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Standards and Indicators

Categorized In: Administrative - General Administration

Approved Date: October 02, 2018

Owner: Holly Enriquez

Provisions in the Rehabilitation Act and its implementing regulations for the state Vocational (VR) Services program require the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) to determine whether a State agency is complying with the evaluation standards and performance indicators.

Each year, Nebraska VR must report program performance data to RSA by December 1st (60 days after the end of the fiscal year.) A quarterly team performance report is provided to assist teams in monitoring their progress towards meeting the standards and indicators.

Evaluation Standard 1: Assesses VR’s Impact on Employment. To achieve successful performance on Standard 1, Nebraska VR must meet or exceed four of the six performance indicators, including meeting or exceeding the performance levels of two of the three primary indicators.

  • 1.1: Change in Employment Outcomes
  • 1.2: Percent of Employment Outcomes
  • 1.3: Competitive Employment Outcomes (Primary indicator)
  • 1.4: Significance of Disability (Primary indicator)
  • 1.5: Earnings Ratio (Primary indicator)
  • 1.6: Self-Support

Evaluation Standard 2: Assess equal access opportunity for individuals of all groups and backgrounds. To achieve successful performance on Standard 2, Nebraska VR must meet or exceed the performance level established for performance indicator 2.1.

  • 2.1: Minority Background Service Rate

If Nebraska VR fails to meet the minimum performance levels established by RSA, the agency must develop a Program Improvement Plan (PIP) outlining specific actions to be taken to improve program performance.

Performance Indicators

Standard 1:

1.1 Change in Employment Outcomes

  • Required Performance Level: The number of individuals exiting the Nebraska VR program who achieved an employment outcome within the most recent fiscal year must equal or be greater than the number of individuals who exited with an employment outcome in the previous fiscal year.
  • Examples:
    • 1799 (FY11 Outcomes) – 1806 (FY12 Outcomes) = 7 (Standard Met)
    • 1263 (FY04 Outcomes) – 1435 (FY03 Outcomes) = (-172) (Standard Not Met)

1.2 Rehabilitation Success Rate

  • Required Performance Level: The percentage of individuals with a successful outcome from the NE VR program to all individuals exiting the Nebraska VR program after receiving planned services must meet or exceed the Federal Standard of 55.8%.
  • Outcomes/Outcomes + Terminations AFter Receiving Planned Services
    • Example: 1806 / (1806 + 1127) = 61.58%

1.3 Competitive Employment

  • Required Performance Level: The percentage of individuals who achieved an employment outcome from the Nebraska VR program with earnings equal to or exceed the minimum wage to all individuals exiting the NE VR program with an employment outcome must meet or exceed the Federal Standard of 72.60%.
  • Employment Outcomes Earning Minimum Wage or Higher/All Employment Outcomes Regardless of Wage Level
    • Example: 1645 (Outcomes Earning Minimum Wage or Higher) ÷ 1806 (All Outcomes) = 91.09%

1.4 Significant Disabilities

  • Required Performance Level: The percentage of individuals with a significant disability who achieve an employment outcome from the Nebraska VR program with earnings equivalent to at least minimum wage to all individuals who achieved an employment outcome with earnings equivalent to at least minimum wage must meet or exceed the Federal Standard of 62.4%.
  • Employment Outcomes with a Significant Disability Earning At Least Minimum Wage/All Employment Outcomes Earning at least Minimum Wage Regardless of Priority Group

1.5 Earnings Ratio

  • Required Performance Level: The ratio of the average hourly wage of all individual exiting the Nebraska VR program with an employment outcome earning at least minimum wage to the average hourly wage of all employed individuals in the state must meet or exceed .52. The Average State Wage is published in the Bureau of Labor Statistics Report. The formula is too complicated to provide and example.

1.6 Self Support

  • Required Performance Level: The difference between the percentage of individuals with competitive outcome earnings equal to or greater than minimum wage who reported their own income as the largest single source of economic support at time of exit and the percentage of individuals with employment outcome earnings who reported their own income as the largest single source of support at time of application must meet or exceed 53.00.
  • % of Outcomes earning at least Minimum Wage who reported their Primary Source of Support at Outcome.– % of Outcomes earning at least Minimum Wage who reported their Primary Source of Support at Application = Difference
  • Example based on 2006 Data. (1495 outcomes making at least minimum wage)
    • 75.45% (1128 Outcomes out of 1495 Outcomes reported Personal Income as primary support at Outcome.) 1128 ÷ 1495 X 100 = 75.45
    • 22.07% (330 Outcomes out of the 1495 Outcomes reported Personal Income as primary support at Application.) 330 ÷ 1495 X 100 = 22.07
    • 53.38% (Difference between 22.07 and 75.45)

2.1 Minority Access

  • Required Performance Level: The service rate for all individuals with disabilities from minority backgrounds as a ratio to the service rate for all individuals with a disability from non-minority backgrounds shall meet or exceed .80.
  • (# of Minority Terminations & Outcomes After Receiving Services (1)) ÷ (# of all Minority Terminations & Outcomes (2)) X 100 = (Minority Service Rate)
  • (# of Non-Minority Terminations & Outcomes After Receiving Services (3)) ÷ (# of all Non-Minority Terminations & Outcomes (4)) X 100 = (Non-minority Service Rate)
  • Ratio: Minority Service Rate ÷ Non-minority Service Rate
  • Example:
    • 137 (1) ÷ 256 (2) = .5352 X 100 = 53.52
    • 1495(3) ÷ 2387(4) = .6260 X 100 = 62.60
    • 53.52 ÷ 62.60 = .86



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