to which various levels of economic performance
through employment are achieved. Each year RSA will monitor agency-level
performance against these measures to determine the degree to which
individuals with significant disabilities as a group within an agency
are achieving levels of performance above the benchmark level. Given
varying economic and programmatic circumstances in each state (e.g.,
levels of unemployment, inflation), RSA will monitor performance by
agency, using each agency's prior performance to establish baseline
targets and to monitor annual progress. Using each agency's prior
performance as a benchmark will also allow agencies to monitor the
impact of their own programmatic initiatives to assist VR participants
in achieving earnings that will support them in being self-sufficient.

In addition, results for certain key subpopulations, such as
transition-age youths, occupational classes, and consumers with a
variety of characteristics will be selectively monitored, to the extent
that resources allow. Progress towards achievement of economic
self-sufficiency can be monitored by annually examining a variety of
measures and subpopulations at the state level, thus allowing states to
focus on their own history of performance and incremental improvements
in that performance.

### Draft Measures of Goal 1 Objectives

The ultimate measure of whether VR programs are accomplishing their
missions as an employment program is the rate at which VR participants
achieve employment with earnings after completing a VR program, also
known as the "rehabilitation rate." RSA expects to continue to measure
rehabilitation rates to monitor the effectiveness of VR programs in
assisting individuals with disabilities in achieving employment.

Generally, persons with disabilities do not earn at the same level as
their nondisabled counterparts. The VR program provides services so that
individuals with significant disabilities can compete for jobs with
their nondisabled peers. One way to measure progress toward achievement
of this goal would be to determine if there has been an increase and the
extent of the increase in the percentage of individuals with significant
disabilities who have achieved or maintained earnings equivalent to
their state's average weekly wage, as indicated in Objective 1.2. "State
average weekly wages" are an indication of whether VR participants are
gaining or maintaining employment that is not only competitive with
their nondisabled peers but is also reflective of average wage levels in
each state and territory.

Another way to measure whether individuals with significant disabilities
are achieving economic self-sufficiency is to monitor the percentage of
individuals who work 35 hours or more per week in competitive employment
in the integrated labor market, as indicated in Objective 1.3. Progress
could be tracked by monitoring the percentage of individuals with
significant disabilities achieving this level of full-time competitive
employment on an annual basis across a multiyear time frame, with the
expectation that the percentage will increase over time.

One of the critical elements of ensuring self-sufficiency for
individuals with significant disabilities is to provide assistance such
that VR participants who were not employed at intake gain employment
after receiving VR services, as indicated in Objective 1.4. Comparing
the percentage of successful placements of VR participants who were not
employed at application across time will measure the program's
contribution to helping individuals with significant disabilities
achieve successful employment outcomes.

Substantial gainful activity offers the advantage of being a federally
defined standard for a level of income that determines whether an
individual continues to be eligible for Supplemental Security Income
(SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). The SGA levels for
2008 are \$940 a month, and \$1,570 a month for individuals who are
blind. These amounts are adjusted annually. Increasing the percentage of
individuals whose income from employment is equal to or greater than the
SGA level at closure, as identified in Objective 1.5, is another way to
measure whether individuals with significant disabilities are becoming
more economically self-sufficient. Progress could be tracked by
comparing the percentage of VR participants with income equal to or
greater than the SGA standard at closure on an annual basis. Because
different SGA levels are established for individuals who are blind
versus for those with other significant disabilities, achievement of SGA
levels should be tracked separately for VR participants for whom
blindness is the primary disability and for those with other
significant disabilities.

Objective 1.1: Increase the percentage of individuals with significant
disabilities who achieve an employment outcome with earnings after
receiving services under an IPE

1.1 Measure: Of all individuals with significant disabilities who exited
the VR program after receiving services, the percentage of individuals
with significant disabilities who achieved an employment outcome with
earnings.

1.1 Calculation:

ISDs who achieved an employment outcome with earnings

all ISDs who exited the VR program after receiving services

Objective 1.2: Increase the percentage of individuals with significant
disabilities who achieved earnings equal to the state average weekly
wage

1.2 Measure: Of all individuals with significant disabilities who
achieved an employment outcome, the percentage of individuals with
significant disabilities who achieved earnings equal to or greater than
the state average weekly wage.

1.2 Calculation:

ISDs who achieved earnings\
equal to or greater than the state average weekly wage

all ISDs who achieved an employment outcome

Objective 1.3: Increase the percentage of individuals with significant
disabilities who worked 35 hours or more per week in a competitive
employment outcome

1.3 Measure: Of all individuals with significant disabilities who
achieved an employment outcome, the percentage of individuals with
significant disabilities who worked 35 hours or more per week in a
competitive employment outcome.

