Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relative influence of, and interaction between, three exogenous latent factors (student skills, family climate, educational opportunities) and two endogenous factors (student self-determination, student action taking). Data were collected from 237 middle school and high school students with disabilities from three different school districts representing rural, suburban, and urban settings. The hypothesized relationships among five latent factors were partially supported by findings. When nonsignificant paths were eliminated, a final model revealed a number of significant paths between latent factors and the residuals of individual variables. The latent factor Educational Opportunities was significantly related to student self-determination. Residuals from the latent factors Student Skills and Family Climate were significantly related to student self-determination and action taking. An unexpected finding was the apparent lack of significant relationships between student skills and family climate, and student self-determination and student action taking. Findings and proposed direction for future research are discussed.
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