Special Education Add-On Endorsement

Offered in Fall A and Summer A

This course introduces students to legal and judicial foundations of special education, including relevant legislation and current regulations. It also delves into the history of special education, ethical issues, and professional roles and responsibilities. 3 credits.

Offered in Fall A

This course is designed to introduce students to general instructional strategies appropriate for students with disabilities, including explicit instruction, direct instruction, universal design for learning, and high-leverage practices, that can be used across literacy. Emphasis will be placed on evidence-based practices to teach literacy (oral language, phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics–decoding & encoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and writing). 3 credits.

Offered in Fall B

This course is designed to introduce students to general instructional strategies appropriate for students with disabilities, including explicit instruction, direct instruction, universal design for learning, and high-leverage practices, that can be used across mathematics. Emphasis will be placed on evidence-based practices to teach mathematics (process versus content standards, schema instructions, benefits of manipulatives, cognitive versus metacognitive strategies, formative feedback, error analysis, self-efficacy/affect, mental mathematics, mnemonics and computer assisted instruction). 3 credits.

Offered in Spring A and Summer B

This course is designed to introduce students to the IEP process from development to implementation of an IEP.  Students will learn how to write each part of an IEP and which components are required in each portion.  Emphasis will be placed on how to implement an IEP in the classroom and how to monitor student progress to ensure goals are being met.  In addition, this course will include content on collaborating with the IEP team throughout the process of IEP development and implementation. 3 credits.

Offered in Fall A and Spring A

This practicum course allows practicing teachers to document 45 instructional hours of successful teaching and support experience with special education students in their area of licensure (K-6, 6-8, 6-12) at a public or an accredited nonpublic school setting. Hours will be completed with a mentor teacher holding a license in the area of the endorsement. 1 credit.

Offered in Spring B

This course is designed to introduce students to the assessment process in special education by addressing procedural safeguards, data collection via informal and formal procedures, issues in assessment, psychometric properties of standardized tests, and administration, scoring, and interpretation of selected instruments.  Students will learn formal (standardized) methods of assessment, as well as informal methods, such as curriculum-based measurement.  Students will learn how to score and interpret data, as well as design instruction based on results of assessment. 3 credits.

Offered in Spring B

This course is designed to introduce students to transition planning and to provide an overview of transition assessments, services, and community supports.  Students will learn how to write a transition plan and how to include opportunities to build skills in the classroom.  In addition, students will be given an opportunity to learn about vocational, social, leisure, and recreational activities, as well as other supports that might be needed for transition. 3 credits.