1.3 Calculation:

ISDs who worked\
35 hours or more per week in a competitive employment outcome

all ISDs who achieved an employment outcome

Objective 1.4: Increase the percentage of individuals with significant
disabilities who were not employed at application who achieved an
employment outcome with earnings

1.4 Measure: Of all individuals with significant disabilities who exited
the VR program after receiving services under an IPE and who were not
employed at application, the percentage of individuals with significant
disabilities who achieved an employment outcome with earnings.

1.4 Calculation:

ISDs not employed\
at application who achieved an employment outcome with earnings

all ISDs who exited the VR program after receiving services under\
an IPE and who were not employed at application

Objective 1.5: Increase the percentage of individuals with significant
disabilities whose income from employment is equal to or greater than
the substantial gainful activity (SGA) level at closure

1.5 Measure: Of all individuals with significant disabilities who
achieved an employment outcome, the percentage of individuals with
significant disabilities whose income from employment was equal to or
greater than SGA level at closure.

1.5 Calculation:

ISDs whose income\
from employment was equal to or greater than SGA level at closure

all ISDs who achieved an employment outcome

## GOAL 2: Assist individuals with significant disabilities who receive public support at application to increase earnings through employment.

Goal 1 and Goal 2 are meant to be complementary, representing
significant portions of the population receiving VR services but with
somewhat different needs. Depending upon timing, some individuals may
move between the two goals based upon their individual circumstances.
Some individuals with significant disabilities may need to work and may
be receiving support from public sources at application. Some
individuals may be unable to work more hours in order to increase their
financial self-sufficiency because of the nature of their disability or
their circumstances. Unlike the majority of the target population
addressed in Goal 1, the Goal 2 population often earns less than the SGA
level and receives SSI, SSDI, or other public financial support. Goal 2
will measure the progress of those who continue to need public support
in increasing their earnings through employment. For this population,
RSA would like the outcome to be additional participation in paid work
and additional earnings from paid work. Ideally, these increases in
earnings would result in decreases in the amount of cash payments and
other benefits provided by public sources.

There are a number of ways that RSA could monitor the progress of state
agencies assisting individuals to increase earnings through employment.
For example, as identified in Objective 2.3, the success of this goal
could be measured by monitoring cash payments to VR participants from
public sources for those VR participants with income below SGA who
received public support. For the purposes of this plan, "public support"
is defined as "financial support or services received from SSI,
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), General Assistance
(state or local government), SSDI, Medicaid, and workers compensation."
Ideally, if VR participants increased their participation and income
from paid work, they would become less reliant on public support. In
other words, if work participation for those on public support
increases, one would expect that public cash payments to these VR
participants would decrease.

Increased participation in paid work up to the maximum feasible for each
individual, as indicated in Objective 2.1, is another way for
individuals with significant disabilities to increase their earnings.
The number of hours worked could be monitored by tracking the mean hours
worked at closure on an annual basis, and comparing the results to the
prior year. Because the number of hours worked is finite and because a
number of VR participants are able to work only part-time, it may be
unrealistic to expect anything more than small incremental changes in
the median hours worked over time. However, trend data will indicate
whether progress is being achieved in increasing the number of hours
worked by individuals with significant disabilities.

### Draft Measures of Goal 2 Objectives

Goal 2 focuses on individuals who receive public support at application
and seeks to monitor whether this population achieves additional hours
and earnings from paid work. In order to measure progress on Goal 2, RSA
will work with state agencies to measure whether overall hours, mean
hours worked per individual, and median hours worked are increasing. RSA
will also measure earnings from such work overall, as well as the mean
and median earnings from work. RSA will monitor public support at
closure for individuals who received public support at application to
see if such support is decreasing, as might be expected if participation
in work and earnings are increasing. In addition, RSA will monitor the
percentage of individuals who are no longer receiving public support at
closure. Measuring both the median and mean number of hours worked,
earnings, and cash payments from public sources will help determine if
these measures are being influenced by individuals whose hours of work,
earnings, or levels of cash payments are far above or far below the mean
levels. As with Goal 1, RSA will monitor performance by agency, using
each agency's prior performance to monitor annual progress.

RSA will determine which sources of public support should be measured to
monitor results related to Objective 2.3. RSA will work with other
federal agencies to collect and monitor such data. For example, RSA
intends to work with the Social Security Administration using an
existing data link to examine data on employment earnings and disability
income cash payments. In addition, RSA will work with state agencies to
identify valid and reliable sources of public support data.

