ARC Self-Determination Scale

The ARC self determination scale, developed in 1995, assesses the self-determination strengths and weaknesses of adolescents with disabilities, facilitates student involvement in their education,  and aids in developing self-determination goals for students. The assessment yields a total self-determination score and four subscores (autonomy, self-regulation, psychological empowerment, and self-realization). Raw scores are converted into percentile scores using available data on norms. An adult version of the scale was developed later. 

Content

Domains
Self Management,
Self Awareness
Subdomain

Autonomy, Self Regulation, Psychological Empowerment, Self Realization

Grades
7th Grade,
8th Grade,
9th Grade,
10th Grade,
11th Grade,
12th Grade,
Post secondary
Languages
English
Respondent
Student,
Teacher,
Examiner

Administration Information

Length
30-60 minutes
Qualifications

No credentials required, but Administrator/Scorer should familiarize themselves with the guide & topics. Ideally should be a researcher, psychologist, or teacher. 

Administration
Paper

Access and Use

Contact

Michael L. Wehmeyer

wehmeyer@ku.edu

Open Access
Yes
Use in Research

Jameson, D. R. (2007). Self-determination and success outcomes of two-year college students with disabilities. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 37(2), 26-46.   https://doi.org/10.1080/10790195.2007.10850196

Lee, Y., Wehmeyer, M. L., Palmer, S. B., Williams-Diehm, K., Davies, D. K., & Stock, S. E. (2012). Examining individual and instruction-related predictors of the self-determination of students with disabilities: Multiple regression analyses. Remedial and Special Education, 33(3), 150-161.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932510392053

Shogren, K. A., Wehmeyer, M. L., Palmer, S. B., Soukup, J. H., Little, T. D., Garner, N., & Lawrence, M. (2008). Understanding the construct of self-determination: examining the relationship between the Arc's Self-Determination Scale and the American Institutes for Research Self-Determination Scale. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 33(2), 94-107. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534508407311395   

Wehmeyer, M., & Schwartz, M. (1997). Self-determination and positive adult outcomes: A follow-up study of youth with mental retardation or learning disabilities. Exceptional Children, 63(2), 245-255. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440299706300207   

Psychometrics

Scoring
Manual scoring
Referencing
Norm-referenced
Item Type
Likert

Psychometric Considerations

Psychometrics is the science of psychological assessment. A primary goal of EdInstruments is to provide information on crucial psychometric topics including Validity and Reliability – essential concepts of evaluation, which indicate how well an instrument measures a construct - as well as additional properties that are worthy of consideration when selecting an instrument of measurement.

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