Special Education
Faculty
D. Grace, S. Hawkins, J. Knoll, D. Lacy, R. Lester, A. Miller
Program Competencies
Based on Teacher Standards, students graduating from the LBD & MSD program should possess:
- An understanding of the varied nature of exceptional children, and of the range of special programs and resources available in the public school and the community.
- Knowledge and skills in the development of alternative individualized curricula and in the effective teaching of academic skills, including oral and written language and the content areas.
- An understanding of the principles and techniques of behavior management, and the ability to implement those techniques in the public school classroom.
- An ability to measure the effectiveness of ongoing special education programs, and to critically evaluate the utility of published materials.
- An understanding of the roles and responsibilities of special education teachers in various education program settings, including due process for the identification, placement, and continuing evaluation of students in special instructional programs.
- Knowledge of the curriculum in various areas of child development at the preschool level, together with an understanding of the characteristics of handicapped preschool children and the program modifications that they require.
- An understanding of career education as an integral part of the P-12 curriculum including knowledge of teaching methods, materials, and outside agencies typically involved in vocational training and independent living.
- An understanding of fundamental principles of education assessment and the ability to administer a wide range of formal and informal, academic, communication, and behavioral assessment instruments.
- The ability to interpret formal and informal assessment data in the process of forming conclusions about student needs, implementing and evaluating individualized education programs, and designing appropriate curricula for children with learning, behavioral, or developmental needs.
- An understanding of KERA and the full inclusion of special education students with nonhandicapped students in regular classrooms.
- Demonstrate appropriate uses of technology to support classroom instruction.
- Demonstrate the capacity to provide leadership within the school, the community, and the profession.
Assessment Procedures Special Education
GPA of 2.50
ACT scores
Interview
Completion of required field experience hours
Writing sample
Teacher Performance Assessment
PRAXIS Exams