Objective 2.1: Increase the percentage of individuals with significant
disabilities receiving public support at application who achieve an
employment outcome with earnings

2.1 Measure: Of all individuals with significant disabilities who exited
the VR program after receiving services and who were receiving public
support at application, the percentage of individuals with significant
disabilities who achieved an employment outcome with earnings.

2.1 Calculation:

ISDs receiving public support at application\
who achieved an employment outcome with earnings

all ISDs who exited the VR program after receiving services who received
public support at application

Objective 2.2: Increase participation in paid work for individuals with
significant disabilities who received public support at application

2.2 Measures:

1.  The number of individuals with significant disabilities receiving
    public support at application who achieved an employment outcome
    with earnings and increased the number of hours worked per week.

2.  The total, mean, and median hours worked of individuals with
    significant disabilities who received public support at application.

3.  Of all individuals with significant disabilities receiving public
    support at application who exited the VR program after receiving
    services, the percentage of individuals with significant
    disabilities who achieved an employment outcome with earnings and
    who increased the number of hours worked per week.

2.2.3 Calculation:

ISD receiving public support at application who achieved an employment\
outcome with earnings and who increased the number of hours worked per
week

all ISDs receiving public support at application who exited the VR
program after receiving services

Objective 2.3: Increase earnings from paid work for individuals with
significant disabilities who received public support at application

2.3 Measures:

1.  The total, mean, and median earnings from work for individuals with
    significant disabilities who receive public support at application.

2.  Of all individuals with significant disabilities receiving public
    support at application who exited the VR program after receiving
    services, the percentage of individuals with significant
    disabilities who achieved an employment outcome and who increased
    their weekly earnings.

2.3.2 Calculation:

ISDs receiving public support at application\
who achieved an employment outcome and who increased their weekly
earnings

all ISDs receiving public support at application who exited the VR
program after receiving services

Objective 2.4: Decrease the amount of cash payments from public sources
for individuals with significant disabilities who receive public support
at application

2.4 Measures:

1.  The total, mean, and median cash payments from public sources for
    individuals with significant disabilities who received public
    support at application.

2.  Of all individuals with significant disabilities receiving cash
    payments at application who exited the VR program with an employment
    outcome, the percentage of individuals with significant disabilities
    whose cash payment decreased after achieving an employment outcome.

2.4.2 Calculation:

ISDs receiving cash payments at application\
who achieved an employment outcome and whose cash payment decreased

all ISDs receiving cash payments at application who exited the VR
program with an employment outcome

## Goal 3: Provide transition-age youths with services to prepare for and obtain employment.

Consistent with the mandates of the *Rehabilitation Act*, RSA seeks to
emphasize preparing transition-age youths for employment and with
obtaining employment. For the purposes of the plan, transition-age
youths include transitioning students and young people who have dropped
out of or not completed high school. These individuals are a
high-priority population for RSA for several reasons. First, the
President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education found that,
compared to their peers who do not have disabilities, students with
disabilities are more often unemployed and underemployed upon leaving
school. Second, young people constitute a large segment of the
vocational rehabilitation population. One study estimated that
individuals between ages 19 and 25 represent about 13.5 percent of all
VR participants *\[Interim Report No. 4 of the Longitudinal Study of the
Vocational Rehabilitation Services*\]. Third, the receipt of training
and other services from VR agencies offers transitioning youths who have
little or no work experience an opportunity to enhance their job
potential. Fourth, focusing on transitioning youths introduces an
element of early intervention because young people who receive VR
services may be more likely to get and retain high-quality jobs than
those who approach the VR Program after they have been in the labor
market or receiving public support for a number of years.

Objective 3.1 addresses the extent to which transition-age youths obtain
VR services toward an employment goal. Information that is collected for
this objective will help determine the extent to which this
high-priority population is being served by state VR agencies and may be
used to identify where additional services may be needed. Objective 3.1
focuses on all transition-age youths with disabilities, not just on
those with significant disabilities. By emphasizing access to vocational
rehabilitation services, Objective 3.1 will ensure that youths with
disabilities, regardless of the nature or extent of their disability,
will be able to participate in vocational rehabilitation services,
including services to ensure their disabilities are correctly classified
so they can receive services.

Objective 3.2 focuses on increasing the percentage of transition-age
youths with disabilities who achieve competitive employment after
participating in vocational rehabilitation services. As with the adult
vocational rehabilitation service participants who are the focus of
Objective 1.3, the intent is to ensure that transition-age youths are
prepared to compete in the integrated labor market. Progress could be
tracked by monitoring the percentage of transition-age youths with
significant disabilities achieving competitive employment on an annual
basis across a multiyear time frame, with an expectation that the
percentage will increase over time.

