This digest discusses promoting self-determination in students with disabilities. It begins by describing self-determination and explains why self-determination is important for these students. Teaching strategies are then provided for students at the elementary and secondary levels. For students in early elementary grades, educators are urged to provide opportunities for students to make choices, to promote early problem solving skills by encouraging students to think aloud, to provide feedback regarding the outcomes of their choices, and to teach students to evaluate their work in comparison to a standard. In late elementary and middle schools, educators should teach students to analyze systematically potential options with related benefits and disadvantages, to coach students in setting and committing to personal and academic goals, and to encourage them to evaluate task performance. Teachers of students in junior high and high school should encourage students to make decisions that affect their day-to-day activities and emphasize the link between goals and the daily decisions and choices they make. It is also recommended that educators promote active involvement in educational planning, teach students to direct their own learning, communicate high expectations, create a learning community that promotes active problem solving, and create partnerships with parents and students. (Contains 10 references.) (CR)