Examining the reliability and validity of a self-determination assessment for transition planning.

Abstract

Transition services and programs for older students with disabilities were first mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990. An important component of transition planning and programming centers on the Individual Education Plan (IEP). It is vital for educators to know the extent to which students possess the self-determination skills they need to participate as active members of their IEP meetings. Assessments that are reliable, valid, easy to administer, and that provide information about students' strengths and weaknesses are needed to help educators plan effective instructional programming in the area of self-determination. The purpose of this study was to develop a self-determination measure that can be used for instructional planning in transition programs. Specifically, I developed the Peper Transition Planning Scale to assess each of the major self-determination domains described by Abery and Stancliffe (2003). Participants included 57 students enrolled in a transition center in a large Midwestern suburban school district. Test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and criterion validity in relation to the Choicemaker Self Determination Assessment and the Minnesota Self-Determination Skills, Attitudes, and Knowledge Scale: Family/Educator Edition) were established, as well as the measure's capacity to show growth over time. Adaptive ability and general intelligence were found to be important predictors of students' performance. This study shows initial support for the Peper Transition Planning Scale as a reliable and valid measure of self-determination. Recommendations for further validation of the Scale are provided, as well as suggestions for use in transition program planning.