Self-determination and access to the general education curriculum

Addressing federal mandates regarding both the delivery of transition services and access to the general education curriculum has been a challenge for secondary special educators. A practice common to both initiatives, however, has been efforts to promote self-determination. This study examined the impact of promoting self-determination as an instructional strategy to examine (a) the relationship between self-determination and access to the general education curriculum and (b) the impact of promoting self-determination as a curriculum augmentation on access to the general education curriculum for high school students with disabilities. The study implemented a randomized trial control group design in which classroom observations were conducted to determine student access to the general education curriculum before and after the implementation of an instructional model to enable students to self-regulate learning. Analyses were conducted using multilevel model methods. The findings indicated the potential positive impact of promoting self-determination on access to the general education curriculum for students with disabilities as well as the degree to which curriculum modifications and other supports are needed to further access and student progress.