Ensuring students’ voices are heard: An evidence-based practice to actively engage students in transition planning
Students go through multiple transitions in life; some can be easy, while others can be tough. One fact remains true: the path to adulthood is not seamless, whether students transition to work, college, or training; it requires planning and preparation. An individual education program (IEP) does just that for a student with disabilities! The transition planning and activities included in the IEP involve assessing students, creating age-appropriate goals, and providing detailed activities and services that ultimately lead to a successful transition to adulthood. Even with these extensive activities, Matusevich et al. (2023) share that only about three percent of students talk during IEP meetings. How can we ensure that students’ voices are heard?
Students’ ability to understand their strengths and weaknesses enables them to identify goals for the future. We all want our students to be successful and articulate their desires for life, and we can use evidence-based practices to engage them in the process. When done well, transition planning can better empower students and families to navigate life’s challenges after high school. Infusing self-determination is vital during the transition planning process and targets key college and career readiness skills like academic engagement, ownership of learning, and problem-solving (Matusevich et al., 2023).
Self-determination is defined as causing or acting to make things happen in one’s life (Shogren et al., 2015). Self-determined people engage in three key self-determined actions:
- Volitional action or DECIDE (i.e., knowing and expressing preferences, interests, and beliefs in action toward one’s goals);
- Agentic action or ACT (i.e., taking action in pursuit of achieving a goal); and
- Action-control beliefs or BELIEVE (i.e., believing in one’s capabilities and the means to make progress toward goals) (Shogren & Raley, 2022).
Research has shown that self-determination impacts academic learning, behavioral skills, community access, and goal attainment (Kelly & Shogren, 2022). One specific evidence-based model is the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI).
SDLMI enables teachers to provide opportunities for all students to direct their learning by setting goals, creating action plans, and revising their goals or action plans. It is essential to note that the SDLMI is not a curriculum; but instead, a model of instruction that can be overlaid on any content (e.g., transition planning, academic content class) to infuse opportunities and enhance self-determination. The SDLMI has been used in a variety of settings (e.g., one-on-one, small groups, whole class instruction) to support students with a wide range of support needs to set and go after goals in academic, transition, and social-emotional learning domains (Burke et al., 2021). SDLMI has three core components: student questions, teacher objectives, and emotional support (Matusevich et al., 2023). In their article, “Student-led transition planning using the self-determined learning model of instruction,” Matusevich et al. (2023) provide an implementation schedule and materials for SDLMI that support transition planning and transition activities for IEP documentation.
To learn more about the SDLMI model and self-determination, check out the following resources:
Article: Student-Led Transition Planning Using the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction
I’m Determined website: https://imdetermined.org/National Technical Assistance Center on Transition website: https://transitionta.org/
References
Burke, K. M., Shogren, K. A., & Carlson, S. (2021). Examining types of goals set by transition-age students with intellectual disability. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 44(3), 135–147. https://doi.org/10.1177/2165143420959055
Kelly, J. R., & Shogren, K. A. (2014). The impact of teaching self-determination skills on the on-task and off-task behaviors of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 22(1), 27–40. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/1063426612470515
Matusevich, H. A., Shogren, K. A., Raley, S. K., & Matusevich, D. W. (2024). Student-led transition planning using the self-determined learning model of instruction. Teaching Exceptional Children, 56(4), 230–238. https://doi.org/10.1177/00400599231155604
Shogren, K. A., & Raley, S. K. (2022). Self-determination and causal agency theory: Integrating research into practice. Springer.
For more information, contact LaTonja Wright, ([email protected]), Program Specialist, T/TAC at VCU.
Categories Inclusive Practices