Promoting the self-determination of adolescents with disabilities has become best practice in secondary education and transition services, but to date there have been no studies establishing a causal relationship between efforts to promote self-determination and enhancement of the self-determination of youth with disabilities. This article reports a randomized trial, placebo control group study of 371 high school students receiving special education services under the categorical areas of mental retardation or learning disabilities. Students were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group (by high school campus), with students in the intervention condition receiving multiple instructional components to promote self-determination. Latent growth curve analysis showed that although all students in the study showed improved self-determination over the three years of the study, students in the intervention group showed significantly greater growth, though specific intra-individual variables impacted this growth. Implications for research and intervention are discussed.

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r: This study investigated whether curriculum modifications predicted student and teacher behaviors related to the general education curriculum and if there were differences in ecolo^cal, student, and teacher variables depending on the presence of such curriculum modifications. The study observed 45 high school students with disabilities during instruction in core content areas. Findings indicated that there were significant differences in student and teacher variables depending on the presence of curriculum modifications. When curriculum modifications were provided, students were engaged in more academic-related responses and fewer competing behaviors and teachers were engaged in fewer classroom management activities. Implications and recommendations fiom these findings are provided pertaining to the importance and implementation of curriculum modifications for students with disabilities in general education setting. E nabling .students to gain access plementary aids and services and special education to and make progress in the services to students with disabilities to promote general education curriculum such outcomes (IDEA 2004, Sec.602[a][19], has become a core requirement I4l4[dl; Sec.602[341[A]). Consequently, research of federal law governing educa-has been conducted evaluating practices intended tional services for students with disabilities. Ihe to promote access to and examining factors related 1997 amendments to the Individuals With Dis-to students' academic progress in the general eduabilities Education Act (IDEA 97), and subse-cation curriculum. Such practices and factors typiquently the 2004 amendments, required schools cally examined include (a) specially designed to institute policies and practices to promote instruction, including modifications to instrucinvolvement with and progress in the general lional practices and curricular materials; (b) stueducacion curriculum, including providing sup-dent and teacher variables hypothesized to be Exceptional Children 2A3

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.