and Special Educators

ABSTRACT:r Recent developments in policy and practice have emphasized the importance of promot-ing self-determination and supporting access to the general curriculum for youth with disabilities. To understand how these trends align, we examined the efforts of 340 general and special educators to promote student self-determination in high school classrooms. Educators attached considerable importance to providing instruction in skills related to self-determination and reported addressing these skills with moderate to high frequency in their classrooms. Although opportunities for students with disabilities to learn skills that promote self-determination were reported to be available across the curriculum, there were some differences across teachers and curricular area. We discuss avenues for promoting student self-determination within the general curriculum, as well as offer recom-mendations for future research. Substantial efforts have been programming for youth with disabilities. The In-directed toward ensuring that dividuals With Disabilities Education Improve-transition-age youth with dis- ment Act of 2004 (IDEA) mandates that schoolsabilities acquire the skills, expe- make coordinated efforts to facilitate students ' ac-riences, supports, and linkages cess to an array of postschool activities, including needed to attain important life outcomes after integrated employment, postsecondary education leaving high school (Alwell & Cobb, 2006). In- and training, community participation, and inde-deed, transition planning is now firmly estab- pendent living. But equally important are efforts lished as a critical component of educational to ensure that youth are equipped to direct thos