Special Education - Standard Exceptional Child Certificate with Generalist Endorsement, Grades K-12
The Special Education program prepares generalists rather than specialists in any one area of special education. Students interested in the endorsement of Exceptional Child Generalist K-12 must integrate the special education courses and internship into their elementary or secondary education program. Obtaining the Exceptional Child Generalist endorsement enables a special education teacher to work with students with special and individual needs in grades K-12 in a resource program or through inclusion in a regular classroom.
Teacher candidates must complete a major endorsement in either Elementary Education (All Subjects K-8) or Secondary Education (Specific Content Area 6-12). For endorsement, students must also pass the Praxis II exam #5355-Special Education: Foundational Knowledge.
Program Outcomes
All Educators will...
1. Understand Program Outcomes1. The program completer understands how learners grow and develop, recognize recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and be able to design designs and implement implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
2. Use their 2. The program completer uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.
3. Work 3. The program completer works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation. self motivation.
4. Understand 4. The program completer understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) they teach he or she teaches and will know how to create creates learning experiences that make the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to to assure mastery of the content.
5. Understand 5. The program completer understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.
6. Understand 6. The program completer understands and use uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making of both teacher and learner. making.
7. Know how to plan 7. The program completer plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.
8. Understand 8. The program completer understands and use uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, as well as and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
9. Know how to engage 9. The program completer engages in ongoing professional learning and use uses evidence to to continually evaluate your his/her practice, particularly the effects of your his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community) community), and adapt adapts practice to to meet the needs of each learner.
10. Develop a desire 10. The program completer seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to seek appropriate leadership roles and opportunities take responsibility for student learning, to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to to ensure learner growth, and to to advance the profession.
11. Be The program completer should be able to distinguish between each of the federally recognized tribes with respect to the retention of their ancestral lands in Idaho: Coeur d’Alene d'Alene Tribe, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, Nez New Perce Tribe, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, and the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes. They will Program completes build capacity in learners to utilize the assets that each learner brings to the learning community based on their backgrounds and experiences. experiences.
12. Understand The program completer understands the Code of Ethics for Idaho Professional Educators and its place in supporting the integrity of the profession. profession.
13. Know The program completer knows how to use digital technology to create lessons and facilitate instruction and assessment in face-to-face, blended, and online learning environments to engage students and enhance learning.
Literacy Program Outcomes
14. Understand the importance of automatic word recognition, reading fluency, reading comprehension, and motivation to read; the impact of vocabulary knowledge in oral and written language comprehension; and factors that contribute to deep listening and reading comprehension.
15. Understand the benefit of incorporating writing in the content areas. They will know how to incorporate ethical and credible research practices into instruction.
16. Understand how reading and writing difficulties vary in presentation and degree. You will understand the characteristics of struggling readers and writers, know how to identify appropriate accommodations, and adapt instruction to meet student needs.
In addition to the above, Elementary Educators will also:
17. Gain knowledge of the foundational concepts of literacy instruction and their typical developmental progression. You will understand that learners with reading difficulties require code-based explicit, systematic, sequential, and diagnostic instruction with many repetitions.
18. Understand formative literacy assessment concepts, strategies, and measures. You will know how to use assessment data to inform and design differentiated literacy instruction.
Special Education Program Outcomes
19. Know how to develop individualized education plans, transition plans, and behavior plans in accordance with applicable laws, rules, regulations, and procedural safeguards.
20. Know how to select, adapt, modify, and use a repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies, including universal design for learning to advance learning, self-advocacy, and independence of individuals with exceptionalities.
21. Know how to design strategies to facilitate optimal access to low- and high technology tools and assistive technologies across learning environments to support the communication and learning of individuals with exceptionalities.
22. Know how to administer, interpret, and explain technically sound eligibility assessments to guide educational decisions for individuals with exceptionalities.
23. Gain the knowledge in the guidance and direction to paraeducators and other student support staff.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SE-322 | INCLUSION STRATEGIES K-12 (prerequisite to all SE courses) 1 | 3.00 |
| SE-332 | INDIVIDUALIZED ASSESSMENT | 3.00 |
| SE-333 | INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION | 3.00 |
| SE-334 | INDIVIDUALIZED MOTIVATION | 3.00 |
| SE-335 | SPECIAL EDUCATION FIELD EXPERIENCE | 1.00 |
| SE/RE-340 | FOUNDATIONAL LITERACY 1 | 4.00 |
| SE/RE-342 | INTERMEDIATE LITERACY 1 | 4.00 |
| Select one of the following: | 2.00 | |
| ADAPTIVE TEACHING 6-12 | ||
| ADAPTIVE TEACHING I, K-8 and ADAPTIVE TEACHING II, K-8 1 | ||
| SE-477 | CONSULTING WITH PARENTS AND PROFESSIONALS | 2.00 |
| Internship Requirements | ||
| SE-484 | SPECIAL EDUCATION INTERNSHIP 2 | 6.00 |
| SE-484 substitutes for 6 credits of the following: | ||
| PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP IN EDUCATION K-8, II 1 | ||
| PROFESSIONAL INTERNSHIP IN EDUCATION 6-12 1 | ||
| Total Credits | 31.00 | |
- 1
These courses are required as a part of the Elementary Teacher Education Program.
- 2
Internship requires admission to the Teacher Education Program and completion of all Special Education courses.