Special Education Endorsement ProgramCenter for Excellence in Teaching

This overview class is designed to present an in-depth look at students with specific learning disabilities covered by special education law. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the role of the special educator when working with students with learning disabilities, their classroom teachers, their parents and other interdisciplinary team members. Included will be discussions of multi-cultural and diversity issues. [ $225 per credit; total summer tuition cost: $2475 ]

• Graded.

This overview class is designed to present a focused examination of students with attention deficit, hyperactivity, and serious emotional disturbances. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the role of the special educator when working with students with these disabilities, their classroom teachers, their parents and other interdisciplinary team members. Included will be discussions of multi-cultural and diversity issues.

• Graded.

This overview class is designed to present a focused examination of students with developmental disabilities and low incidence populations. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the role of the special educator when working with students with these disabilities, their classroom teachers, their parents and other interdisciplinary team members. Included will be discussions of multi-cultural and diversity issues.

• Graded.

This course will investigate the current theories of language development and analyze the developmentally appropriate steps in relation to the child with special needs. Examination of the comprehensive knowledge needed to evaluate and apply effective functional and academic interventions for language disorders in children will be highlighted. Theoretical and empirical basis of intervention will be included as well as considerations for children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

• Graded.

This course is designed to strengthen the understanding of “response to intervention” in the area of reading. Specific research-based strategies in content acquisition (content enhancements)

• Instructor(s): Kristy Sandvik
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Navigating the maze of helping the student with special needs develop the skills needed to perform effectively in society requires the understanding of the connection between home, school and community. This course is designed to acquaint the special educator with current practices in opening the communication between all players in the education of the child with special needs. The issues of multi-cultural, diverse populations and ethical decision-making will be studied.

• Graded.

Understanding the anatomy and physiology of the developing human body will be the focus of this course. Of special concern will be the study of the eye, the ear and the vocal tract. An in-depth look at the anatomy and physiology of the brain will connect the studies to the disorders of the special population. Ethical decisions regarding identification, assessment, and treatment will be discussed. Communication skills for working with medical personnel and families will be learned. Incorporating medical information and current laws and policies into IEPs will be discussed.

• Graded.

Designed to acquaint regular and special education teachers with principles and application of classroom management techniques applicable to exceptional children and youth. Methods of changing inappropriate behaviors and prompting the acquisition of adaptive behaviors through positive management procedures will be stressed. Includes an introduction to behavior analysis. A case study on social skills education, crisis prevention, and interventions addressing physiological factors that influence a student's problem behavior will be completed within this course. Approaches focus on understanding and addressing the precipitating factors related to inappropriate behavior, short-term approaches for immediate crises, and problem-solving strategies for longer-term change. Course content will include assessment of antisocial, aggressive, and violent behavior; options for classroom interventions; school and system-oriented interventions, and ethical and legal issues involved in various prevention and intervention approaches. A case study on social skills education, crisis prevention, and interventions addressing physiological factors that influence a student's problem behavior will be completed within this course.

• Graded.

Examination of functional evaluation tools and assessment techniques for the moderate, severely and multiply handicapped child will be included in this course. An understanding of how to determine which test instrument is valid for each child and how to legally proceed with assessment plans will be stressed. A study of various functional training theories and foundations for the moderate, severe and multiple handicapped student will be studied. Understanding of the role of technology in instruction and alignment with IEP goals will be integrated throughout this course. Techniques for developing successful collaboration with parents, students, and professionals will be studied as a means for successful implementation of functional learning programs.

• Graded.

A study of the various academic diagnostic instruments and their interpretation will be used to diagnose learning disabilities, emotional disturbances and other mildly handicapping conditions. Findings will be used to align assessment, curriculum and instructional strategies through a case study and IEP approach. Considerations for diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds will be considered. Course content will focus on learning how to select learning strategies that match student needs from published curricula as well as how to create strategies with youth to meet specific needs. Teaching routines that facilitate strategic learning during content-area instruction that compensate for inefficient learning will be introduced, evaluated, and implemented in classroom settings.

• Graded.

Special Education Law is a class designed to acquaint teachers with the ethical intricacies of law and policies as pertaining to special education. Development and implementation of IEPs, current case studies and up-to-date mandates from No Child Left Behind and revisions of PL 94-142 will be examined with the special education teacher in mind. The inclusion of the “ethics” of decision-making in special education will be a crucial part of this course.

• Graded.

A comprehensive examination of the technology software programs and microcomputers available to the population with special needs will be studied. Topics include: a) applications and the impact of computers on students with special needs; b) an introduction to effective hardware and software applications for students with special needs; c) instructional adaptations made possible through technology; d) software evaluation techniques; and f) an overview of multimedia and its effects on students with special needs. Students will acquire hands-on operating experience with microcomputers through scheduled laboratory periods.

Technology will be examined for purposes of student evaluation, assessment, IEP development, data collection, and program management. The lessons in this course explore how various "features of learning" and "features of technology" intersect. They discuss realistic options for improving the learning of students, and the learning of teachers, as they use technology in education. The lessons in this course present research-based methods for monitoring student behavior and academic progress. They explain how teachers may use this information to evaluate current (and plan future) instructional and behavioral interventions following a decision making model. Students will also explore how computer and information management technology tools support and facilitate the collection, storage, and analysis of observational data, IEPs, and response to intervention.

Technology has the potential to dramatically improve the education and quality of life for people with disabilities. This course presents a basic foundation for understanding technology in special education, a functional model for selecting the best technology applications for students with special needs, and strategies for applying this knowledge to practical situations.

This course is designed to provide knowledge and skills to implement federal and state development mandates for special education and related services programs. It covers procedures for developing, implementing, and evaluating (a) instructional accountability for special education students' participation in district and state assessments; (b) relationships between general and special education personnel and programs; (c) roles and responsibilities; (d) interdisciplinary team planning including families; (e) coordinating, educating, and supervising para-educators; and (f) general management responsibilities associated with instruction of children and youth with disabilities. Course topics will include collaboration in schools, community systems and families, historical perspectives of family life and school involvement, effective relationships between home, school, community, communication among professionals and with families, school-based programs, home-based programs, and multicultural considerations. Ethics in consulting will be a key feature in this course.

• Graded.

• Graded.

• Graded.

An extensive, on-site special education experience - teaching learners with mild, moderate and severe disabilities. The experience includes teaching, formal observation, data collection, analysis and reflection. The field experience supports coursework in the special education program. In these field-based experiences, the candidates will be placed in schools with certified mentor teachers and qualified university supervisors.

• Graded.