As schools increasingly seek to prepare students for a complex and rapidly changing world, decision making has emerged as a critical competency for success in education, employment, community participation, and independent living. In response to this need, the Hunter College School of Education, in partnership with the New York State Council on Developmental Disabilities (NYS CDD), developed the Hunter SOE Decision-Making Curriculum, a comprehensive P–12 resource designed to explicitly teach decision-making skills to students with and without disabilities. This presentation examines the development, implementation, and statewide dissemination of the curriculum through successful partnerships with hundreds of schools across New York State. Grounded in principles of self-determination, student agency, and inclusive education, the curriculum provides developmentally appropriate lessons that help students evaluate options, consider consequences, solve problems, and make informed choices across academic, social, and real-world contexts.Presenters will share lessons learned from collaborating with P–12 educators, administrators, and community partners to bring decision-making instruction into classrooms, highlighting implementation successes, educator feedback, and examples of student impact. Particular attention will be given to how the curriculum aligns with the emerging NYS Portrait of a Graduate Framework by fostering essential competencies such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, responsible citizenship, self-advocacy, and lifelong learning.Attendees will explore how explicit decision-making instruction can serve as a powerful bridge between academic content and real-world readiness, supporting students in becoming confident, engaged, and self-directed learners. The session will offer practical strategies for integrating decision-making instruction into existing curricula while demonstrating how school-university partnerships can successfully scale innovative educational initiatives that prepare all students for future success.