Ultimately, outcomes for transitioning youths will be monitored on the
extent to which Goals 1 and 2 of this plan are achieved for this group.
However, one of the complexities in monitoring the performance of
programs on providing services to transitioning youths is that younger
VR participants may not achieve employment outcomes immediately, but
rather gradually over time. RSA focuses on closure as a means of
measuring the achievement of goals and objectives. Accordingly, RSA may
need to establish alternative outcome measurement methods for
transitioning youths because they may be less likely to achieve
employment outcomes while still completing their education, and they may
be subject to more employment turnover early in their careers.

While Goal 3 focuses on all eligible transition-age youths with
disabilities, RSA and state agencies will continue to monitor the
progress of the subpopulation of transition-age youths with significant
disabilities.

### Draft Measures of Goal 3 Objectives

As with other populations, increasing the rehabilitation rate for
transition-age youths is critical. In theory, transition-age youths who
receive services early in their work careers stand a better chance of
staying employed in their later years. Thus, Objective 3.1 will measure
the rehabilitation rate for transition-age youths.

Participation in the VR program is critical for this population. RSA
will monitor the number and percentage of transition-age youths who
receive services under an Individual Education Plan and an Individual
Plan for Employment (IPE).

Measurement of progress on Objective 3.3 will be similar to those for
Objective 1.3. RSA and the state agencies will monitor annual increases
(or decreases) in the percentage of transition-age youths who achieve
competitive employment at closure. Since it may take longer for
transition-age youths to achieve closure, given that their IPEs may
include more extensive education components than those of their adult
counterparts, seeing progress on this measure may take some time.
However, by emphasizing the importance of competitive employment for
this critical population, RSA expects that over time there will be
incremental progress towards increasing the percentage of transition-age
youths who achieve competitive employment.

The Department of Education has set a priority to serve students with
disabilities who have IEPs. Thus, Objective 3.4 proposes to increase the
percentage of transition-age students with IEPs who receive vocational
rehabilitation services under an IPE.

Objective 3.1: Increase the percentage of transition-age youths who
receive services under an IPE and who achieve an employment outcome with
earnings.

3.1 Measures:

1.  The number of transition-age youths who achieved an employment
    outcome with earnings after receiving services under an IPE.

2.  Of all of transition-age youths who exited the VR program after
    receiving services under an IPE, the percentage of transition-age
    youths who achieved an employment outcome with earnings.

3.1.2 Calculation:

[TAYs who achieved an employment outcome with earnings]{.underline}

all of TAYs who exited the VR program after receiving\
services under an IPE

Objective 3.2: Increase the percentage of transition-age youths with
disabilities who receive vocational rehabilitation services under an
IPE.

3.2 Measures:

1.  The number of transition-age youths who exit the VR program after
    receiving vocational rehabilitation services under an IPE.

2.  Of all persons who exited the VR program after receiving services
    under an IPE, the percentage of transition-age youths who exited the
    VR program after receiving services under an IPE.

3.2.2 Calculation:

TAYs who exited the VR program after receiving services under an IPE

all persons who exited the VR program after receiving\
services under an IPE

Objective 3.3: Increase the percentage of transition-age youths with
disabilities who achieve a competitive employment outcome after
receiving vocational rehabilitation services under an IPE.

3.3 Measures:

1.  The number of transition-age youths who received services under and
    IPE and who achieved a competitive employment outcome.

2.  Of all transition-age youths who received services under an IPE, the
    percentage of transition-age youths who achieved a competitive
    employment outcome.

3.3.2 Calculation:

TAYs who achieved a competitive employment outcome

all TAYs who received services under an IPE

Objective 3.4: Increase the percentage of transition-age youths
receiving special education services under an IEP who receive vocational
rehabilitation services under an IPE.

3.4 Measures:

1.  The number of transition-age youth receiving special education under
    an IEP who received vocational rehabilitation services under an IPE.

2.  Of all transition-age special education students, the percentage of
    transition-age special education students who received vocational
    rehabilitation services under an IPE and special education services
    under an IEP.

3.4.2 Calculation:

transition-age special education\
students who received vocational rehabilitation services under an IPE

all transition-age special education students

# Next Steps

RSA will develop and share draft measures with partners and stakeholders
that will measure progress towards achievement of the goals and
objectives identified in this draft VR Strategic Performance Plan. Once
the measures are finalized, RSA will examine the performance of each
state VR agency and conduct analysis to determine appropriate targets
given agency size, consumer characteristics, funding contingencies and
other factors. RSA will continue to work with state agencies in
determining appropriate targets for performance that are sensitive to
conditions in the state, and conduct additional analysis to determine
realistic steps that could be taken to improve performance or maintain
high levels of performance.