Special education literature abounds with a challenge to special educators to promote the acquisition of self-determination skills in their students. A critical component of self-determination that can be readily addressed in the school setting is self-advocacy. The authors believe that meeting the challenge of enhancing student's self-advocacy skills will require that educators understand self-advocacy and recognize its significance in obtaining successful outcomes for students with disabilities once they leave the P-12 school system. To support teachers' understanding of why and how to make changes in special education practices, the authors begin with a brief discussion of self-determination theory, which points to the important role of self-determination in learning and provides context for understanding the concept of self-advocacy. In addition, they provide definitions of self-determination and a conceptual framework for self-advocacy--the focal point of this article. The authors outline the need for explicit instruction related to component skills of self-advocacy and describe the barriers to providing that instruction in preschool to grade 12 (P-12) schools. Next, they explore the research-to-practice gap and offer descriptions of curricula and strategies for integrating self-advocacy skills into daily activities that they hope will bridge that gap. Finally, they illustrate connections between theory and practice by describing the experiences of four elementary students, their parents, and their teachers as these students practiced self-advocacy by leading their own Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. (Contains 3 figures.)