National Picture of the Self-Determination Characteristics of Secondary School English Learners with Disabilities
Author: Newman, Lynn A.
Date: 2021-00-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Self Determination,Longitudinal Studies,Special Education,Transitional Programs,English Language Learners,Students with Disabilities,Secondary School Students,Personal Autonomy,Self Actualization,Student Empowerment,Disability Identification,Parent Background,Educational Attainment,Poverty,Socioeconomic Influences,Low Achievement,Student Characteristics,Family Characteristics,Age Differences,Gender Differences,Academic Aspiration,Expectation,Postsecondary Education,Adolescents,Academic Achievement,Racial Differences,Ethnicity,Suspension,Expulsion,Student Behavior,Daily Living Skills

Students' self-determination plays a critical role in both in-school and post-school outcomes. This study examined the self-determination of English learners with disabilities in secondary school, based on a secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 (NLTS 2012). The NLTS 2012 youth survey, conducted in English and Spanish, included measures of three self-determination constructs--autonomy, self-realization, and psychological empowerment--based on 21 items from three of the four subscales of The Arc's Self-Determination Scale. The current study's sample included approximately 350 English learners with disabilities and comparison samples of 3,760 students with disabilities with an IEP who were not English learners, 90 English learners in the general population (those without an IEP), and 1,250 students in the general population who were not English learners. English learners with disabilities differed from other students with disabilities in several keyways. Disability identification for English learners is markedly different from other students with disabilities, including a significantly higher prevalence of learning disabilities and a lower incidence of autism, emotional disturbances, multiple disabilities, other health impairment, and traumatic brain injury. Beyond disability identification, results also indicate that English learners with disabilities were significantly more likely to have parents who had not completed high school than were all other students. Additionally, similar to their English learner peers in the general population, English learners with disabilities were more likely than other students to experience poverty and to attend urban, poor performing schools. Study findings indicate that on average, English learners with disabilities reported lower levels of self-determination than other students, including their being less likely to act autonomously or report empowerment- or self-realization related-behaviors. Multivariate logistic regression analyses identified several student and family characteristics associated with variations in aspects of self-determination, including age, gender, and postsecondary expectations. Implications for practice and research are discussed, including the importance of considering these factors when selecting, implementing, and evaluating self-determination interventions for English learners with disabilities. [This paper was published in &quot;Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals.&quot;]