Although participation and progress in the general curriculum is mandated for all students, models to achieve such access often neglect students with more severe disabilities. Promoting self-determination linked to standards is an entry point to ensuring access to the general curriculum for all students, including students with severe disabilities. In this study, middle school students with intellectual disabilities alternately learned problem-solving and study planning skills linked to language arts, science, and social studies standards. Students in both intervention groups showed significantly more capacity on the targeted skill as compared to the alternating control group, and all students achieved goals at better than average levels. Promoting self-determination provides students with disabilities with additional strategies to access the general curriculum.
AgranM.AlperS.WehmeyerM. L. (2002). Access to the general curriculum for students with significant disabilities: What it means for teachers. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 37, 123–133.
3.
AgranM.BlanchardC.WehmeyerM. L. (2000). Promoting transition goals and self-determination through student self-directed learning: The self-determined learning model of instruction. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 35, 351–364.
4.
AgranM.BlanchardC.WehmeyerM. L.HughesC. (2001). Teaching students to self-regulate their behavior: The differential effects of student-vs.-teacher-delivered reinforcement. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 22, 319–332.
5.
AgranM.WehmyerM. L. (1999). Teaching problem solving to students with mental retardation. Washington, DC.: The American Association on Mental Retardation.
6.
Bennett-GatesD.KreitlerS. (1999). Expectancy of success in individuals with mental retardation. In ZiglerE.Bennett-GatesD. (Eds.), Personality development in individuals with mental retardation (pp. 130–144). New York: Cambridge University Press.
CardilloJ. R. (1994). Summary score conversion key. In KiresukT. J.SmithA.CardilloJ. R. (Eds.), Goal attainment scaling: Applications, theory, and measurement (pp. 273–281). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
9.
CarrR. W. (1979). Goal attainment scaling as a useful tool for evaluating progress in special education. Exceptional Children, 46, 88–95.
10.
CookT. D.CampbellD. T. (1979). Quasi-experimentation: Design and analysis for field settings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
11.
CooperL. J.WackerD. P.ThursbyD.PlagmannL. A.HardingJ.MillardT.DerbyM. (1992). Analysis of the effects of task preferences, task demands, and adult attention on child behavior in outpatient and classroom settings. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 25, 823–840.
12.
CopelandS. R.HughesC.AgranM.WehmeyerM. L.FowlerS. E. (2002). An intervention package to support high school students with mental retardation in general education classrooms. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 107, 32–45.
13.
FeldmanR.SaletskyR.SullivanJ.TheissA. (1983). Student locus of control and response to expectations about self and teacher. Journal of Educational Psychology, 75, 27–32.
14.
GermanS. L.MartinJ. E.MarshallL. H.SaleR. P. (2000). Promoting self-determination: Using Take Action to teach goal attainment. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 23, 27–38.
15.
HughesC.CopelandS. R.AgranM.WehmeyerM. L.RodiM. S.PresleyJ. A. (2002). Using self-monitoring to improve performance in general education high school classes. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 37, 262–272.
16.
HughesC.RungL. L.WehmeyerM. L.AgranM.CopelandS. R.HwangB. (2000). Self-prompted communication book use to increase social interaction among high school students. Journal of the Association for Severe Handicaps, 25, 153–166.
KnowltonE. (1998). Considerations in the design of personalized curricular supports for students with developmental disabilities. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 33, 95–107.
21.
MithaugD. E.MithaugD. A.AgranM.MartinJ.WehmeyerM. L. (2003). Self-determined learning theory: Construction, verification, and evaluation. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
22.
MithaugD. E.WehmeyerM. L.AgranM.MartinJ.PalmerS. B. (1998). The self-determined learning model of instruction: Engaging students to solve their learning problems. In WehmeyerM. L.SandsD. J. (Eds.), Making it happen: Student involvement in education planning, decision making, and instruction (pp. 299–328). Baltimore: Brookes.
23.
NoletV.McLaughlinM. (2000). Accessing the general curriculum. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
24.
PalmerS.WehmeyerM. L. (2003). Promoting self-determination in early elementary school: Teaching self-regulated problem-solving and goal setting skills. Remedial and Special Education, 24, 115–126.
25.
RolisonM. A.MedwayF. J. (1985). Teachers' expectations and attributions for student achievement: Effects of label, performance pattern, and special education intervention. American Educational Research Journal, 22, 561–573.
26.
Rules and Regulations, 64 Fed. Reg. 12,592 (March 12, 1999).
27.
SandsD.KozleskiE.FrenchN. (2000). Inclusive education for the 21st century. New York: Wadsworth Thomas Learning.
28.
SchunkD. H. (1985). Participation in goal setting: Effects on self-efficacy and skills of learning for disabled children. Journal of Special Education, 19, 307–317.
29.
WehmeyerM. L. (1996). A self-report measure of self-determination for adolescents with cognitive disabilities. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 31, 282–293.
30.
WehmeyerM. L. (2001). Self-determination and mental retardation. In GliddenL. M. (Ed.), International review of research in mental retardation (Vol. 24, pp. 1–48). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
31.
WehmeyerM. L. (2003). Defining mental retardation and ensuring access to the general curriculum. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 38, 270–281.
32.
WehmeyerM. L.FieldS.DorenB.JonesB.MasonC. (2004). Self-determination and student involvement in standards-based reform. Exceptional Children, 70, 7–21.
33.
WehmeyerM. L.KelchnerK. (1995). The Arc's self-determination scale. Silver Spring, MD: The Arc of the United States.
34.
WehmeyerM. L.LanceG. D.BashinskiS. (2002). Promoting access to the general curriculum for students with mental retardation: A multi-level model. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 37, 223–234.
35.
WehmeyerM. L.LattinD.AgranM. (2001). Achieving access to the general curriculum for students with mental retardation: A curriculum decision-making model. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 36, 327–342.
36.
WehmeyerM. L.LattinD.Lapp-RinckerG.AgranM. (2003). Access to the general curriculum of middle-school students with mental retardation: An observational study. Remedial and Special Education, 24, 262–272.
37.
WehmeyerM. L.PalmerS. B. (2003). Adult outcomes for students with cognitive disabilities three years after high school: The impact of self-determination. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 38, 131–144.
38.
WehmeyerM. L.PalmerS. B.AgranM.MithaugD.MartinJ. (2000). Promoting causal agency: The self-determined learning model of instruction. Exceptional Children, 66, 439–453.
39.
WehmeyerM. L.SandsD. J.KnowltonE.KozleskiE. B. (2002). Teaching students with mental retardation: Providing access to the general curriculum. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
40.
WehmeyerM. L.SchwartzM. (1997). Self-determination and positive adult outcomes: A follow-up study of youth with mental retardation or learning disabilities. Exceptional Children, 63, 245–255.
41.
YsseldykeJ.KrentzJ.ElliottJ.ThurlowM.EricksonR.MooreM. (1998). NCEO framework for educational accountability. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes.
