AspirePlus: A Researcher-Practitioner Partnership to Promote Self-Determination and More Positive Student Outcomes

The purpose of this proposed Partnership is to engage in research and other activities to extend GA DSESS efforts to promote self-determination. The project will conduct secondary analyses of GA DSESS data to examine efforts to enhance student involvement in transition planning (Project ASPIRE) on school, transition, and post-secondary education outcomes and will conduct two pilot studies examining the impact on self-determination and educational goal attainment through (1) implementation of the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI, a self-regulated problem-solving process to enable students to set and attain goals) on its own; and (2) implementation of the SDLMI along with the ASPIRE process (ASPIREPlus).

Setting: Research conducted by the proposed project would conduct activities in authentic school settings consisting of typical middle and high schools across the state of GA, including school districts involved in multiple initiatives in GA, including transition-related initiatives conducted by the GA Division for Special Education Services and Supports and initiatives conducted by DSESS in collaboration with the GA Vocational Rehabilitation Agency.