This document summarizes Victoria Tanaka's participatory action research study exploring the implementation of a self-determination curriculum for students with disabilities at Happy High School. The study used an appreciative inquiry process involving four phases: initiating conversations to identify challenges, engaged inquiry, collaborative actions such as a field trip, and next steps. Fifteen students participated in 8-10 intervention sessions focusing on self-determination skills. Results will be shared with administrators and recommendations made to improve transition planning and post-graduation outcomes for students with disabilities.

1. Exploring the Implementation of
Self-Determination Curriculum on
Students with Disabilities:
An Appreciative Participatory Inquiry Process
By: Victoria C. Tanaka

2. “
“Knowledge is not seen as something that a
person has, but as something that people do
together.”
“Lifescaping and future forming move research away from being
a descriptive summary… but toward...becoming an engaged
creative and continuous process… (Lewis & Winkleman, 2017).

3. Methodology
● Participatory Inquiry Process (PIP) and Appreciative Inquiry Process (AI)
● Engage in lifescaping and future forming change
● Cultivate learning power and strength based practices
● Leads a community towards eco-relational change
● Provides insight into intersectionality in order to facilitate change
● Four phases in the continuous process, which is non-linear in nature

4. Happy
High
School
Located in Sin City, in Happyland School District
Median household income: $85,521
4,000 students enrolled, largest in Northern CA
92.8% received HS Diploma
40.3% received BA degree

5. ● 13% are English
Learners
● 8% are students
with disabilities
● 47% of students
qualify for
free/reduced lunch
● 33% are reclassified
English Proficient
learners
Exceeded standards: 35% of
Asians, 24% of Whites, 27% of
those Two or more races, 8% of
Hispanic or Latinos,
and 5% of Blacks
Statistics at Happy High

6. What is being addressed?
● Each SPED student requires a transition plan by age 16
● College attendance still remains low, at 6%
● ⅓ of these seniors graduate with a diploma, ⅓ enters the
adult transition program and ⅓ returns for their 5th year
● Department is working on reaching 9th/10th graders, but
wants to see immediate results this year
● Admin continues to wonder “How can we increase
graduation rates and readiness post high school?”

7. ● Focuses on expressing goals, self-advocacy
and self-awareness
● Linked to more positive outcomes, including:
-higher employment rates
-independent living
-increase college application rates
Self-Determination Curriculum

8. Questions
to consider
How do I increase
buy-in from the
students and make
the material
life-applicable?
How can SD
curriculum improve
post-graduation
outcomes?
How can I expand
on their transition
plans to make
them more
individualized?

9. Phase One: Initiating Conversations
and Identifying Challenges
● Inquired with the house principal and supervisor about current
needs. Given the large population, they asked that I present
my own idea because everyone has their own agenda
● Aside from their transition plan, students in SPED do not receive
individualized curriculum to help serve their needs and interests
● Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) grant exhausted

10. 10
Phase Two: Engaged Inquiry
● When speaking with the two SDC teachers, I learned more about
the DOR position that was filled
● Career education, transitional living skills, goal setting
● Foremost need was coordinating field trip to Chabot College
● Can I coincide this material with self-determination curriculum? Yes!

11. Phase Three: Collaborative Actions
● Consulted with DOR specialist about field trip/resources
● Sent home field trip and intervention permission slips home together
● Coordinating field trip proved to be a big stepping stone in working
collaboratively with SPED and seemed to gain their trust
● Received IRB approval in February
● Transportation fare prep
● First group next week!

12. Study Sample
● Pulled from the caseload of
two SDC senior classes
● 15 permission
slips received
● Each students is in at least
two mainstream classes
● Nine boys , six girls

13. Intervention
Session 1
-Pretest/Self-
Determination Scale
-Ask “what do you
really want to see?
Session 2
-CA Career Zone
-Personality and
careers
Session 3
-How to apply for
community college.
-Deadlines
Session 4
-Making money choices
-How to budget
-Tips for when
you turn 18
Session 5
-S.M.A.R.T.
-Goal setting
-Goal tracking
Session 6
-Community resources
-How to apply
to Dept. of Rehab
Session 7
-Communication skills
-Displaying assertiveness
Session 8
-Create resume
-Create online
job profile
Session 9
-Review
-Posttest

14. Next steps and Takeaways
● Conduct intervention groups for 8-10 weeks
● Consult with teachers to modify curriculum to make it
level-appropriate
● Share results with administration and faculty
● Recommendations:
- Do something as opposed to nothing
- Start early on and make your presence known
- Have more urgency

15. Field Trip to
Disabled Students’
Resource Center
March 7th, 2018

16. 16Results
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